From Provence to the Office: Why Tariette Hampers Make Memorable Corporate Gifts

Before Tariette existed, I spent several years working in the corporate world in London. Whenever Christmas approached, a client completed an important project or somebody deserved a proper thank-you, the same question would come up: what should we send them? I always scratched my head over corporate gifts.

There were plenty of choices, but so many of them felt impersonal. Branded objects people did not really need. Bottles of wine chosen without much thought. Generic gift boxes that looked impressive for a moment but said very little about the person or company sending them.

I wanted to give something generous and memorable, but also useful. Something people would genuinely enjoy opening, sharing and eating. Without quite realising it at the time, that frustration would eventually become part of the idea behind Tariette.

Missing the Food of Provence in London

I grew up in Provence, surrounded by a food culture that is simple, generous and deeply connected to the seasons. Food was never only about the food itself. It was the Saturday market in Apt, family apéritifs, jars of tapenade, local honey, good olive oil, wine from the neighbouring villages and dishes brought to the table for everyone to share.

When I moved to London, these were the things I missed. I could find French products, of course, but not always the products I remembered from home. I missed the small producers, traditional recipes and unpretentious foods that tasted unmistakably of our region. Tariette began as a way to bring some of that Provence to Britain.

My family and I started selecting products from farmers, winemakers and artisans we knew or discovered around Provence. We looked for food that we would be happy to serve at our own table: tapenades, terrines, biscuits, almonds, honey, olive oils, jams, wines and other regional specialities made with care. From the beginning, hampers felt like the natural way to bring everything together.

Hampers Were at the Heart of Tariette from the Start

A hamper is more than a collection of products. A good hamper tells a story. It can recreate a Provençal apéritif, introduce someone to the flavours of the Luberon or give them the ingredients for a long, relaxed lunch. It also creates a proper moment when it is opened.

There is the basket, the ribbon, the tissue paper and the handwritten card. Then there is the pleasure of discovering each item one at a time. Something savoury, something sweet, perhaps a bottle to open with dinner and something useful to keep long after the food has been enjoyed. That sense of discovery was important to us when we started Tariette, and it remains at the heart of every hamper we make today. We do not simply fill a basket until it looks full. We think about how the products work together, who will receive them and what sort of experience the gift should create.

Why Hampers Work So Well as Corporate Gifts

The best corporate gifts occupy a slightly difficult space. They need to feel professional, but not cold. Generous, but not excessive. Personal, while still being suitable for a client, colleague or wider team. A well-made food hamper does all of that naturally. Food is made to be enjoyed and shared. It does not create clutter, require somebody to find space for it or quietly disappear into an office drawer. A hamper can be opened with colleagues, taken home to the family or kept for a series of apéritifs and meals.

It also gives the sender room to express something. A carefully selected hamper says thank you. It says that a relationship matters. It acknowledges a successful project, a year of hard work or a long-standing partnership in a way that feels warmer than another piece of branded merchandise. For me, that is what corporate gifting should do.

Not Just Another Generic Hamper

There is certainly no shortage of corporate hampers available, particularly at Christmas. Many contain familiar products from familiar brands. There is nothing wrong with that, but we wanted Tariette hampers to offer something different. Our products come primarily from Provence and the South of France. Many are made by small businesses, cooperatives and family producers whose food reflects a particular village, landscape or local tradition. Inside one of our hampers, you might find black olive tapenade made with Nyons olives, lavender honey, Provençal vegetable spreads, traditional pâtés, roasted almond pralines, calissons, biscuits, olive oil or wine from the Ventoux and surrounding appellations.

These are not products chosen because their labels match. They are chosen because they taste good and because they have something genuine to say about where they come from. For recipients who already love France, opening the hamper can bring back memories of markets, holidays and meals in the sun. For those less familiar with Provence, it becomes an introduction to our region.

Made by Hand, for the People Receiving Them

We make our hampers to order by hand at our West London warehouse. This gives us the freedom to make them personal. Some clients begin with one of the French food hampers in our existing collection. Others ask us to create something completely bespoke around a particular budget, occasion or group of recipients. We can vary the food and wine, include non-alcoholic alternatives and create vegan or pork-free hampers. We can also add gifts from our Maison collection, including French linens, soaps, olive wood utensils or Laguiole cutlery.

The presentation can be adapted too, with personalised cards, ribbons, company branding and a handwritten message in each hamper. It is important to us that a corporate order does not feel like a production line. Whether we are preparing one important client gift or hampers for a much larger group, every recipient should feel that their gift was assembled for them.

Corporate Gifting Without the Usual Headache

I remember how time-consuming corporate gifting could become. First came the search for an idea. Then the budget approvals, dietary questions, recipient addresses, delivery dates, branding and last-minute changes. What initially sounded like a pleasant task could quickly become another project to manage. We have designed our corporate gifting service with that experience in mind.

Clients have one dedicated contact from their first enquiry through to delivery. We can help select the contents, work within a set budget and suggest options for different dietary requirements. For gifts going to several people, we can arrange delivery to multiple addresses rather than sending everything to one office for somebody else to redistribute.

We can also agree UK delivery dates and arrange international shipping, including Delivery Duties Paid services to many destinations. This helps avoid the awkward situation in which a recipient is asked to pay import fees before receiving their gift. Our bespoke corporate hampers start from £80, but businesses can also order directly from our existing collection when they need a simpler or quicker solution.

A Gift for More Than Christmas

Christmas remains the busiest time of year for corporate hampers, but it is far from the only reason to send one. We create hampers for client thank-yous, employee recognition, project completions, company milestones, events, new starters, retirements and VIP gifts.

They can also be useful when a team works remotely or across several locations. A shared gift arriving at each person’s home can create a small collective moment, even when everyone is not sitting in the same office. We have made intimate gifts for one or two recipients and much larger orders sent across multiple addresses. The scale changes, but the principle does not: every gift should feel considered.

Thoughtful Does Not Have to Mean Complicated

The word “bespoke” can sometimes suggest a long process and a very large budget. It need not be either. Personalisation might mean building an entirely original hamper, but it can also be something simple: choosing red wine rather than rosé, replacing alcohol with sparkling fruit juice, adding a favourite Provençal speciality or writing a different message for each recipient.

Often, those small details are what make the greatest difference. When somebody opens a hamper and realises that its contents suit them, the gift immediately feels more thoughtful. That is why we always begin by asking who the gifts are for. A good corporate hamper should reflect the recipient as well as the company sending it.

Bringing a Little Provence to Someone’s Door

Tariette has grown considerably since we first began creating hampers, but the reason we make them has not really changed. I wanted to bring the products and flavours I missed from Provence to people in Britain. I wanted them to experience the same pleasure I feel when good food is placed in the middle of a table and everyone is invited to help themselves. A Tariette hamper is our way of packing that feeling into a basket.

For a business, it is a chance to send something distinctive, generous and genuinely enjoyable. For the person receiving it, we hope it feels less like a corporate obligation and more like a real present. After all, your clients, colleagues and employees deserve the same thought you would give to someone you know personally. That is how we approach every hamper we make.

Planning Your Next Corporate Gifts?

You can choose from our existing range of French food and wine hampers or speak to us about a bespoke corporate gifting proposal.

Tell us who the hampers are for, your approximate budget, the number of recipients and where they need to be delivered. We will help you create something that represents your business and, most importantly, gives the recipients real pleasure.

From Provence, made by hand in West London, and delivered with care.