The rise in luxury advent calendars in the last few years has been remarkable – and nowhere does them better than Selfridges.
Gone are the days where we were happy with cheap chocolate behind a foil door.
Nowadays one of the greatest thrills of the festive season is opening a tiny present every day, whether it’s a makeup product, a flavour of tea, a pair of socks or whatever else has been stuffed into an advent calendar.
Selfridges own beauty advent calendar, which is stuffed with more than £1000 worth of products, has already sold out for this year.
But the department store has plenty more options for you to choose from.
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Read on to find 10 of the fanciest, most luxurious, most exciting advent calendars on sale this winter.
Mince pies
A mince pie advent calendar in Selfridges. Credit: The Manc Group
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without mince pies, and if you love to start stuffing your face with them as soon as the calendar hits December, then this calendar is the one for you.
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The Selfridges exclusive advent calendar has loads of different flavoured mince pies hiding behind every door, including classic, citrus, almond and chocolate.
Then there’s a mini Meg Rivers Christmas cake waiting behind door number 25.
One for the big kids (or the actual kids) now – an advent calendar full of Lego. How cute!
There are a few different themes to choose from, including Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Spider Man, with a different minifigure to open every single day.
MAC’s Selfridges exclusive advent calendar has loads of hit products in it. Credit: The Manc Group
Cult make-up brand MAC has picked Selfridges as an exclusive stockist for its Gift of Gold 2024 advent calendar.
Products inside this giant festive box include some of their most celebrated products, including the Fix+ Original setting spray, matte and sheer-shine lipsticks in a range of shades, lip gloss, skincare, eye shadows and brow products.
It’s £180 but you get an unbelievable £445-worth of stuff for that. Grab yours HERE.
Diptyque
Diptyque has a 2024 advent calendar. Credit: The Manc Group
Another very fancy advent calendar is this one from Diptyque, with 25 days of scents to discover. Scentsational, you might say.
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Candles make up the bulk of this advent calendar, including their seasonal specials like pine tree, berries and wood fire.
But you’ll also get refillable solid perfumes, eau de parfums, soaps, body lotions and even a set of decorations.
Selfridges’ own malt ball advent calendar. Credit: The Manc Group
Sometimes you just can’t beat a classic chocolate-filled advent calendar, and Selfridges has their own that should hit the spot.
This pretty green polka-dot box is filled with different flavours of malt chocolate balls, including blonde, salted caramel, orange, and cookies and cream.
The most wholesome advent calendar on the whole list is this one – the Little People Big Dreams calendar, where each day unlocks a new mini book.
Inside each envelope, children will find stories about inspirational people from across the world, from groundbreaking musician Elton John and eco hero Steve Irwin, to freedom-fighter Martin Luther King and visionary artist Frida Kahlo.
You can now get a Pot Noodle as part of your Tesco meal deal
Danny Jones
If you ask us, a big key to a happy life is all about celebrating the little wins as much as possible and in this case, when we heard that you can now get a Pot Noodle as part of your Tesco meal deal, we nearly did a cartwheel.
Are we exaggerating? Only a little bit, to be fair. Is this still kind of a big deal (pardon the pun) for the millions of Brits whose lunchtime meal regularly consists of a Tesco butty, beverage and perhaps some crisps? We think so.
We only heard the joyous news through word of mouth, but it looks as though the rumours are true after being not-so-quietly confirmed via the official Pot Noodle social media channels last week, revealing that you can indeed get your flavour of choice as part of your meal deal.
That really is the headline here, let’s be honest; the fact that you can now get a Pot Noodle – something many people have for their tea or a more than satisfying late-night snack – as the bonus side along with your main item at Tesco it an absolute result.
With meal deal prices having steadily crept up across the nation over recent years, no matter which supermarket, Tesco Extra, Asda Express, Sainsbury’s Local, convenience store and so on you seem to look in, getting an extra bit of value for money like is a big win for those on a quick dinner dash.
This is just like when we figured out you could get a proper Ginsters sausage roll, Cornish pasty or steak/chicken slice as your snack too. Just as buzzing then as we are now.
The brand also recently revealed what the UK’s most popular meal choices were last year, and some of the selections might surprise you.
Once again, it’s all about enjoying the little things, and put it this way, if we’re overreacting, then so are plenty of others.
Now accepting donations so One Drunk Redneck can get to the #UK and experience a #Tesco meal deal. I only need to raise enough for a one way ticket. I'm not too worried about how I'd get back home.
Oh, I probably should take my spouse. Ok, enough for two, one way tickets.
The only slight downside is that right now, as you might have spotted in the Instagram post above, this offer has only been rolled out at select Tescos.
As for those in Greater Manchester, there are just two local shops: the Tesco Extra in Walkden in Salford, as well as the Extra on Huddersfield Road in Bolton; the next closest after that is Warrington.
Nevertheless, you would expect that if the popularity of this new deal takes off – Tesco’s lunchtime package being one of the most popular in Britain – it’s likely that they will expand their plans up and down the country at large.
Speaking on the launch in an official press release, Pot Noodle’s senior brand Madeleine Boulton said: “We know our fans are always looking to get the most bang for their buck, so our move into the Tesco Meal Deal as a side is our way of giving customers the ultimate ‘snackisfaction’ and for some, the perfect hack that will ensure their meal deal sees them through the day.”
Can’t lie, we do rather fancy a Bombay Bad Boy now.
The free stuff your mum can get in Manchester for Mother’s Day
Danny Jones
If there’s one thing we know for sure it’s that none of us would be lucky enough to be on this planet were it not for our mums, and we think the least they deserve is for things to be made easy, comfortable and, ideally, free wherever possible when it comes to Mother’s Dayherein Manchester.
Now, we don’t live in a perfect so unfortunately not everyone Manc mum is going to be able swan into their favourite place and expect a complimentary this and a gratis that.
However, there are guite a few places in Manchester city centre doing the right things and giving away some free stuff for Mother’s Day 2025, so we thought we’d round them up for you and, more importantly, the person who helped bring you into the world.
Let’s get into, shall we?
Six freebies mums can score in Manchester this Mother’s Day
Albert’s Schloss – Deansgate
What better to begin than with a top-notch breakfast spot? Albert’s Schloss on Peter St is not only one of the best places to start or end a day out but they also do brilliant early morning offerings. Plus, this Mother’s Day, you can wash down your Bavarian brekkie with a free spritz, because why the hell not?
And since you’ve started as you mean to go on, we’d say the only thing better than an early drink (and a free one at that) is a second one, so it’s a good job one of the newest additions to Manchester, The Trading Route, is offering a free cocktail to mums this Mother’s Day.
Best of all, the new S. John’s beer and food hall is located just down the road from the main Deansgate strip and is just next to Spinningfields, so it’s a short walk from Schloss. You can book HERE.
Speaking of which, if your and/or your mum resisted the urge to grab another bite at Trading Route (we wouldn’t blame them if they did), you could then head from St. John’s to Spinningfields and grab some a sophisticated bit of brunch as you grab your next freebie.
Habibi on Hardman Boulevard is giving away a complimentary luxury gift from home, body and beauty brand, Rituals, to those who book ahead. Consider that killing two gift-shaped birds with one stone.
Now, we’re not necessarily expecting you stop at every single place on this list – unless your feeling extravagant or your mum really is that mega that she deserves all of this and more – but you’d be a fool not to grab yourself a margarita on the house from any Nell’s location.
Besides, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to grab a slice to further line your stomach.
However, if mum hasn’t had a nibble in a hot minute then why not take her back in the direction you came from to beloved Polish restaurant, Platzki, who as well as serving an incredible main menu are also offering a free cheesecake or apple pie to all maternal diners this Mother’s Day.
Open for walk-ins as always, of course, but you can reserve your table HERE.
Credit: The Manc Group
House of Fu – Central
And last but not least, what harm would another free marg do? That’s what on the cards over at House of Fu, which just so happens to be up there with some the best ramen in Manchester if there’s still any room in that well-treated tummy.
Located on Portland Street, it’s also not too far from Picadilly, the bus station or St Peter’s Square tram stop when you and your mum are ready to call a day on this freebie parade… Or, you could always tie off the night with some karaoke downstairs. Now that’s how you put an end to a party.
We’d like to think that half a dozen options should just about do you and your mums in central Manchester, though we’re sure there’s plenty more free things to snap up this Mother’s Day.
The cynics might want you to believe that this date is just another annual observance created, or at least perpetuated by companies to sell cards, flowers, chocolate and son, but the truth is a special day that deserves to be celebrated properly.
In fact, the truth is that Mothering Sunday started nearly 120 years ago over in Philadelphia, when a woman named Anna Jarvis wanted to honour her mother who spent her life gathering groups to promote female friendship and health during a memorial service at her late mother’s church.
We think that’s wonderful and whatever your relationship with the mother figure in your life, we reckon it’s a sentiment and motivation worth sustaining much more than just once a year.
Much love to all our mums from The Manc, and sorry if we were ever a pain – hopefully a few drinks makes up for it.
Daisy Jackson -
25th October 2024 
