Lead times catch people out more than anything else. Handmade stock and personalised print both need runway, so treat six to eight weeks out as the sensible window for a firm order, and longer if you are ordering in the run-up to Christmas when demand is heaviest. Confirm your numbers after the RSVP deadline, not before, and give yourself a buffer for the inevitable late reply.

Provenance gives a retirement gift the weight it should have. Lily O'Brien's Ireland O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since 1992, and holds BRC Grade A+ accreditation for its production, so the hamper arrives as something made with genuine care rather than assembled for the sake of it. For a gift meant to say a career mattered, that kind of detail does real work.

A hamper also solves the group-gift problem neatly. When a whole office contributes, the gift needs to feel worth the collection taken up for it, and a full hamper looks the part without anyone having to organise something elaborate. One order, one generous box, and the maths of who gave what disappears into a single considered present.

On dietary questions, and there will be some, point guests to the published ingredient information rather than vouching for suitability yourself. It is the accurate way to answer.

More information is available at chocolate hampers.

One honest point that applies to any recipient. If he asks about ingredients or dietary suitability, point him to the published product information rather than reassuring him yourself.