December is Here - What's Behind the Door of Your Advent Calendar?

The first of December marks the start of advent, and the first day that eager fingers get to prise open the first day of the advent calendar. But it's not just chocolate sat behind the doors now, with a range of food and drink, and more, to choose from.

All the major chocolate and confectionary manufacturers offer their own variants of the advent calendar, however many other brands are jumping on the theme with everything from alcohol to beauty products - we took a look at what you could be tasting for the next 24 days.

Drinks by the Dram - offering a wide selection of whisky and spirits in various dram collections, have a range of boozy advent calendars from gins and whiskies to rums and even tequila. However, their most eye catching calendar is the 'Very Old & Rare Whisky Advent Calendar' containing 24 different, handmade 30ml wax-sealed drams of some of the finest and most exciting whiskies from around the world. At a hefty £9,999.95 it's not for the feint hearted.

Upmarket London department store Fortnum & Mason, known for offering the finest of christmas selections, boasts a luxury wooden advent calendar filled with an exciting selection of sweets and chocolates. The price tag is a mere £125, and the retailer offers refill packs so you can reuse the calendar for years to come.

Fortum & Mason are also offering a tea alternative, with 24 drawers to be opened each containing different rare loose teas, if confectionary isn't your thing.

Selfridges are offering a 12 days of Christmas advent calendar - its Festive 12 Days of Mince Pies.

It's not all food and drink too that's being opened each day around the country, as the beauty brands are also cashing in. French luxury goods company Diptyque, for example, as offering an advent calendar full of miniature fragrances, candles and skin and body care.

What advent calendar have you got this year? Let us know on Twitter @thefoodpeople