Our 15 year old grandson is currently an exchange student living with a family near Bern. In the past, we’ve bought him Legos advent calendars, but he has outgrown that.
I found a hot chocolate advent calendar from Whittard of Chelsea, and know that is something he would appreciate. Hot chocolate is one of his “comfort foods,” and often after school he would make himself a cup at our house.
I was excited to order it and have it shipped directly to him, but then read that the UK company is currently not shipping to Switzerland.
This is what I wanted to send him:
https://www.whittard.com/us/christmas/christmas-collections/advent-calendars/hot-chocolate-advent-calendar-360974.html
Question: Is there a store in Switzerland that sells this that I could purchase and have it shipped directly to him? I have 2 weeks. Thanks.
Posted by
Chicagoland
1456 posts
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
36061 posts
Whittards of Chelsea is a British company at root, from Chelsea in London actually.
Their UK webpage shows several Advent Calendars and shows that they do ship to Switzerland.
Maybe have a look at https://www.whittard.co.uk/gifts-and-confectionery/gift-type/advent-calendars-2
Posted by
OP
Southern Oregon
746 posts
Nigel: Thanks! When I click on your link for Whittard it allows me to place an order with delivery for Switzerland. I was in the process of ordering, but will need to wait until tomorrow to enter a Swiss phone number for delivery. (My grandson has a USA phone; not acceptable).
Earlier I tried to order from an email link I received from Whittard. I am on their mailing list because I made purchases from their London shop this summer. From that link, I was unable to purchase delivery to Switzerland. Too complicated for me to understand.
Jeanm: Thanks also. I'll keep your company in mind.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11501 posts
Why don't you send a Swiss advent calendar with Swiss chocolate? My supermarket here in France already has them in stock. You should be able to get any of the Swiss brands online.
Just a FYI, it would seem somewhere between strange to shocking to most Europeans to send him something that is only for him and not to be shared with the family that is hosting him, so I assume you are looking for a gift for everyone.
Posted by
London
913 posts
I agree with Elizabeth. I love Whittard's but the Swiss are definitely more known for their chocolate than the British. That will also make things a lot simpler for you and will be faster and less expensive to ship.
Posted by
OP
Southern Oregon
746 posts
Elizabeth and Cat: I agree about the fantastic Swiss chocolates. We always bring back chocolate from Switzerland. However, I completed my order 12 hours ago. It will be shipped from London to Switzerland. Do you know if there will be tariff on the order?
Whittard: Our daughter also shopped there last summer, only buying hot chocolate mix. She said it is the best and wished she had bought more.
Gift sharing: Whittard’s hot chocolate advent calendar has 2 packets of cocoa mix in each “window/door.” One for him & one to share with someone in the family.
And yes, we do plan on sending him something for Christmas…and include something for his host family.
Posted by
Paris
11118 posts
I think it's absolutely lovely that you have gone to this trouble to order an Advent calendar that you know your grandson will love. I know if I had been a student studying abroad, receiving something like that from my grandmother would have meant an awful lot.
And very sweet that the calendar has two packets per day, so he can share !
Posted by
London
913 posts
In terms of tarriffs, I think you will probably be under the amount those would be payable so should be fine! I'm not sure about Switzerland but EU/EEA countries do have duty payable now when sending things to the UK, but more for expensive items.
Posted by
OP
Southern Oregon
746 posts
Kim: Thank you for your kind, affirming words for sending our grandson the Advent calendar.
I guess we just wanted him to know he is still in our hearts (love in a box). And December can be a cold, dark, dreary month.
We've spent more time with him than our other grandchildren because we’ve been his primary "babysitters" since he was 2 months old. He’s had many meals at our house, as well as “sleepovers.”
Cat: Hopefully, no tariff. It was under 100 CHF.
Posted by
Germany (mostly)
44 posts
I actually spent a bit of time looking to see if I could find a Swiss hot chocolate Advent calendar (there are many Swiss chocolate calendars - I like Sprüngli for a splurge) and initially couldn't find much, so I think Whittards is fine and a very sweet gesture.
That said, a new search today finally unearthed one.
For anyone else looking, Zotter (Austrian, not Swiss) also has a good hot chocolate calendar, but it is virtually sold out already. And Niederegger (the German marzipan company) has a mixed coffee and hot chocolate calendar.
Posted by
OP
Southern Oregon
746 posts
Snoozy: How kind of you to look. I wondered whether Sprüngli would have a hot chocolate advent calendar. A splurge for me/us is having dessert there.
...And I know there's hot chocolate listed on menus in restaurants in Switzerland, but our grandson said he's been drinking Ovaltine, and "it just wasn't the same".
I like the shape of the calendar you found. Much cuter than Whittard's.
Posted by
Germany (mostly)
44 posts
Carol, it was fun looking! And Sprüngli was the first place I checked. 😁 They do wonderful hot chocolate - I picked up a tin of dark on my last trip through Zurich - but not in calendar form.
I think this is next on my list to try/buy (I'll be in Switzerland again in February).
And the Swiss preoccupation with Ovaltine (which does have a calendar!) bewilders me too. 😅 But Caotina is a pretty reliable mass market brand.
For more on modern hot chocolate developments in Switzerland, this article is excellent (in German; online translators will work though).
Posted by
Switzerland
347 posts
And the Swiss preoccupation with Ovaltine (which does have a calendar!) bewilders me too. 😅
@Snoozy - Lots of Swiss grew up with it, the same way Germans love certain snacks outsiders don’t always get. It’s okay if it’s not for you, but calling it a bewildering preoccupation comes across as condescending. Carol expressed that for her grandson it "just wasn't the same"...which, since it is actually a different drink entirely, I completely understand! Rather than remaining bewildered, why not ask a Swiss person what it is that they like about it? You will probably get some wonderful stories out of an interaction like that.
@Carol - It is certainly the nostalgia part you are going for, and for that reason I hope you find your hot chocolate! If not, for a fifteen year old I would take a look at Läderach, it has long been a favourite with our kids.
Posted by
Germany (mostly)
44 posts
@SwissNomad - my apologies. I certainly didn't mean to be condescending. It was just a reflection of my genuine surprise over a number of visits at the amount of Ovaltine available in various situations where I was expecting hot chocolate. I hadn't expected it would still be that popular now - e.g. there's a similar drink from my Australian childhood (Milo) that my friends and I are certainly nostalgic about in conversation, but I don't know the last time any of us actually had some.
Anyway, no insult intended. (I come from a country that loves Vegemite - I don't have a leg to stand on with regard to locally specific food nostalgia!)