Learn more at Easter chocolate hamper.

Start with presentation. A favour that sits at each place setting is part of the table styling, so the box matters as much as what is inside. Lily O'Brien's Chocolates O'Brien's has been handcrafting chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since Mary Ann O'Brien started the brand in 1992, and the small-format boxes suit a place setting without crowding the glassware. Neutral tones sit comfortably with most colour schemes, which spares you matching favours to napkins.

A message box leans occasion-led. A name, a date or a short line such as "thank you" or "congratulations" turns a standard box into something addressed to one person. It is the safer choice when you are not sure a photo will land, for corporate gifting for instance, or when you want the chocolates themselves to be the centre of attention.

A retirement gift has to carry more than most. It marks the end of a career rather than a single occasion, it usually comes from a group rather than one person, and it tends to be opened in front of the very colleagues chipping in for it. A full chocolate hamper handles all of that with a generosity the moment deserves.

If you want to lift it further, a personalised message or his name on the box turns a generic present into one addressed to him. Keep the message short and let the collection do the talking. Allow a little extra time for personalised print, and more in the run-up to Christmas when orders stack up.

A share bag suits the smaller, easier version of the same idea. It is right for a casual drop-in, for a flat rather than a house, or for a friend who would find a full hamper too much. It still says you thought about it, and it disappears happily over an evening rather than sitting on a shelf.