Christmas Pre-Order
Christmas ordering, dates and deadlines
How pre-orders work, cake kit collection Saturdays, postage deadlines and the questions we get asked most.
Everything in our Christmas range can be pre-ordered now. Order it, pay for it, and it is put aside with your name on it when it lands.
Some of it we stock every Christmas anyway, and pre-ordering means you are not relying on what is left on the shelf in December. Some of it we only buy in if you ask for it - the larger formats, the small-batch bits, the local wines we do not normally carry. Either way, we get in touch as soon as your order lands to arrange collection or delivery. Most arrive during November. Order by Saturday 31st October so we can get it in before suppliers sell out.
Cake kits are separate again. They run fortnightly through to 12 December, are collected from the shop, and have their own section below.
Cake kits
Collection dates
Everything weighed out and ready to go, so you can make your cake without buying nine ingredients you will use once. We make them by hand in batches on set Saturdays, ten per date, and you choose your date when you order. Each date needs a week's notice. Collection from the shop in Clare only.
| Order by | Collect on |
|---|---|
| Saturday 26 September | Saturday 3 October |
| Saturday 10 October | Saturday 17 October |
| Saturday 24 October | Saturday 31 October |
| Saturday 7 November | Saturday 14 November |
| Saturday 21 November | Saturday 28 November |
| Saturday 5 December | Saturday 12 December |
Once a date is full it closes and the next one becomes the earliest available. If you like to make your cake early and feed it, the October dates are the ones you want. 12 December is the last date of the year.
Order a cake kitGetting it to you
Deadlines by delivery method
Collection
Pick up from The Pear in Clare, open seven days a week. We message you when your pre-order lands so you can collect whenever suits. Cake kits are collected on your chosen Saturday.
Local delivery
We can add pre-orders to your usual refill delivery. Your last delivery before Christmas depends on your postcode and delivery day, so check the delivery information page for your route.
Nationwide
Posted with Royal Mail Tracked, or DPD for anything over 5kg. Order by [ROYAL MAIL DATE] to arrive before Christmas. Cake kits are collection only and cannot be posted.
Pear Post
Sending a gift this Christmas?
Our gift boxes run separately from the pre-order range, with their own Christmas ordering dates and free UK standard delivery. Curated plastic-free boxes from independent UK makers, sent straight to whoever you are thinking of with a handwritten message inside.
See the Christmas boxesOr build your own box with our box builder.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Why is there a deadline, and when am I charged?
You are charged when you order. Your pre-order goes straight into what we buy from our suppliers, so paying upfront is what lets us order to real demand rather than guessing. For the lines we only get in on request, it means we are not tying up cash and storage in stock nobody wanted. For the ones we stock anyway, it means we order enough that yours is definitely there. The 31st October cut-off gives us the best chance of getting everything in before suppliers run out.
When will my pre-order actually arrive?
Most land during November. We do not hold everything back to a set date, because that would mean your things sitting in our stockroom when they could be in your cupboard. As soon as your order is complete we message you to arrange collection or delivery.
Can I mix pre-order items with normal shopping?
Yes, no problem. We will be in touch to sort out what works best for you, whether that is holding everything to come together or sending the in-stock items straight away and your pre-order later. Just let us know what suits.
What if a supplier lets you down?
We will contact you as soon as we know. You can swap for something else or have a full refund for that item, whichever you prefer. We will not substitute anything without asking you first.
Can I change or cancel my order?
Get in touch as early as you can. Before we place the order with our supplier we can usually change or refund it without any trouble. Once it has been bought specifically for you we may not be able to, so please do ask rather than assume.
Can I still order after 31st October?
For the things we stock every Christmas, yes - you can keep ordering while we have them, it is just first come, first served. The lines we only buy in on request close after the cut-off, because we will have already placed those orders. The shop carries on as normal, and in December the page shows what we have in.
Why only ten cake kits per date, and why no delivery?
We make them by hand in the shop, in batches, alongside everything else we do in December. Ten is what we can do properly on a Saturday, and they are too heavy to post for anything like a sensible price. If you miss your date, let us know and we will hold it for you rather than have it sitting here.