Saturday 6 May marks the King's Coronation, and with such a special event comes a world of special treats. In the lead-up to the big day, biscuit bakers across the nation have created beautiful biscuit tins, perfect for sharing at your Coronation party or gifting to family and friends. Not only do these make for a delicious sweet treat, but the decorated tins to commemorate the occasion make for a lovely keepsake of this once-in-a-lifetime event that you can save and use for years to come.
Just as we saw for the Queen's Jubilee last year, there are some beautiful biscuit tins from brands such as Biscuiteers, Fortnum & Mason, Cartwright & Butler, and M&S who have an extensive range of Coronation food and more.
Coronation biscuit tin shortlist:
• Best overall: Fortnum's Musical Coronation Biscuit Tin
• Best for decorative biscuits: Biscuiteers King Charles III Coronation Biscuit Tin
• Best for classic British biscuits: McVitie’s Commemorative Biscuit Selection
So without further ado, we've shared the best biscuit tins for the Coronation that'll make your afternoon tea look fit for a royal.
Best Coronation biscuit tins
Best overall
www.fortnumandmason.com
This beautiful keepsake tin is not only filled with delicious biscuits that pay tribute to the flavours and ingredients of the commonwealth, it also plays music too! The perfect momento to mark this important occasion in British history, wind the tin around and it will play 'God Save the King' as it spins.
Biscuits include:
Fijian Ginger Biscuits
Scottish Ling Heather Honey Biscuits
Lemon Curd Half Coated in Milk Chocolate Biscuits
Cranberry, Orange and Milk Chocolate Biscuits
Chocolossus Biscuits
Clotted Cream Biscuits
Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscuits
Best for decorative biscuits
www.biscuiteers.com
This royal-inspired tin includes biscuits of the regal variety; designs include the crown, the royal ermine, the Sovereign’s Orb and sceptre and Westminster Abbey. Each one has been hand-iced by artists at the Ministry of Biscuits, London, and will make certainly make for a sweet talking point at your royal street party table.
Biscuits include: 12 lemon biscuits
Customer review: "Am looking forward to sharing these with my grandchildren. I know they will be scrumptious."
Best commemorative tin (without biscuits)
www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
We love Emma Bridgewater designs, so were thrilled to see a tin had been designed for this special event. With royal colours of red and purple, '3 Cheers For The King' printed on the lid and those all important crown details, this tin makes for a bold and lovely keepsake.
Biscuits include: N/A
Customer review: "Very useful tin, perfect for holding tea biscuits."
Best limited edition biscuit tin
M&S has launched these limited edition collectable tins for the Coronation. Available in two gorgeous colours and boasting a stunning regal design, these are bound to sell out fast. They make the perfect addition to Coronation celebrations, a lovely gift, and mark this special moment in history at a super affordable price. As they have sold out, you can no longer buy them at their lowest price. But if you're keen to get your hands on one, they're still available on Amazon.
Biscuits include: All-butter shortbread assortment
Customer review: "Honestly, I bought these for the tin but the shortbreads inside are very good too."
Best for regality
www.cartwrightandbutler.co.uk
This magnificent gold barrel tin is embossed with an illustration designed specially for the King Charles III Coronation - how fancy! A wonderful keepsake with a clip-lock lid to keep biscuits fresh, but there's only limited stock left.
Biscuits include:
Salted Caramel Biscuits
Triple Chocolate Chunk Biscuits
Demerara Shortbread Rounds
English Breakfast Tea
Best souvenir tin
www.walkersshortbread.com
The Walker's Shortbread biscuit tin is a lovely keepsake of this momentous occasion. It has a beautiful portrait of King Charles III at the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Cadet Force on The Mall, London. Not to mention, the biscuits are wonderfully patriotic too!
Biscuits include: 24 x Union Jack shaped shortbread
Best tribute to King Charles' love of nature
www.fortnumandmason.com
Another biscuit tin in Fortnum & Mason's Coronation collection, this yellow tin pays tribute to the Coronoation and the sweet biscuits inside. They've been made with aromatic Scottish Ling Heather honey from hives of busy bees north of the border. And as King Charles has a love for the environment which he's well known for, this seems a fitting pairing.
Biscuits include: Scottish Ling Heather honey biscuits, 250g
Best square tin
www.cartwrightandbutler.co.uk
This tin from Cartwright & Butler features a Coronation Teatime selection for a truly regal Afternoon Tea. This delightful selection contains a delicious assortment of biscuits accompanied with an Earl Grey Tea. The selection is presented in this wonderful, embossed tin with an illustration designed especially for the King Charles III Coronation.
Biscuits include:
Chocolate brownie biscuits
Demerara shortbread rounds
Ceylon black tea with bergamot
Best tribute to Scotland
www.walkersshortbread.com
This alternative Walker's Shortbread Coronation tin, this one features a portrait of King Charles III at The Highland Games near the Royal Family’s Scottish home, Balmoral Castle on Royal Deeside. As with the Westmininster themed tin, you can find wonderfully Scottish themed biscuits in the shape of thistles alongside triangles, fingers, rounds, and hearts.
Biscuits include: 14 x assorted shortbread shapes
Best classic British biscuits
www.sainsburys.co.uk
This Commemorative Biscuit Selection from McVitie's contains an assortment of delicious biscuits that we all know and love, including British classics like Custard Creams, Jam Rings and Shortcakes.
Biscuits include: Rich Highland Shortie, Milk Chocolate Digestives, Digestives, Bourbon Creams, Crunchy Oat, Milk Chocolate Biscuit Finger, Custard Creams, Jam Ring, Nice, & Shortcake
Best for subtlety
www.whittard.co.uk
For a more biscuit tin that's a celebration of Britishness, we'd recommend this tin from Whittard. While it doesn't directly relate to the Coronation, the collectible tin features delightful London landmarks and is filled with scrummy biscuits, perfect for afternoon tea or a street party.
Biscuits include: All butter chocolate chip shortbread, 150g
Customer review: "Great gift as the tin is just lovely but equally the shortbread is so good had to buy some for myself too."
Best all-in-one party package
www.marksandspencer.com
M&S has an amazing Coronation range, so we couldn't resist including this hamper too. Not only does it include the popular biscuit tin, but it comes with everything you need to celebrate and get your Coronation picnic into full swing. There's savoury bites, desserts including mini Victoria sandwich cakes and mini King Colin cakes, decorative plates, bunting, flags and more.
Hamper includes:
Collection Cornish Cruncher Cheese (300g)
9 x Mini Coronation Pork Sausage Rolls (315g)
9 x Mini Coronation Pork Pies (450g)
4 x Victoria Sandwich Mini Cakes (184g)
Coronation All Butter Shortbread Biscuit Tin (450g)
King of Everything Chocolate Crowns (53g)
Coronation Chicken Handcooked Crisps (150g)
Collection British Ale and Caramelised Onion Chutney (235g)
Collection Rye Sourdough Crackers (130g)
King Colin Mini Cakes (170g)
Coronation Paper Plates (8 Pack)
Coronation Bunting (3 Meters)
Coronation Napkins (20 Pack)
Coronation Flags (6 Pack)
Conte Pruili Prosecco (75cl) (Alcohol content- 11%)
Coronation Sauce (250ml)
Coronation Tote Bag
When will King Charles' Coronation be?
Charles officially became King when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, passed away. However, this needed to be acknowledged by the Government at the meeting of the Ascension Council. It was at this meeting, at St James Palace, where Charles was formally confirmed as King.
As for the Coronation ceremony itself, this event is rooted in a longstanding tradition. On Saturday 6 May 2023, King Charles will be crowned alongside his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort. Plus, on the following day, a special Coronation Concert will be broadcast on the BBC, live from Windsor Castle.
Where will the Coronation happen?
As it has for the past 900 years, it is set to take place in London’s Westminster Abbey. This is also where Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation took place in 1953. Conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the service is helped at Westminster Abbey and will be preceded by a procession from Buckingham Palace, known as the 'King's Procession'.
After this service, the newly-crowned King and Queen will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as the 'Coronation Procession'. Here, they will be joined by other members of the Royal Family.