I know it’s late for a gift guide but hey, I am sure there are plenty of last minute shoppers out there. And I really wanted to do this for all the food lovers out there who are looking for something unique yet simple and affordable for their food loving friends. And in Australia, we are indeed spoilt for choice.
So without much chit chatting, let’s get onto the task. And remember, there is an amazing food hamper waiting for you at the end of the post; you don’t want to miss out on this one.
The Spice People (Spices & Blends)
Based out of Melbourne, Liz Edgecombe is a passionate spice evangelist and my go to spice expert. We can talk for hours about spices, blends and flavour combinations. I have been personally using their spices and blends for more than 2 years now and vouch for the quality and freshness. In fact, 90% of all the whole spices I use are bought from The Spice People and I also buy many of their unique blends like French Vadouvan Curry, Greek Gyros etc…. So do check out their online store for some great deals and spice up your lives this festive season.
(The Spice People have also kindly sponsored 3 spice packs for the food hamper which you can check out below)
Eat me Chutneys (Chutneys & Preserves)
Most of you would have read my recent post about Eat me Chutneys. An epic social project for rescuing the bruised and unwanted fruits and veggies thereby tackling food wastage. Organic, fairtrade and sustainable, a jar of Eat me Chutneys is a perfect gift for any food lover. Currently, they are even offering complimentary shipping so don’t waste your time!
Smoke and Roast (Flavoured Salts)
Are you a fan of smoked and flavoured salts? Then this is a great choice not just as a gift but also to use during this festive season. My favourite is the curry flavoured salt (of course!) which can transform your steaks, lamb ribs or seafood into something magical. Absolutely recommended for the barbeque season. Do check out this recipe that I did using the curry flavoured smoked salt.
Bondi Chai (Chai Latte)
Got a chai latte lover at home? Then a pack of the Bondi Chai is the best gift you can give this Christmas. It is Australia’s most awarded chai latte and comes in two delicious flavours – Club Cinnamon (my favourite) and Vanilla Honey. With very less sugar and naturally sweetened with Australian honey, the Bondi Chai is also gluten free and Halal certified. While the hubby enjoys this as a traditional chai latte, I enjoy it in my smoothies like this apple pear chai latte smoothie with a touch of cinnamon.
(Bondi Chai has kindly offered 2 packets of their chai lattes to be part of the giveaway hamper)
Picky Picky Peanuts
There is no way you will have a party without featuring the nuts (unless you have an allergy). So this festive season, let’s binge on some delicious Australian peanuts from Picky Picky. Such a cool name! Available in 5 different flavours – savoury honey roasted, tangy Mexican salsa, sweet chilli & lime, classic sea salt and sea salt & pepper. Delicious and locally made, these make excellent gifts and also great to serve at parties.
(And one lucky person will get to enjoy all the five flavours as part of the food hamper giveaway)
Red Rock Olives (Artisan Olive Products)
Situated near the Grampians National Park, Red Rock Olives produces award winning premium quality extra virgin olive oil, artisan vinegars, olives and olive salts. I especially loved the flavour of the olive salts which come in two flavours – classic and chilli infused. A unique hand crafted Australian product that would make a great gift for any food lover. There are also special limited edition gift packages available for the season.
(Red Rock Olives has kindly sponsored one bottle of olive salt as part of the food hamper giveaway)
Mork (Specialty Hot Chocolate)
What’s Christmas without hot chocolate? Agreed we have a summery Christmas, but hey there is no specific season for chocolate and we can enjoy it chilled too. Mork needs no introduction; a handcrafted product from the cacao artisans designed for pure sensory pleasure. Check out their range and also special gift packs for the season.
Cookbooks
Cookbooks are an excellent gift option for food lovers. While there is no dearth to good cookbooks these days, my favourite picks would be these three;
- The Bangala Table (Flavours and Recipes from Chettinad) b y Sumeet Nair, Meenakshi Meyyappan with Jill Donenfeld
- Mourad: New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou
- Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen by Guy Grossi
The Craft & Co.
The Craft & Co. is not a product but a unique space incorporating all facets of food and drinks. A one stop shop located in Collingwood, this place is a haven for local food producers. I could happily get lost here and never want to go back home. An eatery, bar, brewery, deli, distillery, winery, food store etc….. this is the place to go shopping this Christmas. I was there recently for the Christmas market (and have been bombarding all of you with pictures) and came home with so much delicious stuff for my party and unique edible gifts. So if online shopping is not your thing, just head over to Craft & Co to make the most delicious purchases this season.
One of my best purchases of the day was the Craft & Co. Limoncello made in house in collaboration with the Gypsy Brewing Co. Handcrafted in small batches, each bottle is unique and adapted from a Chef Dom Marzano’s family recipe. A delicious tipple that is best served on ice after a meal or as a cocktail infused with lemon and mint for a summer party.
And the folks at Craft & Co. have also generously offered one bottle of their Nero D’Avola, Heathcote 2015 towards the food hamper that will soon go to one lucky subscriber. This particular wine is slightly different to other Nero D’Avolas because of its unique lightness and smoothness on the palate. A pale beautiful red, it is medium bodied with hints of fresh red berries, plums, savoury spices and baked earth. Pairs well with blue cheese, antipasto and red meat.
Artemis Gin
Artemis is not the average bottle of gin that you would pick up in a random liquor store. It is a true artisan product handcrafted in small batches by Derv and Seb in collaboration with The Craft & Co.
In Derv’s and Seb’s words…….. “Artemis Distilled Australian Gin is juniper forward, classic London dry style, complimented by a few local botanicals and our namesake, Artemisia. It is spicy, savoury, with a kick of citrus and a long finish with clove, nutmeg and ginger. It is bottled at 44% alcohol, a little above the usual strength, to give the botanicals a little extra punch. Artemis Gin is perfect in a G&T, sings when combined with Vermouth, which also gets its name from Artemisia, in a Dry Martini or Negroni, and the spices shine when paired with citrus in cocktails like the White Lady or Southside’
This gin was a revelation to my spice loving tastebuds……an explosion of flavour that can only be truly described by experience. If you decide to buy just one thing this season, let it be a bottle of Artemis.
Melbourne Hot Sauce
The undisputed leader of hot sauces in Australia! There’s a flavour for every taste bud from mild to fiery and when I say fiery, I mean it with flavours like Bhut Jolakia, Spicy Sanchez and Streets of Rage. While I did taste and enjoy the fiery ones, I wasn’t sure of my guests so came home with the milder Chipotle BBQ which has a beautiful sweet n’ spicy smoky flavour great as a dip or as a marinade. Special gift packs are on offer so do check it out.
Rum Diary (Spiced Rum)
There’s no way this gift guide will be complete without a mention of this season’s favourite find – the Spiced Rum from Rum Diary. Yet another revelation to my spice loving taste buds, this drink is handcrafted from the finest Caribbean rum and infused with local and native Australian spices. Also launched the pre-batch cocktails in 3 different flavours – Spiced negroni, Spiced old-fashioned and Spiced peach tea spritz. Highly recommended!
That brings us to the end of the gift guide; I agree it was a long one but I wanted to write a bit about each product as these are unique and produced by people who are passionate and take great pride in the work they do.
Now onto the food hamper giveaway….
So I have curated one food hamper to give away to one lucky subscriber of mine. The hamper valued at $150 contains some of my favourites (a few were featured above);
- The Spice People
- Dried lemon myrtle leaves (1 pack)
- French Vadouvan Curry (1 pack)
- Persian dried rose buds (1 pack)
- Bondi Chai
- Club Cinnamon (200gm)
- Vanilla Honey (200gm)
- Picky Picky Peanuts
- SeaSalt & Pepper (1 pack)
- Sweet Chilli & Lime (1 pack)
- Savoury Honey Roasted (1 pack)
- Tangy Mexican Salsa (1 pack)
- Classic Sea Salt (1 pack)
- Red Rock Olive salt
- Grampians Olive Co. Toscana Organic Extra virgin Olive Oil
- T2 Lemongrass & Ginger
- Caffe trombetta dal 1890 ORO coffee blend (Italian)
- The Alice Tea Co. Spicy Chocolate loose leaf tea
- Craft & Co. Nero D’Avola, Heathcote 2015 (1 bottle)
- Annabel Trends tea towel
To enter, all that you need to do is;
- Subscribe to my blog using your email id
- Leave a comment below on what are your plans for this festive season and also your email id to get in touch if you are the lucky one.
- Spread the cheer!
Terms & Conditions:
- You must be 18+ years of age and an Australian resident.
- The giveaway will be open till Monday 19th, December 2016 midnight and a lucky winner will be chosen and notified on Tuesday morning. The winner must respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
- The winner will be picked by random draw.
This giveaway is now closed and a winner has been chosen.
Its such a beautiful giveaway, Dhanya. The lucky winner will get to try/taste some of the goodies you had been talking about in your past few posts. So tempting. 🙂 BBQ, few Outdoor trips, Friends and get together is in my list for this Holiday Season.
Happy Holidays to you. 🙂
I really wish I could give one hamper each to all who have supported me so much and bought me this far. Sadly that cannot be but hoping that someone who really appreciates it will win it. Thanks for your wishes and wishing you happy holidays too.
Thanks for the wishes 🙂
How wonderful that we have so many talented local producers and purveyors of such wonderful foods these days. Christmas for us is about sharing food, laughing and getting together rather than material gifts. We have a gathering at home on Christmas eve and I spend all week cooking some of my favourite things to share with friends. It’s my annual thank you to friends showing them appreciation for them being in our lives and on Christmas day we have a quiet family traditional lunch, this year our first with a grandchild and his great grandmother, so age range will be 0-87. And of course we have the annual ‘Smashing’ of the gingerbread house, waiting to see what ideas we will come up with this year to demolish it! Merry Christmas, stay safe, eat well and laugh a lot. Thanks for you posts throughout the year, really enjoy them. Cheers, Maree.
Wow, that sounds amazing especially the gingerbread house smashing bit. Totally agree that Christmas is all about saying thanks and being grateful for our family and friends.
Lovely Post and very thoughtfully put together gift hamper Dhanya!! Christmas plan is to visit the beautiful NZ – looking forward to the break.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year!!
– Arch
That’s wonderful. Thanks Archana and hope you enjoy your trip to the fullest.
First of all Merry Christmas and advanced New Year Wishes. We have set up our Christmas tree for the first time this year. Planning to host Christmas dinner for couple of friends.. plan is to have good food, fun and play. But the most important plan is to drop gifts at my daughter’s friends’ places and she has decided to give away some of her toys to less fortunate ones!!! ?
That’s a wonderful gesture; so proud of your little girl. Thanks for your wishes and hope you have a joyful festive season too.
Having a quiet one with mum but will be sad not to be spending it with my kids. I’m seeing them before new year so I’ll make up for it then.
Glad that you will be meeting them for New Year. Thanks and all the best Raeleen. Wishing you a blessed season.
That’s such a lovely hamper Dhanya, such a temptation!
For me this time has been different as I’m doing Christmas casual work first time so been so busy and haven’t splurged as usual. For Christmas day, hubby has planned some surprise, so I’m looking forward to it!
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That’s so nice of your hubby; enjoy your surprise. And all the best Smita
A family Christmas at our house this year and as both children will be overseas next Christmas we’ll send them off with one to remember.
That’s wonderful Kalai; children often connect this season with home and it would be a beautiful gesture for them.
I guess I am late but I will still leave a comment considering how much effort goes into making of each of these products.
My plan for these holidays is to connect with my daughters friends. She is 6. We moved suburbs a year ago and lost all her friends when we moved. That’s my gift to her for Christmas and perhaps take her to the zoo.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. Keep spreading the love and cheer.
You are not late at all Anjali; the contest is open till Monday. That’s a lovely gesture on your behalf; I am sure your daughter will appreciate it. Happy Holidays and all the best.
What a lovely giveaway, I hope I win :). We are going to be with my hubby’s family this Christmas for a cold, European experience. Can’t wait. It was great to meet you the other night, Dhanya. Take care!
Wonderful; a white Christmas is definitely exciting. We didnt get much of a chance to talk the other day; should catch up sometime next year. Happy holidays and all the best dear.
I spend most of the day alone due to my family no longer living in Australia, but I will cook a small turkey with all the trimmings, bake a ham, and make a heap of salads. That way I got food for the week and still enjoy a hot traditional meal. My flatmate comes home and we have a feast for tea!
Awww Shell; I understand because I dont have any family here either. It was so lonely the first year after we migrated here but at least now I have a few good friends. Hope you enjoy your little feast and all the best.
Beautiful hamper Dhanya,
My first Christmas in Australia actually. A very different hot Chrissy first time in my life. Missing my friends and family a lot this time. Kinda feel lil lost and lonely but when I see my kids, it definitely brightens my day.
Blessed that we will be together as a family. Planning a trip to Cairns. Hopefully it will be fun ?
Wishing you and your family seasons blessings and the very best.
You will be alright dear; I understand it might feel a little lonely. Felt the same way 3 years back without a friend to even invite home but it gets better with time. So cheer up and happy holidays.
I have one day off Christmas, a week of 4am starts 12 hour shifts the week before then back to work on Boxing Day, my plan is to be as organised as possible so i can have a relaxing day with family. We are doing just salads and salmon and a pav, and the dishwasher will be working overtime. I’m thankful my mother , hubby and my grown up children are onboard to help
You are such a hardworking person Alanna and I appreciate anyone who is working during the holidays. All the best and hope you have a great day with family.
What an amazing selection of goodies!!
We are taking some time out to recharge our batteries this festive season. We are having a staycation at home and plan on doing a bit of camping but for the most part, we will be enjoying the good things in life – good friends, good food and family!
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The best kind of holiday Kell; to chill out with family and friends. Exactly what I will be doing too….Happy Holidays dear
That’s a beautiful hamper!!
We haven’t planned anything. Taking each day as it comes full of adventure and surprises. Drenching in the spirit of Christmas – singing carols, santas chasing, Christmas lights hopping, saying Happy Holidays to passer by , doing craft. We are loving this magical
Time of the year..Eagerly looking forward to spending Christmas eve with my very dear friends.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays ??????
That sounds wonderful and I think the best way to spend Christmas is to slow down and soak in the spirit of joy and thanksgiving. And I hope your Christmas eve with friends is awesome….
Thanks for putting together that awesome gift guide. Everything in it looks super tempting.?
I am enjoying a nice and relaxed festive season as I am having a break between jobs, getting to do a lot of fun things and enjoying ample me-time to get me ready for the new year. We’ll be spending Christmas week with friends at Adelaide. Looking forward to an exciting road trip and lots of fun, laughter and good food.
Hope you and your family have a wonderful one as well.?
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~ Remya
That’s wonderful Remya; started off with the chocolate decadence right! Enjoy your holidays girl and all the best.
Christmas this year is going to be very relaxed as I’m due to give birth early January!! Just immediate family at my house with all the trimmings!!
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That’s wonderful; all the best as your day draws near. My sister is expecting a bub too early Jan and I am all excited to be an aunt again. Much love to you dear and hope you have a safe delivery.
What a fabulous prize! Food hampers are my favourite kind of hamper!
This year I will be spending Christmas with my ‘almost’ in-laws. They are Italian, so Christmas is one of their most important times of the year. As with Indians, their culture also places immense focus on food and family, so no doubt the festive season will be filled with ridiculous amount of eating and drinking, and lots of love and laughter.
That’s wonderful Moni. Indian and Italian is a fun match; like you said an awesome combination of food, music and laughter. All the best and have a fab time.
It’s going to be super special with my 3mo baby ? Can’t wait to take him out for pics with Santa… and mom-dad are here so it’s all about food, family n fun this year ?
That’s lovely; my son used to be so scared of Santa. Hope you have a blast; good luck dear
We are having Christmas dinner at our house and along with the ham and turkey we plan on trying something new and curing a side of salmon for entree… so wish us luck.
That sounds amazing Ross especially the salmon bit; do share more of that with me. Good luck!
Of the 10 years I have been in Melbourne, this is the first time I am having my whole immediate family over from Malaysia for Christmas. There will be a lot of happiness, laughter and of course good food. [email protected]
That’s wonderful Amith; family at Christmas is a blessing indeed. I will surely be missing mine. Hope to see a lot of your mum’s cooking.
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And Christmas plan is to spend 2 weeks with family in beautiful perth and lots of love, laughter and food!
That’s a beautiful plan Khyati; never been to Perth so waiting to see all your awesome clicks.