Your Christmas Shopping's Sorted With These Local Ideas
With the holiday season just around the corner (it’ll be here before you know it) we’re rounded up some festive inspiration for your holiday gift-giving.
More than ever, it’s important to think local and give a gift that not only the recipient will love, but boosts a local tourism and hospitality business too. It’s a win-win for all.
Sleigh Christmas Lunch
Christmas Day dining is all about the extras. Pulling up an extra
chair or three for your nearest and dearest at the dining table and
serving up those extra helpings of all the good stuff. But let’s be
honest, the cooking, the cleaning, the dishes. Are we right? Wouldn’t it
be nice to give your family the gift of having Christmas Day lunch
sorted, without any fuss?
Peppers Marysville has done just that. On the 25th from midday to 3 PM, they’ll be dishing up one incredible holiday feast with all the trimmings (and then some) with vegetarian menu options available too. Expect a variety of roast meats, antipasto platters, fresh salads, roasted potatoes, risotto, buttery peas, pavlova, Christmas pudding and that doesn’t even touch the sides. Adults meals are priced with a three-hour drinks package included and children’ pricing includes unlimited soft drinks.
Farewell 2021 In Style
Looking to bring some happiness to that special someone this Christmas time? Why not gift them a voucher for the New Year’s Eve Feast at Bam Bam Italian in Avonsleigh?
With prosecco on arrival, dinner starting at $70 per person for five courses, and with dietary friendly and children’s menus available, you're sure to make this year one to remember for all the right reasons! For further details and to book, head to Bam Bam Italian.
Make It Merrier
https://www.rochfordwines.com....It’s the most wine-derful time of the year, and if there’s one thing
as reliable as Santa, it’s the incredible quality of the wine produced
in our region.
Family-owned Jaydon Ong Wines
have holiday gift bottle packs featuring their much-loved bottles (pictured below) as
well as gift vouchers for cellar door experiences. They make the perfect
gift (even if it's just for yourself!) With a Winery & Cellar Bar
Gift Voucher, the recipient can choose between bottles of wine, Magnum
Opus wine, club membership, dining at the Cellar Bar or from a range of
cool merchandise. And, to make them even more special, all of the
delicious wine collections are delivered in a Jayden Ong Wines gift box,
with a card by incredible, local Healesville artist Amanda Ruck. All
gifts pack include Melbourne metro delivery, other delivery options can
be arranged. Jump online and have look today.
Why not send a gift from the Yarra’s very own Rochford Estate like the one pictured below?
From their online shop, choose from gifts including wine packs, gourmet goods, sweets, savouries and more. Create your own hamper or simply purchase a pre-designed gift hamper online. You can also choose from a variety of virtual and in-person experiences that include wine and gin tastings, dining experiences, wine vouchers and even gift vouchers for some of their incredible onsite music events.
Get in the Spirit
Much loved for their wines, Innocent Bystander has also launched a cocktail kit combining their crowd-favourite Innocent Bystander Rosé with Four Pillars Gin.
This cocktail box of delicious proportions is packed bigger than your Santa sack with all the locally sourced ingredients you need to make homemade Innocent Bystander Rosé G+Ts (with sweets to match). Order today for free shipping until the end of the year. Kits include a bottle of IB Pinot Noir Rosé, 200mL of Four Pillars Gin four cans of Fever Tree tonic, rose syrup, sweets from Yarra Valley Sweet Co., handmade Moscato marshmallows and caramel popcorn from the IB team. Packs are limited and can be ordered online or collected directly from Innocent Bystander HQ in Healesville.
Alternatively, Killik Handcrafted Rum has released a special Christmas pack including a
500mL bottle of their Mango and Vanilla Spiced Rum, a jar of Killik Hot Buttered Rum Batter and a Killik Gold Xmas Pudding hand made by their head chef. The packs will retail at $70 and can only be bought from Killik.
Go Luxe or Go Home
If you can’t spoil that special someone at Christmas, when can you doit? Well, maybe their birthday, but there really aren’t many opportunities to go all out and give a gift that wows.
Levantine Hill has a huge range of experiences
(and gifts too) ranging from tasting and dining experiences to
jaw-dropping luxury experiences such as helicopter flights paired with
luxe accommodation (pictured below), and even an incredible 200km+
supercar drive day featuring the famed Black Spur Drive to Lake Mountain
(pictured above).
Speaking of incredible sky-high experiences, check out this helicopter package departing Melbourne and including a stay at Kangaroo Ridge Retreat. It's a once in a lifetime experience, they'll remember forever.
Looking for a one-off original gift? Gallery 7 six 5 can help you take your Christmas gift-giving to the luxe level with their range of artwork from small to large scale. You’ll find a beautiful range of works from artists like Benny Archer whose work 'Fallen' is pictured below. Benny's studio is located at Gallery 7 six 5 and welcomes visitors. You'll also discover a variety of painted works by additional talented and creative artists, irresistible ironwork sculptures for indoors and out, glass and ceramic pieces and some luscious and sublime tactile textiles - all exquisitely created by local Nillumbik artists. Prices start from $15 and go upwards of $10,000+
Tree-Mendously Indulgent
It wouldn’t be the holidays without the incredible food and Seville Estate has recently launched a Chef's Table Summer Series designed by head chef Soren Thorgersen bringing together nostalgia, creativity and exceptional produce for one amazing dining experience.
Dishes are delivered to your table by their chef who will talk you through the inspiration behind each dish and the produce that went into creating it. Wines are matched by their winemaking team who are on hand to guide diners through. It’s a must-do for any foodie. Booking can be made online.
Straight from the in-house catering team and packed with Holmesglen at Eildon’s
HE- branded gourmet jams and relishes, gourmet hampers from their team
here can be posted or couriered and are packed with Christmas cake, plum
pudding, jam, tomato relish, olive oil, a bottle of Buxton Ridge
sparkling and the popular ‘A Taste of Eildon’ cookbook. Alternatively,
choose between hampers stuffed like a Christmas turkey with sweet and
savoury treats. Click here and order by December 13 to ensure holiday delivery.
Know someone with a sweet tooth? Make their holiday sweet with Mary Eats Cake. Their Christmas collection of
sweets will put you on everyone’s nice list. From gingerbread treats to
cupcakes, nougat, Christmas puddings, bottles of French Sparkling, it’s
the perfect way to treat someone special. Check it out, pictured below.
Leave a Fa-la-la-la-lasting Impression
We’ve all been indoors for so much of the year. Now’s the time to get
out and enjoy the best of the region with these great ideas.
You’ll always find a broad selection of stay and play style experiences for mid-week getaways that are sure to make their holiday extra special by clicking here.
We can’t think of a better way to appreciate someone who gives so
much than to give them some much-needed time off with a day of
pampering. Now open at Meletos, their brand new Il Massaggio experience (pictured below) is the perfect wind-down experience.
This
calming, peaceful collection of massage rooms in the heart of the
Meletos precinct offers a range of services to relax and destress. Gift
vouchers are available with the option to pair them with dining or
accommodation as well. It’s Christmas after all.
Global Ballooning also
offers gift vouchers for flights as well as packaged experiences that
include breakfast, wine tours, sailing tours and accommodation at the
beautiful Balgownie Estate among others. Check out their range of ideas here.
Know an adventurer or thrillseeker? Struggling to find the right
gift that suits them? It’s not socks, we promise. There’s nothing that
appeals to an adventure more after being cooped up than an experience
with Warburton Adventure Company has
a wide variety of active adventures from caving to abseiling (pictured
below) , river sledding and so much more. All training and safety gear
is provided and experiences come with qualified guides. No matter what
experience from the range on offer they choose, it's certain to be one they won't soon forget. Now, what if you were to take these thrill-seeking experiences up another notch? That's where we turn to Skydive Yarra Valley. Give the gift of free fall this Christmas with a $40 discount available if you book before 28 December, 2021.
Spread The Cheer
Looking for a little something for a Secret Santa, or something to
say thanks that’s thoughtful? You’ll soften even the toughest grinch
with these ideas.
Start the celebrations with YV Hampers who
have both 25-day and 12-day Advent calendars (pictured below) featuring
local produce such as chocolate, jams, relishes, biscuits and pampering
luxuries. It’s the perfect way to start a Christmas countdown.
Rayner’s Orchard also has a variety of beautiful Christmas gift boxes full of Rayners Orchard products and local wines boxed up, on shelves and ready to go for an easy (and tasty) gift idea.
Keep the kids happy with family passes and season tickets for Gumbuya World.
Secure tickets to visit anytime or if you really want to give the kids
something they’ll love, why not go for a season pass that’s just for
locals? A local season pass gets them unlimited, priority entry until
April 24, 2022, free Surf’s Up sessions, access to the parks rides,
wildlife and attractions and park discounts as well. With four different
areas to explore, it’s a great day out you can enjoy all season long.
Find out more about securing a season pass here.
A Zoos Victoria gift membership is both thoughtful and does good too. Membership offers unlimited entry at all three Zoos Victoria zoos, including Healesville Sanctuary,
Werribee Open Range Zoo and Melbourne Zoo. Bring a child for free with
every adult membership and the profits go to supporting our much-loved
wildlife and conservation projects.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery with the
unveiling of Victoria’s largest collection of chocolate festive treats to welcome back visitors from
near and far. Santas, angels and reindeer, Christmas trees and edible ornaments are amongst 25,000 handcrafted chocolate creations made at the Yarra Glen wonderland by their team of European Chocolatiers.
Among the two hundred varieties of delights made just for the season are the Chocolaterie’s limited edition 1kg Festive Rocky Road; Christmas Wagon Wheels – a decadent biscuit covered in jam and couverture Belgian chocolate – shaped in special-edition Christmas stars, plus couverture baubles, festive lollipops and a stunning collection of handmade nougat with jewel-like fillings such as cherries, pistachio and freeze-dried strawberries.
Other seasonal specialties include collectible tins filled with Great Balls of Chocolate, house-made shortbreads, deluxe gingerbread ladies and gents, chocolate bark and honeycomb rocky road logs plus very merry editions of blocks and bars all beautifully wrapped with an extra dose of festive cheer. While Christmas baubles and Bon Bons in different designs crammed with all-time favourite choc-coated delights make an ideal stocking filler, Kris Kringle or delectable decoration.
Also in this year’s collection is a line up of interactive festive treats such as the 12 Days of Christmas
Chocolate Calendar (pictured above) with a Chocolaterie twist, a make-your-own Gingerbread House and even a festive edition of At Home Fondue Kits that include handcrafted whimsical biscuits, wafers and more to dunk and dip and create a festive fondue party at home. All are perfect for gifting or sharing. Pick up in-store or order online here.