The Best Christmas Hampers


Regional Produce in a Box
The Gourmet Hamper as a Christmas Gift

With the increasing focus on growing your own produce, limiting your carbon footprint, and supporting local food networks, there has never been a better time to sample regional food.  The best way to sample regional food outside of visiting the actual area yourself is by having a gourmet hamper delivered to your door.  Browsing the internet there are a plethora a local gourmet providores who are capable of assembling a great gift basket package with a range of local tastes and shipping it to you wherever you may live.

Visit Hunter Valley Hampers for
our recommended Christmas Hampers.

Wine and Gourmet Gift Baskets are always popular and make an easy to share gift for family and friends.  Have a look for some of the latest variations on the theme, like wine picnic hampers, wine and cheese hampers and champagne hampers.  Wine picnic hampers would contain a selection of cheeses, fresh fruits, some fig paste, pate, perhaps some smoked salmon and some crackers.  Wine and cheese hampers have a cheese focus with perhaps a cutting board for the cheese, and a specialty cheese knife, amongst a broader range of local cheeses.  Champagne Hampers feature appetisers and nibbles approaching the beginning of the dining experience, like crackers and dip.

A themed hamper for an older couple would focus on jams, relish and condiments from the regional area.  There is a special something about having a pantry full of food products from a single locale, and with the slow use rate of condiments, the gift is present and still being consumed well into the third and forth months.   Be careful to include some food products ready to eat immediately as well as the longer shelf life products, otherwise on opening the gift there is a quiet moment where the recipients look at each other and then start to pack it all away in the pantry!

If you are struggling to find a resource for a local gourmet hamper supplier, take the time to browse around the local shops and ask when the next local markets are scheduled.  Once you are at the markets, it is simply a matter of wandering up and down the aisles and securing your products.  Be careful to keep the tastes unique, as it is easy to find yourself with several jars of similar style products - when what we want is diversity and samples of tastes.  Once you have the selection it is a matter of placing the jars in a suitable container and wrapping the goods for presentation.

As you can see, building a local gourmet hamper is as much a case of sourcing suitable product as it is building the gift basket.  Taking the time to do your research and putting your own unique twist on the material also lends the impression of a certain personal gift style.  Be confident and creative and focus on presentation and of course, your recipient, for a lasting, meaningful impact of regional produce in a box - the gourmet hamper.

Murphy, B. P. (2011, October 24). Regional Produce in a Box - The Gourmet Hamper. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Regional-­Produce-­in-­a-­Box-­-­-­The-­Gourmet-­Hamper&id=6647513

The Masterpiece Gourmet Hamper

Just a quick note to share the Masterpiece Gourmet Hamper.

Well worth the investment and appreciated by all who receive it.

Noosa Food & Wine Festival 2011

Just got an update on the Audi Noosa Food & Wine Festival 2011, 13,14 + 15 May.  Looks like an engrossing three day gourmands delight.  Here's my pick for the weekend.

Friday 13 May
Asian Food Trail 11.45am - 4pm
Travel to Garnisha Spice Farm for cocktails, an Asian Banquet and Hungerford Hill matching wines.

Saturday 14 May
delicious Produce Awards Degustation 6.30pm
Nine Course degustation menu featuring finalists and winners of the delicious Awards.

Sunday 15 May
Qantas Best Dinner in the World 6.30pm
Seven course degustation dinner, $695 per person.  Wow!

So if you have your feedback or ideas let's know and we will keep you informed.
I'll be making Gourmet Gift Boxes.


Australian Gourmet Food Online

Hi, and welcome to our first blog, Australian Gourmet Food Online.  We are a happy family of food lovers who also happen to have a (sometimes overly) keen interest in the goings on of food, wine and everything gourmet online. 
I appreciate it can easily be a pretentious game, what with the regular hobnobbing amongst the fabled producers, chefs and brands with their exotic accents and unreasonable demands, it is easy to lose the common touch. 
But I doubt we will ever lose our connection with you, our audience, who we hope will grow from humble beginnings to a loyal following who conscientiously adopt our every recommendation!So let us begin our journey of discovery, knowing that each new experience, taste and aroma is but a step forward towards the nirvana of gastronomy.