Best Christmas Hampers 2013

Meet the Hunter Valley Hampers Team
OFFICIAL MEDIA RELEASE DECEMBER 2013

AFTER A HALF DOZEN Christmas Seasons as the creative designer behind Hunter Valley Hampers, Kacy has a special feeling for knowing what her buying public wants.
And when you consider her Hunter Valley Hampers has sold out completely in 2011 and 2012 on a budget of zero advertising, it's no wonder she must be doing something right.  Artisan Food, Craft Beer and handmade fresh regional produce is a winning formula.
Over coffee, we sat down and asked her secrets to making a delicious gourmet hamper and what makes Hunter Valley Hampers a trusted authority on gift baskets.

"No Pretzels," Kacy laughs, when I ask her the secret to gourmet gift baskets, "Once we stopped putting in bags of pretzels we noticed we got a different clientele."

Keeping it Real for the Peeps

The secret to Hunter Valley Hampers success over the last decade (the business has operated independently since 1988, although only recently moved to 'high end' gourmet in 2009) is offering quality product regardless of the price.

"People are willing to pay for quality product," Kacy explains, showing a jar of tunisian spiced pickle made locally, "and so long as they know you are backing the product up with a meaningful purpose, place and personality; they will pay a premium price."

"We see competitors offering plastic poinsettia flowers and questionable "gourmet" products like john west smoked oysters - these things just don't meet what our clients expect in a regional gourmet hamper," Kacy offered as a reason for the loyal customer base at Hunter Valley Hampers.  "It's really quite embarrassing to turn up at a corporate tower in Sydney and expect the executives to accept a hamper filled with this sort of stuff - I can see why people keep coming back to us.  We keep our hampers understated and let the real food do all the talking."

Making meaningful Connections with the Community

Things are looking great this Christmas, but I feel the moment of truth for any Christmas Gift Basket is the minutes after arriving home when the hamper box is sitting by your front door.  You place the box on the kitchen counter and open it to reveal a wicker basket filled with clinking jars, bottles, pouches and pudding - all presentation packed under crisp cellophane and ready for display under the Christmas Tree in time for the big day. 

An authentic artisan hamper for a genuine, homestyle Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas, and Give Yourself the Gift of a Joyous Sharing Christmas with real friends and valued family members.

Executive Christmas Hampers Delivery

We get very busy over Christmas - Book Early

Santa and the little elves will be out in force and you
can expect a thriving sell out Christmas Here in Hunter Valley Hampers

CHRISTMAS TIME is a time of frenetic acquisition - we move around consuming parties and gatherings and people with pace, as though there is some crazy deadline to get in as much as we can before we settle down at some family home for the Christmas Day luncheon.

When I returned to Newcastle after living and working abroad, the first thing I noticed was how small everything looked - in my memory somehow it had been stored as this big grand place with monuments and towering buildings and epic natural features.

Gourmet Xmas Gift Baskets

And in all the hustle and movement in Newcastle 2300 we can too easily forget those who live with the struggle of poverty, lack of opportunity and sheer hopelessness. At Christmastime this is even more important.  It is these people who should not be forgotten whilst we all gorge on unwanted mince pies, or leave half drunk bottles of beer at backyard barbeques.

EVERYONE KNOWS it is a small town, so we all have some connection to each other - whether it be through work, sport, education or family - so making a thoughtful charity gift at Christmas in Newcastle NSW 2300 is like giving to a friend in some ways.

Corporate Executive Christmas Hampers

But with the passage of time, that distance had eroded the memories to the point that on seeing them for the first time since returning from Christmas in Ireland and Europe - everything had a kind of hometown intimacy.  I truly felt like I had returned back home to Newcastle - that being a Novocastrian was definitely part of my identity.

I urge you all to go out and get involved in some small way with those less fortunate - even if it is only dropping a few coins into a buskers hat.   Just give something away to a fellow Novocastrian and see how you feel - it can be a curious sensation indeed.

In Newcastle 2300 NSW - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Where do I buy Christmas Gift Hampers for Sydney 2013?

Twisted Ribbon - Exclusive to Hunter Valley Christmas Hampers,
our latest release 2013 Gold Thread Presentation Ribbon
for Create Your Own Gift Boxes and Designer Gourmet Hampers

Eating Drinking and Sharing Locally Produced Premium Food
and Wine Products is a privilege enjoyed by the lucky few
who are gifted with a luxury Christmas Gift Basket in 2013.

The Essential Ingredients to any memorable and valued
Gourmet Gift Hamper are thoughtful presentation,
careful selection of preferred and favourite food and wine and
finally a meaningful personal message arriving on time prior to Christmas 2013

Three Days Before Christmas

Getting closer to the annual Christmas Feast, you can now visualise exactly how things will unfold on the day and begin to actually place the food being served with your serving dishes, platters and utensils.  Perhaps now is also a good time to polish and clean your treasured heirlooms and family hand me downs.  Go on, making the Christmas Festival a real occasion certainly comes down to the little things like using vintage cutlery and the like - even go for the whole vintage look by inviting people to bring their own treasured items along.  If you have a particular favourite, go ahead and call Great Aunt Hazel and ask if she can bring the silver cake lifter over – every bit of authenticity and meaningfulness adds to the occasion.  After, it is Christmas.

Neutral Bay, Waverton, Mosman, Cremorne, Lavender Bay, Milsons Point, Cammeray and North Sydney. The Lower North Shore, Middle Harbour, Castle Cove and Roseville Chase. Municipality of Mosman, City of Willoughby, Municipality of Lane Cove, Municipality of Hunter's Hill and North Sydney Council.

Planning for Christmas Presents

Think about defrosting the large items – it can take a few days to fully defrost a large turkey.  Fill up your salt and pepper shakers and sugar bowls so they don’t run low and distract you on Christmas Eve.  If you have the room, you can set the table and iron the tablecloth, and arrange the candles in holders and lay out any decorations.  Now is also a good time to move the centrepiece into position and finalise the site of the display decorations.  Be mindful of where the sun moves throughout the day so you can arrange seating and display decorations out of the full glare of the sun but not in the best shady spots where guests may be inclined to linger in the cool air.

Vaucluse, Rose Bay, Darling Point, Dover Heights, Double Bay, Point Piper, Woollahra, Woolloomooloo, Watsons Bay, Potts Point, Rushcutters Bay, Elizabeth Bay, Bellevue Hill, Bondi Junction, Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama, Queens Park, Clovelly

Just Before Christmas

Now you should be thinking of your last minute fresh produce, seafood and flowers.  Be careful as prices might fluctuate wildly between those sellers panicked that they may be overstocked and those who are selling out and wanting premium prices.  With clean hands make your stuffings and cover and refrigerate in bowls.  Likewise, Christmas sauces and desserts are best finalised now, if you have the luxury of a second fridge, it should now be filling up with items.  Be careful to place the items into the fridge in the order you will be removing them- ie last in first out.  This makes provision for less spills and minimises the chances of dropping or ruining a completed dish with contamination from another dish. 

 Balgowlah - Balgowlah Heights - Balmain - Balmain East - Banksia - Banksmeadow - Bankstown - Bankstown Airport - Barangaroo - Barden Ridge - Bardwell Park - Bardwell Valley - Bass Hill - Baulkham Hills - Bayview - Beacon Hill - Beaconsfield - Beaumont Hills - Beecroft - Belfield - Bella Vista - Bellevue Hill - Belmore - Belrose - Berala - Berkshire Park - Berowra

Christmas Day

On the big day you should be all ready to go with a memorable Christmas Day since you have made the time and effort to put in some planning beforehand.  Remember to allow for those who will not be present at the table by sending them a Christmas Hamper filled with some unique, hard to find regional fare just like handmade products Nanna used to make so they too can share in your Christmas spirit.  Christmas is a time for people dropping in unexpectedly, so having on hand a ready supply of extra items and fresh produce is always convenient and gives a positive impression that you have indeed prepared for and indeed expected their arrival.  Merry Christmas from the team behind Hunter Valley Hampers and best wishes for a joyous sharing time with your family and friends.

Christmas Hampers for Business Gifts

Ordering Christmas Hampers for Business

[PRESS_RELEASE JULY26,2013]

Secrets of Success

The Ladies inspect a Christmas Hamper 2013

Making the right choice when it comes to choosing Gift Hampers for Christmas is simple when you consider exactly what you are trying to achieve. 

Taking a few moments to consider exactly who you are giving your hampers to makes all the difference when your recipients actually receive their gift hamper. 

Important things like personal preferences, tastes in wine and food, and keeping in mind any medical or allergy concerns all goes into making your Xmas gift basket valued. 


As a gift hamper specialist with over ten years experience in managing online and phone orders in the crucial weeks before Christmas, our guest contributor in this article is well versed in the dos and donts of meeting your expectations from a sales perspective and is freely offering some handy hints and tips on what to look out for when you are dealing with a gift hamper supplier.

Insider knowledge is priceless in this situation, where once you know some of the general industry-wide practices you will be empowered to make a better buying decision and ultimately get better value for your dollar.

Avoid the Pitfalls and Be Armed with Confidence

Please note, we share this with you on a basis that you do not breach a sort of “nod, nod, wink, wink” acceptance that whilst we are not pointing out any retailers or wholesalers in particular, you will be able to notice and observe the points we make when you are in the buying process with your hamper or gift basket supplier.

When you want to make a lasting impression with a nod to authentic, handmade gourmet food, people just like you choose to share a Christmas Hamper. 

A Christmas Hamper is a selection of food items and drinks arranged in a container or hamper for ease of transport. 

Most likely your hamper  arrives at the destination within a cardboard box, and the actual hamper be enclosed within some sort of stuffing and void filler.

The actual hamper itself will be in a box or basket or container, and have some sort of wrapping cover like cellophane or heat sealed poly-ethylene to keep the products in place during transit.

Just by describing the way the hamper arrives at your delivery destination shows how the appearance and presentation can be completely over taken by the sheer bulk of the enclosing big brown box.

So it is crucial that your hamper providore uses some intelligent packaging solutions like a custom printed box, or at the very least a stencilled logo along with the delivery instructions.

First Impressions Build Anticipation – Consider Your Box

At delivery time, it is all about building expectation and creating a feeling of anticipation – and a well branded box complete with an established authoritative well-know brand works wonders at this. 

Nothing is more off putting than receiving an otherwise wonderful hamper in a recycled kitty litter box – for example. 

So be mindful of this and take the time to ask your preferred hamper specialist if this is a part of their service – if not – perhaps you should be dealing with a hamper company that does supply this as a part of their service.