Gourmet Hampers Australia

Newborn Baby Gifts Fruit Baskets

2012-01-29T22:42:00.001+11:00

Newborn Babies are typically hard to buy for because they don't speak up about what they prefer and they don't have much life experience to fall back on to guide their suggestions. So they usually get flowers. And what can a New Baby do with flowers? Sniff them? Or more likely sneeze and start to cry.

A far more appropriate gift for everyone involved in the baby gift experience is a magnificent basket filled with the day's freshest fruit. Delivered right to the bedside so it can be eaten right here, right now, instead of that gormless hospital food.

You know what to do. Ordering a Fruit Basket for Hospital Delivery is easy as calling 1300 284 684.

There. And don't forget to chip in with a cute congratulatory message. Everyone loves that...

Fruit Baskets Delivered

2012-01-24T15:55:00.000+11:00

Fruit Baskets are the ideal living gift to share for your Get Well and New Baby Events. A Fruit Basket brimming with fresh fruit delivered to the hospital bedside makes a thoughtful gift idea for people of all ages. In the same way, the ideal gift for a New Mum is a Fruit Basket, as who would not appreciate some fresh fruit when spending some time in hospital? Either way, the hot tip is to get on board with the Fruit Basket and make your next delivered gift something sweet, seasonal and edible.

Chocolates, wine or champagne, and gourmet condiments are the perfect inclusions for the fruit basket. At Hunter Valley Hampers, we like to offer a wide range of additional products so you can completely personalize your order to suit the occasion exactly. Try it for yourself, you will be surprised at how close you can come to making a genuine fruit hamper that suits your recipient just right.

Call 1300 284 684 with your order details handy...

Christmas 2011 All Wrapped Up

2011-12-23T17:55:00.002+11:00

Another year of Gourmet Hampers Australia and another series of lesson learned, victories to celebrate and opportunities for growth.

Firstly, I'd just like to comment on the growth and change in the business - things are never static and new ideas and being creative is certainly the way to go. Just briefly, conversely, it is a continuing source of utter frustration that we can be so blatantly copied - like our font at a certain emporium this year and our suppliers being scalped by local competitors to create incredibly similar designs to ours. But it is not for me to pursue such trivial matters - we are confident enough in our business model to know what works, and it is simply flattering that they continue to look to us for inspiration and leadership. So I guess in a way it is a thank you for putting us as industry leaders.

Second, the sometimes unreasonably high expectations of clients with regards to delivery is a continuing issue. Delivery remains an integral part of the Gourmet Hampers Australia business model, but since it is contracted out to third parties, the level of control and management at an individual order level is an ongoing challenge. As is personally servicing individual orders whilst the item is in transit efficiently. It is still too easy to commit phone time to a single order already shipped in peak times.

Third, the lure of producing year round gift hampers is simply no longer attractive as an ongoing concern. Or more accurately, other business presents as a more attractive option to producing hampers in the off season - when competition is still as hot as ever but the urgency of Christmas is simply not there.

So in all one of our most successful Christmas seasons - expertly managed and without any 'unforeseeable' variables stripping away at the peak. Another fantastic experience, thoroughly hard work, but immensely personally satisfying considering the off-field dramas we have endured - truly a testament to our resilience and ability to evolve to situations as they present. We wish you all the best for Christmas, and appreciate your taking the time to read my reflections.

Christmas Fruit Baskets

2011-12-18T06:03:00.000+11:00

Fruit Baskets - The Best Christmas Gift for 2011?

Sending a Christmas Gift to a friend or family member other than flowers is no longer a difficult decision once you know all about Fruit baskets. Christmas Fruit Baskets are healthy, fresh, colourful and make the perfect sharing gift for a workplace or family get together. Instead of a still bunch of flowers, sharing a selection of the freshest seasonal fruit, presented in a re-usable wicker basket, and delivered right to your door makes for a convenient and edible gift idea. What's more, a fruit hamper can get your personal message of condolence or recovery across direct to the recipient. Obviously, making a delivered gift decision other than flowers is easy - next time choose a Fruit Basket.

At Hunter Valley Hampers,
the Fruit Baskets set the standard in freshness,
prompt delivery and memorable impact.
Order NOW for Christmas Delivery!

Choosing the type of Fruit Basket that matches your occasion is important, so take some time to assess what your recipient would prefer. Sometimes a general fruit selection is best, other times you may decide to specify exactly what types of fruit you would like to make up the fruit hamper. For example, soft fruits and easy to cut up fruits will suit an older recipient.

Consider what container you would prefer the fruit basket to be placed in. Some suggestions other than the basket, should be just as light and easy to carry with a built in handle. Bowls, plates and boxes are used to contain the fruit hamper, and these can add extra value and utility to the gift as they are useful in the kitchen long after the occasion has passed. My personal favourite is the wooden box, that has a delightful rustic earthy feel, and makes for a handy box for carrying barbeque equipment.

It is also worth having in mind what the occasion is and how the recipient will make use fo the Fruit basket once it is delivered. A bereavement fruit hamper will be best suited as a sharing gift for drop in visitors to the mourning family. In this case plenty of easy to eat by hand fruit makes the best gift, instead of cut fruit. Likewise, for a baby gift idea a fruit basket would be ideal filled with grapes ad smaller fruits for children and the new mother to share.

Whatever the occasion, Christmas Fruit Baskets make a thoughtful, personal gift for delivery, especially when flowers are not an option. Surprise yourself and your friends and family with a fruit basket next time you are part of a life event and delight in the simple, healthy goodness of fresh fruit.

Best Christmas Hampers over $100

2011-12-17T05:50:00.000+11:00

Here's a blog post from my friend Seth - Thought I'd share it with you...

There are only three kinds of sales:

Buying a refill, another unit of a service or product you've already purchased before
Switching to a new model/brand/style
Buying something for the first time

Here's an overlooked truth: until quite recently, buying something for the first time was a very rare and almost revolutionary act. In fact, more than a billion people on Earth don't do this as a matter of course. The standard is to only purchase the seeds, fuel or shelter that your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did. That's the way it's always been.

Take a minute to think about what it means for someone in poverty (which until recently was almost everyone) to buy something for the first time. The combination of risk and initiative can be paralyzing. One of the little-known transitions of the industrial revolution was the notion that companies and individuals could set out to discover and buy stuff that they didn't know about until just recently.

You see a box or a store window or a product on the web and you start imagining how cool it would be to open the box, own the product, use it, engage with it and benefit from it. A product you've never purchased before. That's new behavior. Until a hundred years ago, that sort of imagining was rare indeed, just about anywhere in the world.

If you are trying to grow your coaching practice or b2b saas business or widget shop, understand that you are almost certainly pushing against a significant barrier: most people hesitate before buying something for the first time. If you're trying to develop trade in the underprivileged world, understand that teaching people to buy anything for the first time is a revolutionary concept.

Campbell's soup is almost never bought for the first time. It is a replacement purchase. No one switches to Campbell's either. They buy it because their mom did.

The first iPhone, on the other hand, was a first time product for just about everyone who bought it... most of the people on line that first day were buying their first smartphone. Worth noting that a few years later, many millions have made the switch--we don't make first-time purchases lightly.

And most of what gets sold to us each day at work or at home are switching products. "Ours is just like the one you already use, but cheaper/better/faster/cooler."

The potent mix of fear of loss, desire for gain and curiosity fuel the appeal of buying for the first time. But it's magic, it's not science, and it doesn't often happen on schedule.

Oh, and the Best Christmas Hampers over $100? Of course try a Hunter Valley Christmas Hamper or a Hunter Valley Christmas Basket.

Christmas Hampers and Gift Baskets

2011-12-10T05:48:00.001+11:00

Christmas Hamper Collection 2011

For distinctive hampers that convey a certain taste and are quite definitely unlike the 'competition' - you have come to the right place. Just have a look at our gorgeous new gourmet hamper range for Christmas 2011 - we are very proud of our new catalogue for Spring/Summer 2011 and hope you will share in our enthusiasm! It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to source, design, and build the perfect Christmas Hamper Collection!

Christmas Gourmet Hampers

Hunter Valley Hampers has built our reputation on having that hard to define 'extra-something' that distinguishes our classic, timeless gourmet hampers from the glut of pretenders who flood the market with cardboard sameness. Remember, we pack and present your hamper so it arrives as a display package, ready to be placed unopened under the tree for Christmas Morning.

Ready-Made Gift Hampers

Or, should your recipient so choose, the hamper can be re-gifted as a complete 'experience in a box' - something that is very handy at this hectic time of year and is appreciated by busy mums and corporate types who are hard pressed for time. All you need do is attach a card and you have a ready-made gift! Now that is convenience.

Unique Farmgate Tastes of the Hunter Valley Region

A valued point of difference with Hunter Valley Hampers is our focus on supporting the cream of local providores and boutique foodies in and around the region. You'll discover a whole new range of tastes, flavour combinations and even some quirky local chocolatiers new for 2011, it's what we do and what makes our passion for food and the gourmet taste such a vital ingredient in our continued success. By choosing Hunter Valley Hampers you are buying from our long-established relationships with local producers. People who hand make the condiments at their restaurants, or harvest the honey by hand, or blend the chocolates right here in the Hunter Valley.

Simple Corporate Hampers Delivered

Here's how easy it is to do business. Bring us your budget, and we will give you a prompt quote for a quick turnaround. As an added incentive, we are offering a 750ml Moet Champagne with every Christmas order over $1250 completed by October 31. So get in early and take advantage of our generosity!

We Win on Price, Presentation and Products.

Hunter Valley Hampers have realistic, competitive pricing - so you get what you pay for.
We have the best presentation in the business - we don't just chuck your products in a box with some bubble wrap - we actually build a hamper with a basket and wrap it by hand with cellophane.
Our Products speak for itself- handmade, local gourmet - not bulk imported stuff you find at the budget office superstore...

Let's get it right, make a niche impression, and REALLY get your Christmas Hampers for 2011 the Best Ever!

If you haven't tried us, join our list of ASX200, National Companies who trust their Christmas Impression with us, and use us year in year out. New tastes, New varieties, and best of all, that question from your guests over the Christmas break - "Wow, that's delicious - where'd you find this?"

Christmas Hampers 2011

Call 1300 284 684 NOW!

Corporate Christmas Gifts 2011

2011-12-09T05:13:00.000+11:00

Tips for Effective and Appreciated Corporate Christmas Gifts

Sharing Corporate Christmas Gifts amongst you business associates can be a hit and miss affair if you do not consider your recipient, the gift itself, and presentation of the gift. A well thought out gift can be a crucial repeat and referral business trigger, ensuring your name is top of mind when your business niche is required. Just as importantly, the presentation and appearance of the gift can make or break the whole process, as a strikingly put together gift can impress beyond your expectations. Your Corporate Christmas Gifts should be appreciated, effective and memorable so your recipient feels special, and your name is connected with a favorable event.

Your recipient obviously has a range of personal interests and preferences, and although it is important to have these in mind, it is also wise not to cater too specifically to these likes. For example, an avid golfer may prefer a golf themed gift, but it would not go down well with the rest of the team if it were just one gift across the whole department.

So knowing general tastes is best, and indulging those favourites will be pleasantly acknowledged - instead of targeting a specific hobby or pastime that they will already have accessories to. Buying a gourmet food hamper for corporate Christmas Gifts makes for an effective and memorable present as it caters for the niche where the individual is pampered and indulged with bespoke foods, condiments and chocolates. And enthusiasts of all types will appreciate the attention to detail and boutique quality of fine handmade foods and condiments.

With corporate gift giving, there ultimately comes the moment when the gifts are delivered to the place of business and, before they are shared amongst the staff, the boxes are noticed, perhaps in the foyer. This is the first stage of the gift experience, where a well made shipping box, with the hamper company's corporate logo, conveys a certain anticipation and expectation of quality. The next stage is opening the box and seeing the gourmet hamper, packed for presentation as a gift basket, wrapped under cellophane, with ribbon and bow. This can be the make or break moment, where the items in the gift basket, the wrapping and the overall impression can either make lips curl up into a smile, or brows furrow in confusion.

With a well-chosen corporate Christmas gift, your recipient will feel valued, will see the gift as an effective confirmation of the value of your ongoing business relationship, and will ultimately share the products of the gourmet hamper amongst friends and family over the holiday period. Nothing can over estimate the value of an effective gift basket at this special time of year. And that is what and effective and memorable corporate Christmas Gift makes for you, a lasting impression that your relationship is both worthy of sharing a quality gift experience, and valued for the future.

Christmas Hampers - Make Your Own

2011-12-08T07:16:00.000+11:00

Christmas Hampers - You Can Make Your Own

Making a gift hamper visually appealing is much more than just piling products into a basket. Product combination, theme, colour schemes, basket balance, fillers and stuffing, wrapping, and finally ribbons and bows are all factors in making the perfect gift basket. If you need to make a gift hamper for an occasion and have no previous experience, follow this easy to read guide to make your own. Whilst making a hamper is simple with some experience, there are also some timeless tips to get everything just right, and here's the place to find out.

1. Basket and Balance
The first thing to consider is the basket itself and the balance of the products in it once assembled. The general idea is to have the products balanced towards the front side of the basket, which means there is a natural tendency for the basket to fall forward once it is made. So to counter this fill the base of the basket with densely packed filler, like shredded paper densely packed, or sand in resealable bags, or styrofoam peanuts.
Having a steady base makes for more creative freedom when you are assembling your products - and you'll see why in a moment.

2. Colors and Combinations
Browsing around online, you will notice that many commercial gift baskets offer color themed options, that go a long way towards lending an impression of professionalism and just looking right. One of the key considerations, which can be difficult to match, is having a colour theme. Simply keep in mind that matching together similar tones and colours in the hamper means that the whole impression will be of subtle togetherness. This means labels, logos and packaging of the products, because although it may be your least likely consideration, having a harmonious color combination can literally distinguish great from just good.

3. Jars and Bottles
A food hamper will always have jars and bottles in it, and the trick is to avoid glass rattle and glass touch - both can be early indicators that the glass will break in transit. Other than this it is important to simply have the jars and bottles arranged so they sit tight and won't fall over whilst the basket is being carried. A clever design tip is to place bubble wrap where two items may touch, so they you never have glass exposed to glass, which is likely to crack or break. Other tips are to keep the glass products surrounded by non-glass products so there other products act as buffers and absorb the bumps and shocks of transit.

4. Wrapping with Cellophane
The first thing you notice about crisp cellophane wrapped hamper from a heat shrunk wrapped hamper is the shiny gloss of the cellophane. So although some commercial gift basket operations will use matt heat shrink wrapping, stick to the traditional cellophane wrap. The shine is priceless in terms of appeal and impact for the recipient. Further, it pays to have the crisp, heavier weight cellophane for wrapping as this too makes all the difference with holding itself together and working to maintain the shape and posture of the basket. There is nothing worse than your basket display falling over on itself because the cellophane is too thin a grade to support a heavier product.

With these four basic tips you should be well on your way to making a memorable Christmas Hamper or gift basket. Of course, like all handmade goods, a hamper is a reflection of your personal style and taste, so do take the extra effort to give your creation a unique touch. And have fun. Making Gift Baskets should be all about fun and sharing!

Christmas Hampers - Best Gifts Ideas for 2011

2011-12-04T18:01:00.001+11:00

Every Family has them, everyone knows one, and we all struggle to find just the right Christmas Gift each year - the person who has everything. And be realistic, a gift voucher just isn't good enough when you want to make a personal, thoughtful expression of your feelings. So you scour the malls and browse online, looking for something a little left of centre for your hard to buy for friend. And guess what? Here is my secret tip for the holiday season - stop looking, here is the answer - a gift basket or gourmet hamper!

Let's set the scene - your friend is established, has a well stocked home and all sorts of odds and ends and doesn't really want for anything. And you arrive for your holiday drinks with a handmade gift basket filled with a selection of her favourite foods, pamper items and some cute hobby accessories. The perfect gift with a tantalising immediacy and personalized to suit her exact likes and preferences.

Or, better yet, you have arranged for a Gourmet Fruit Hamper to be delivered to her house in the days before Christmas so she will be able to share the products with her family and guests over the holiday period. And you write a memorable little ditty to accompany the personal greeting card which is enclosed with the gift. Again, it's sharing the perfect gift, with a truly meaningful twist.

Inspiration can come from any of your previous experiences with your friend, like particular tastes and flavours she likes - simply buy a gourmet sampler with these condiments in mind and you will have created a valued, original gift for her without being lazy. And that's what it is all about when you come down to it, we all remember the little gifts that have that extra something that touches our heart. Perhaps not the biggest or the most expensive, but the gift with the most thought.

In my years as a gift professional, I recall several instances where an executive client received a particularly well thought out gourmet hamper designed and packed by our staff with extensive consultation with the people who knew him well. It was a real knockout to hear the amazing feedback once he was presented with the gift. This demonstrates that careful planning, attention to quirky personal details, and trusting the actual hamper build to the professionals can result in a truly awesome impact.

Still not convinced that gourmet hampers or gift baskets are the ideal gift for the person who has everything? What if I told you adding a range of food, condiments and taste products like coffee, chocolate, wine, beer, champagne, and jars will make the gift not just something focused on her experience, but on her next dinner party or family occasion, when she will be able to share the products? That's when the gift becomes something entirely more than just about the recipient, and the focus shifts to sharing, caring ad family. And that, after all, is what Christmas is all about.

Consider sharing a gift hamper with your hard to buy for friends this Christmas and see how well like your choice is. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Happy Christmas Fruit Baskets

2011-11-30T11:15:00.000+11:00

What's more, a fruit hamper can get your personal message of condolence or recovery across direct to the recipient. Obviously, making a delivered gift decision other than flowers is easy - next time choose a Fruit Basket.

Choosing the type of Fruit Basket that matches your occasion is important, so take some time to assess what your recipient would prefer. Sometimes a general fruit selection is best, other times you may decide to specify exactly what types of fruit you would like to make up the fruit hamper. For example, soft fruits and easy to cut up fruits will suit an older recipient.

Consider what container you would prefer the fruit basket to be placed in. Some suggestions other than the basket, should be just as light and easy to carry with a built in handle. Bowls, plates and boxes are used to contain the fruit hamper, and these can add extra value and utility to the gift as they are useful in the kitchen long after the occasion has passed. My personal favourite is the wooden box, that has a delightful rustic earthy feel, and makes for a handy box for carrying barbeque equipment.

It is also worth having in mind what the occasion is and how the recipient will make use of the Fruit basket once it is delivered. A bereavement fruit hamper will be best suited as a sharing gift for drop in visitors to the mourning family. In this case plenty of easy to eat by hand fruit makes the best gift, instead of cut fruit. Likewise, for a baby gift idea a fruit basket would be ideal filled with grapes ad smaller fruits for children and the new mother to share.

Whatever the occasion, fruit baskets make a thoughtful, personal gift for delivery, especially when flowers are not an option. Surprise yourself and your friends and family with a fruit basket next time you are part of a life event and delight in the simple, healthy goodness of fresh fruit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6627651

Christmas Wine and Cheese Hampers

2011-11-27T05:29:00.000+11:00

Making Christmas Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets is simple...

Some background on cheese...

Cheese is made from the curds (solids) of cow, sheep or goat milk, which are separated from the whey and ripened, according to Stephanie Alexander in her Cook’s Companion. With different processing styles, additives and curing methods, there is virtually no limit to the variety and taste spectrum that can be achieved. Farmhouse cheese is cheese that has been made on a farm with milk from that farm exclusively.

Will Stud, Australia’s sole member of France’s Guilde des Fromagers, suggests nine categories of cheeses.
Blue - Ripen from the inside out and moulds are injected. Think roquefort and gorgonzola
Cooked – low moisture content, long shelf life. Think parmesan, gruyere, emmental.
Fresh – uncured, unripened. Think ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella, marscapone
Goats – Distinctive taste, sprinkled with ash. Think Chevre.
Processed – ripening is halted by heat treatment for uniformity. Think supermarket.
Semi-hard – treated at lower temp and matured for 4-12 mths. Think cheddar, raclette.
Sheeps – Traditional Ethnic cheeses. Think fetta, roquefort.
Surface-Ripened Washed Rind – curd is pressed and dipped in brine alternately.
Surface-Ripened White Mould – Mould grows on surface and develops in. Think Brie, Camembert.
Preparing the Cheese Platter
Stephanie Alexander advises to be selective with your cheese for the platter. If you have a single perfectly ripe cheese do not bother adding to the selection – one fine tasting is far superior to a motley jumble of dried out pieces. Far better to have one fine experience than a confusion of inferior choices.

Tips
- Remove the cheese from the fridge prior to serving – let the cheese come to room temperature.
- Don’t feel obliged to serve cut kiwi fruit or unripe hard strawberries with the cheese platter – they do nothing to improve the experience.
- Grapes present well on the platter and are a sweet balance.
- Fig Jam is a great spread on crusty bread in between
- Crusty Bread works best with the cheese platter – sourdough bread with dense crumb and chewy crust makes for a satisfying compliment.

Wine for the Cheese Platter
The general rule, according to Stephanie Alexander, is the lighter the cheese, the lighter the wine. Don’t necessarily think that you always have to serve a dry, full bodied red wine.
A sticky dessert wine sits well with a creamy blue cheese.

Christmas Gift Baskets make the ideal birthday present for a person who has everything. Gourmet hampers make for a pleasant surprise that keeps giving for long after the occasion, as there is no rush to open and sample all of the jars and bottles in the gift. For more tips and advice on gourmet gifts, call 1300 284 684.

Corporate Christmas Hampers

2011-11-23T13:03:00.000+11:00

Tips for Effective and Appreciated
Corporate Christmas Gifts

Sharing Corporate Christmas Gifts amongst you business associates can be a hit and miss affair if you do not consider your recipient, the gift itself, and presentation of the gift. A well thought out gift can be a crucial repeat and referral business trigger, ensuring your name is top of mind when your business niche is required. Just as importantly, the presentation and appearance of the gift can make or break the whole process, as a strikingly put together gift can impress beyond your expectations. Your Corporate Christmas Gifts should be appreciated, effective and memorable so your recipient feels special, and your name is connected with a favorable event.

Your recipient obviously has a range of personal interests and preferences, and although it is important to have these in mind, it is also wise not to cater too specifically to these likes. For example, an avid golfer may prefer a golf themed gift, but it would not go down well with the rest of the team if it were just one gift across the whole department.

So knowing general tastes is best, and indulging those favourites will be pleasantly acknowledged - instead of targeting a specific hobby or pastime that they will already have accessories to. Buying a gourmet food hamper for corporate Christmas Gifts makes for an effective and memorable present as it caters for the niche where the individual is pampered and indulged with bespoke foods, condiments and chocolates. And enthusiasts of all types will appreciate the attention to detail and boutique quality of fine handmade foods and condiments.

With corporate gift giving, there ultimately comes the moment when the gifts are delivered to the place of business and, before they are shared amongst the staff, the boxes are noticed, perhaps in the foyer. This is the first stage of the gift experience, where a well made shipping box, with the hamper company's corporate logo, conveys a certain anticipation and expectation of quality. The next stage is opening the box and seeing the gourmet hamper, packed for presentation as a gift basket, wrapped under cellophane, with ribbon and bow. This can be the make or break moment, where the items in the gift basket, the wrapping and the overall impression can either make lips curl up into a smile, or brows furrow in confusion.

With a well-chosen corporate Christmas gift, your recipient will feel valued, will see the gift as an effective confirmation of the value of your ongoing business relationship, and will ultimately share the products of the gourmet hamper amongst friends and family over the holiday period. Nothing can over estimate the value of an effective gift basket at this special time of year. And that is what and effective and memorable corporate Christmas Hampers makes for you, a lasting impression that your relationship is both worthy of sharing a quality gift experience, and valued for the future.

Buying Christmas Hampers Online - The Checklist.

2011-11-21T17:43:00.000+11:00

Buying Christmas Gifts Online - A Handy Checklist

You go online to buy a gift for a loved one - because it is quick, simple and hassle free. But there are a lot of websites out there and you might not be confident placing your order. So here's a simple checklist with some easy to note indicators of whether a website is reputable or not, and what to expect when dealing with an online business to ensure your order is delivered as requested. What makes a delivered gift hamper from an online store different is that the recipient is distinct from the person who orders the gift. Whilst much of the hype about internet scams and fake businesses is indeed hype, there are some easy to spot identifiers of a genuine website.

1. Read the about us page. The About Us page is like the profile or account page for the business. For sure it will still have a certain measure of sales pitch and marketing talk, but also useful information on the business. An email address should be available to answer your queries. Other information should detail the physical location of the business, the owners and the history they have with the business and industry, and even some history of business. Scant information might well be a sign that the business is less than reputable, so be mindful that the business should be willing to share these details.

2. Does the business have a physical address and phone number? Although you are buying online and expecting delivery by courier, a website offering an address and location instils confidence even if it is a warehouse that does not welcome walk up customers. As a online business owner with a warehouse, we are certainly don't encourage customers to visit our warehouse, as we do simply not have sales staff or a showroom, and the product is not displayed at all. There is not much to sell about looking at shelves full of cardboard boxes! But it is re assuring to know that the business does have an address you can perhaps visit to resolve any disputes should they arise.

3. Does the business have a privacy policy? A Privacy Policy is an important indicator of a business's professional code of conduct, and acts as a safeguard that your credit card details will not be shared or given to outside sources. Further, a privacy policy acts as a guard against spamming your email inbox, as your correspondence email will not be shared or on-sold to other businesses. Beyond this, a well written policy acts as to protect the delivery address of the recipient from being shared - which is something that the recipient has definitely not agreed to share.

4. Does the business have a delivery policy? Confirmation of delivery time, delivery address, and delivery costs is important prior to placing your order. With delivery time, it is preferable to have written confirmation that the order will be despatched within a day or so of being received by the business.
Likewise, confirming that the estimated delivery time to the recipient's address is indeed what the website copy says is reassuring. In my experience, guaranteeing a delivery will arrive by a certain date is more difficult to predict the further the package has to travel. So if you can, aim to use a gift delivery service as close to the recipient's address as possible. Steer clear of businesses that have a vague or indistinct delivery policy, as often any confusion over terms and conditions will be at your expense.
Also, it is worth noting the difference between despatched, shipped and delivered. Despatched and shipped mean the product has been packaged and put out for a third party courier, whist delivered means the product has arrived at the delivery address.

5. Does the business have a substitution or variation policy? When you are buying a gift for delivery online, it is often the case that the item may be oversold or out of stock. In this case, the business will either substitute a like product of similar value, or hold over the order for confirmation from you. I prefer the idea of sending a substitute of like goods, as holding over the order can mean chasing up the customer (you) and lead to significant delays in getting the gift shipped. This is especially important for time based gifts like birthdays, or fruit baskets to hospitals.

6. Credit Cards - Of course, the big safety issue is having a secure online encrypted handling of your credit card details. But much more than this, look for easily recognised banking symbols, and test the link. If backed by a big bank or financial institution, the website is fine to do business with.

Certainly ordering a one off gift online is a different experience for most of us, and by taking advantage of these handy tips you should be able to make your own experience risk free and ensured of delivering a memorable gift. Listen to your instincts, follow the recommendations on social media, and most of all, enjoy yourself - having a Christmas gift hamper shopping experience can be a journey of discovery and finding new things that appeal to both you and your recipients.

Murphy, B. P. (2011, October 23). Buying Gift Hampers Online - A Handy Checklist. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Buying-Gift-Hampers-Online---A-Handy-Checklist&id=6645453

Christmas Gift Baskets - Make Your Own

2011-11-20T16:13:00.002+11:00

Making a gift hamper visually appealing is much more than just piling products into a basket. Product combination, theme, color schemes, basket balance, fillers and stuffing, wrapping, and finally ribbons and bows are all factors in making the perfect gift basket. If you need to make a gift hamper for an occasion and have no previous experience, follow this easy to read guide to make your own. Whilst making a hamper is simple with some experience, there are also some timeless tips to get everything just right, and here's the place to find out.


An impressive new hamper featuring Fig and Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar! Yum!

1. Basket and Balance
The first thing to consider is the basket itself and the balance of the products in it once assembled. The general idea is to have the products balanced towards the front side of the basket, which means there is a natural tendency for the basket to fall forward once it is made. So to counter this fill the base of the basket with densely packed filler, like shredded paper densely packed, or sand in resealable bags, or styrofoam peanuts.
Having a steady base makes for more creative freedom when you are assembling your products - and you'll see why in a moment.

2. Colors and Combinations
Browsing around online, you will notice that many commercial gift baskets offer color themed options, that go a long way towards lending an impression of professionalism and just looking right. One of the key considerations, which can be difficult to match, is having a color theme. Simply keep in mind that matching together similar tones and colors in the hamper means that the whole impression will be of subtle togetherness. This means labels, logos and packaging of the products, because although it may be your least likely consideration, having a harmonious color combination can literally distinguish great from just good.

3. Jars and Bottles
A food hamper will always have jars and bottles in it, and the trick is to avoid glass rattle and glass touch - both can be early indicators that the glass will break in transit. Other than this it is important to simply have the jars and bottles arranged so they sit tight and won't fall over whilst the basket is being carried. A clever design tip is to place bubble wrap where two items may touch, so they you never have glass exposed to glass, which is likely to crack or break. Other tips are to keep the glass products surrounded by non-glass products so there other products act as buffers and absorb the bumps and shocks of transit.

4. Wrapping with Cellophane
The first thing you notice about crisp cellophane wrapped hamper from a heat shrunk wrapped hamper is the shiny gloss of the cellophane. So although some commercial gift basket operations will use matt heat shrink wrapping, stick to the traditional cellophane wrap. The shine is priceless in terms of appeal and impact for the recipient. Further, it pays to have the crisp, heavier weight cellophane for wrapping as this too makes all the difference with holding itself together and working to maintain the shape and posture of the basket. There is nothing worse than your basket display falling over on itself because the cellophane is too thin a grade to support a heavier product.

With these four basic tips you should be well on your way to making a memorable gift basket or hamper. Of course, like all handmade goods, a hamper is a reflection of your personal style and taste, so do take the extra effort to give your creation a unique touch. And have fun. Making Gift Baskets should be all about fun and sharing!

Murphy, B. P. (2011, October 23). Gift Baskets and Hampers You Can Make Yourself. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Gift-Baskets-and-Hampers-You-Can-Make-Yourself&id=6644658

Wine Baskets for Christmas Gifts

2011-11-19T17:53:00.003+11:00

A Wine Basket is much more than simply a presentation of one or two bottles of wine as a gift basket. At a basic level, a wine basket can be merely the wine in a box, but there are many more creative and visually appealing options to impress your recipient with, from ready to open champagne celebration gift baskets, to gourmet wine appreciation hampers, to the cheese and wine sampler pack. A wine basket can be a complete gift experience with complimentary items to heighten the whole moment of receiving a wine basket - elevating the moment of sharing to a truly memorable and meaningful occasion.

An evergreen wine basket concept is that of the Champagne Celebration. The Champagne Celebration is a gourmet gift experience comprising champagne (of course!), two champagne flutes stuffed with twist wrap chocolates, a box of gourmet crackers, and all presented in a silver service ice bucket. The gifting concept is to give a champagne experience that is available for instant use, like having an ice bucket with champagne delivered by room service. This solves the dilemma of what to put in a wine basket by moving away from the idea of a basket completely and making the receptacle a feature of the gift idea as an ice bucket.

Wine baskets can be at their most affordable as a simple wooden display box with a single bottle of wine presented on wood shavings with a cellophane wrap and bow. This is certainly cost effective and meets client demands in terms of price point and being a wine gift idea, but it does not say much for creativity or meeting individual client preferences. However, in the case of a particularly superior bottle of wine, it is this subtle understated simplicity that can convey a certain classic style.

For more thorough wine experience, we have had quite remarkable success sharing a wine appreciation gourmet hamper, which presents the recipient with much more than just a couple of bottles of wine. For starters, the wines are from the same vineyard, so the impression is of receiving a taste of the vine from this estate only, with two premium wine varietals being offered. In most cases we would offer a Semillon and a Shiraz, although depending on the demands of the client it would not be unusual for a sparkling wine to be paired with a botrytis dessert wine.

Key to the wine basket is flexibility and being able to meet the specific client demands as they arise. The wine appreciation hamper is popular because it combines a generous two or three bottle sampling from the estate with a range of easy to share accompaniments that are well suited to the wine experience. Like cheeses, handmade crackers and crisp breads, and pates and pastes. Bringing this all together again elevates the simple idea of products in a box to a more experiential level, where the wine basket is indeed a gourmet hamper.

Always remember there is plenty of scope for adding wine tools, cheese boards and knives, and other accessories that would heighten the experience. I guess what we are promoting is the idea that a wine basket can be much more than simply wine in a basket. It can easily be an experience, shared amongst friends. And after all, isn't that the best way to enjoy wine anyway?

Murphy, B. P. (2011, October 25). What to Put in a Wine Basket. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?What-to-Put-in-a-Wine-Basket&id=6648769

The Gourmet Hamper - Regional Produce in a Box

2011-11-18T17:23:00.001+11:00

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 a 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.

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 18, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Regional-Produce-in-a-Box---The-Gourmet-Hamper&id=6647513

Worst Christmas Gifts Ever - My List.

2011-10-30T09:52:00.003+11:00

Buying an affordable and appropriate Christmas Gift is not the hardest thing in the world - so how come we've all experienced a forgettable gift during the holiday season? Maybe my personal bad gifts have been because I over thought the whole thing and should have just gone with gut instinct. But in saying that, going for the no brainer and sending a gift card or coupon is just plain thoughtless. So here it is, my list of worst ever Christmas Gifts - I must admit I actually bought one for a family member, the other two were, unfortunately, give to me.

Electronic Santa Gifts. Three words that should never go together I think, just like the electronic things that said Santa actually does. Here's a basic rule I guess, if Santa does something when you put batteries in the back and push the switch to ON, there is probably a reason for the Christmas Gift to be on the worst gifts list. I have seen a climbing mountaineer Santa, a flying trapeze Santa, a Santa with sunglasses that said a funny catchphrase when you got too close. Anyway, basic rule holds true, Santa does not need batteries - period.

Art is a personal gift idea. Certainly, Art is a magnificent prompt to ponder the meaning of life and appreciate the intricate design of the universe, but as a gift it is pretentious, opinionated and very likely to elicit raised eyebrows. You see, Art is one of the most personal gifts you could imagine, so for me to offer you a print of abstract wildflowers and you to actually appreciate the idea is not even remotely likely. More to the point, you would politely hand back the art and suggest it might look better on someone else's wall. I haven't received art yet, but I have given it and they don't talk about it much, so I guess it wasn't appreciated.

Discount Office Supplies bought Gift Baskets. You know the ones - small baskets filled with cheap 7 Eleven chocolates, and a candy cane and some wafer biscuits and under plastic with a little basket? I'm not sure if it was because I was working at a factory and things weren't going so well for the boss, but come Christmas, the pay clerk stood us all in line and handed out a little basket with this stuff in it to all the floor employees. The Gift Basket still had the Discount Office Supplies sticker on the underside. Surely the worst gift ever!

Another worst Christmas Gift Idea is the coupon or store voucher. They force you to select a gift from a specified store, almost worst than just flipping some cash. And just a touch more thought goes into it as well. So the worst Christmas Gift Idea ever is the Gift Voucher.

When you are thinking of Christmas Gifts, avoid my list of the worst ever and take a little time to make a meaningful, memorable Christmas Gift. There is so much out there, it really is no excuse for making the worst ever gift ideas list.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Worst-Christmas-Gifts-Ever!&id=6655765

Christmas Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything

2011-10-27T21:40:00.000+11:00

Every Family has them, everyone knows one, and we all struggle to find just the right Christmas Gift each year - the person who has everything. And be realistic, a gift voucher just isn't good enough when you want to make a personal, thoughtful expression of your feelings. So you scour the malls and browse online, looking for something a little left of centre for your hard to buy for friend. And guess what? Here is my secret tip for the holiday season - stop looking, here is the answer - a gift basket or gourmet hamper!

Let's set the scene - your friend is established, has a well stocked home and all sorts of odds and ends and doesn't really want for anything. And you arrive for your holiday drinks with a handmade gift basket filled with a selection of her favourite foods, pamper items and some cute hobby accessories. The perfect gift with a tantalising immediacy and personalized to suit her exact likes and preferences.

Or, better yet, you have arranged for a gourmet hamper to be delivered to her house in the days before Christmas so she will be able to share the products with her family and guests over the holiday period. And you write a memorable little ditty to accompany the personal greeting card which is enclosed with the gift. Again, it's sharing the perfect gift, with a truly meaningful twist.

Inspiration can come from any of your previous experiences with your friend, like particular tastes and flavours she likes - simply buy a gourmet sampler with these condiments in mind and you will have created a valued, original gift for her without being lazy. And that's what it is all about when you come down to it, we all remember the little gifts that have that extra something that touches our heart. Perhaps not the biggest or the most expensive, but the gift with the most thought.

In my years as a gift professional, I recall several instances where an executive client received a particularly well thought out gourmet hamper designed and packed by our staff with extensive consultation with the people who knew him well. It was a real knockout to hear the amazing feedback once he was presented with the gift. This demonstrates that careful planning, attention to quirky personal details, and trusting the actual hamper build to the professionals can result in a truly awesome impact.

Still not convinced that gourmet hampers or gift baskets are the ideal gift for the person who has everything? What if I told you adding a range of food, condiments and taste products like coffee, chocolate, wine, beer, champagne, and jars will make the gift not just something focused on her experience, but on her next dinner party or family occasion, when she will be able to share the products? That's when the gift becomes something entirely more than just about the recipient, and the focus shifts to sharing, caring ad family. And that, after all, is what Christmas is all about.

Consider sharing a gift hamper with your hard to buy for friends this Christmas and see how well like your choice is. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Fruit Basket Delivery

2011-10-24T14:40:00.002+11:00

Sending a Get Well Gift to a friend or family member other than flowers is no longer a difficult decision once you know all about Fruit baskets. Fruit Baskets are healthy, fresh, colourful and make the perfect sharing gift for a workplace or family get together. Instead of a still bunch of flowers, sharing a selection of the freshest seasonal fruit, presented in a re-usable wicker basket, and delivered right to your door makes for a convenient and edible gift idea. What's more, a fruit hamper can get your personal message of condolence or recovery across direct to the recipient. Obviously, making a delivered gift decision other than flowers is easy - next time choose a Fruit Basket.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6627651

Picnic For Two Hampers

2011-10-21T10:24:00.000+11:00

Here is a great Hamper to share amongst your family and friends.

The Picnic For Two Hamper sure makes a great gift idea and Corporate Thank You.

Christmas Hampers for Office Parties

2011-09-23T11:07:00.000+10:00

Christmas Parties for your end of year Office Do can be difficult to manage and run the real risk of causing real employee grief once there is alcohol involved.

Instead, follow what the established companies do, offer a gourmet hamper filled with quality sharing treats for the whole family and encourage your staff to take the gift off premises where they can let their hair down without worrying if Mike from Accounts will be watching.

Seasonal Fruit Hampers

2011-09-19T16:35:00.000+10:00

Seasonal Fruit Hampers make great corporate gifts for delivery across Newcastle, Sydney and New South Wales.

With Fruit coming into season across the fresh fruit growing regions of Australia, now is the perfect time to make a generous impression with a striking fruit basket for delivery as the ideal affordable gift idea.

Christmas Hampers 2011

2011-09-13T20:07:00.002+10:00

Let's get it right, make a niche impression, and REALLY get your Christmas Hampers for 2011 the Best Ever!

If you haven't tried us, join our list of ASX200, National Companies who trust their Christmas Impression with us, and use us year in year out. New tastes, New varieties, and best of all, that question from your guests over the Christmas break - "Wow, that's delicious - where'd you find this?"

Chocolate Gift Delivery

2011-08-19T17:48:00.000+10:00

Chocolate is a really popular gift idea at Hunter Valley Hampers. Chocolate transcends all the barriers of age, gender, race, color, religion, language and nationality. Show a person who does not enjoy eating chocolates.

History

First chocolate house opened in London in 1657.
Physician and collector Hans Sloane developed milk chocolate drink in Jamaica in 1689, which was later sold to Cadbury brothers.
In 1700, mechanical mills were used to squeeze out cocoa butter that was used to make hard durable chocolate.
The modern process of making chocolates was developed after the industrial revolution.
New machines were manufactured and the product chocolate was sold throughout the world as a much liked product.

Process

Cocoa is produced from cacao trees.
Trees grow the pods containing in it the cocoa beans.
Once the pods are fully ripe, they are harvested by cutting them from the trees.
Beans are removed from the pods.
Beans are placed in bins to ferment which gives them the famous chocolate taste.
The beans are then quickly dried.
Beans are transported to chocolate manufacturing site.
Beans are cleaned, roasted and graded.
Shells are removed to extract the nib.
Nibs are now ground that releases and melts the cocoa butter producing chocolate liquor.
Chocolate liquor is processed to give cocoa solids and cocoa butter which are used to make chocolates by mixing milk powder or condensed milk and sugar.

Production of Cocoa Beans

Around 70% of world's cocoa is produced in Western Africa.
Around 50 million people in the world are employed around the production of cocoa.
Three most dominant chocolate makers are: Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Archer Danilels Midland Company.

Types of Chocolates

Dark chocolate.
Milk chocolate.
White chocolate.

Caution for Storing Chocolates

Chocolates are sensitive to heat and moisture.
Therefore, take care to store the chocolates.
Keep them in refrigerator.
Ideal temperature for storage: around 17 degrees centigrade.
Ideal relative humidity: less than 50%.
Do not store them near other food items. Chocolates may absorb the aroma of other food items.
Keep the chocolates properly wrapped.

Advantages and Dis-advantages of Eating Chocolates

Gives pleasure.
Dark chocolate is good for circulatory system.
Brain stimulator.
Anticancer.
Cough preventer.
Antidiarrhoeal.
Taken in large quantity, results in obesity.
It may be addictive.

Welcome to Hunter Valley Hampers

2011-08-18T10:56:00.001+10:00

We have been in business since 1988 offering our world famous (yes 38% of our orders are from overseas) Hunter Valley Hampers to thrilled customers to share with family friends and business associates alike.

Here's a tip, go straight to our Gourmet Hampers or Fruit Baskets pages and make the simple decision right now to send a tasteful gift - or call 1300 284 684 direct to speak with one of our hamper makers live. International callers please dial 612 49689733 to connect.

Once you have had a look at our selection, be sure to note that we offer a diverse range of products, most likely unlike the run of the mill products you will see on virtually every other site out there. And we took this risk way back when we started, we didn't want to be just another mirror site promoting the bland sameness of it all, we wanted to be different. And memorable. And focused on our local providores.

We're confident you will be impressed with our stand-out quality, our unique gift combinations, and our classic timeless gift baskets.

So whether you are a returning corporate customer, or a first timer who has been referred by a friend, you can be confident you will receive first class service and attention to detail at Hunter Valley Hampers.

Father's Days Gifts Online

2011-08-16T06:05:00.000+10:00

Searching for the perfect Father's Day Gift Online?

Father's Day is a great time to re connect with your family and share a meaningful gift with each other. And this definitely does not mean trotting out the ubiquitous socks and jocks - this is a gift opportunity, not a chore!

Feel inspired to choose a delicious gourmet gift from Hunter Valley Hampers. And with delivery direct to your door, a Hunter Valley Hampers gift is truly a personal experience.

Beer and Food Matching Guide

2011-07-28T16:27:00.001+10:00

For far too long, if you asked a waitperson in an Australian Restaurant
what drink to match with a particular dish, she'd bring over the wine list and a wine bottle negotiation would ensue.

But in the last few years, there's been a paradigm shift: Beer has made it onto the menu as more than an afterthought. Beverage directors, chefs, and even wine lovers have learned that beer has an amazing capacity to pair with all kinds of foods.

As a result, beer sommeliers have popped up in cities across the country. Beer-and-food tasting events have multiplied exponentially—the monthly lists at beerfestivals.org are enormous. Nowadays, asking for a beer no longer means you're simply afraid of wine (or the type of person who wears face paint to the footy)!

Beer may actually be more food-friendly than wine is. There is certainly more room for flavor variety. Winemakers, after all, have one ingredient to play with: grapes. Two, if you count wood barrel–aging.

Beermakers, on the other hand, can experiment with barley (which adds sweetness), hops (which provide bitterness), yeast (which lend that characteristic "bready" flavor), as well as spices, nuts, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables. Have you tried framboise (raspberry) or pumpkin beer, yet?

Common Beers
Ideal food matches and related recipes are below.

Ale:

Pair with: Burgers; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food; nutty food; fried food; pizza; steaks; cheeses.

Bock beer:

Pair with: Gruyère, Emmental, and Swiss cheeses; Cajun food; jerk chicken; beef; sausage; seared foods.

Fruit beer:

Pair with: Mascarpone cheese; light white meat; foods driven by herbs and spices; duck and pork dishes with sweet components; pickled dishes; salads with fruity dressings; fruity desserts.

Lager:

Pair with: Shellfish; light seafood; sushi; grilled pork and chicken; not-too-heavy pasta dishes (without cream or meat sauces); Southeast Asian food; ; Mexican food; spicy food.

Pilsner:

Pair with: American cheese; Muenster, Havarti, and Monterey Jack cheeses; salads; light seafood; salmon; tuna; trout; asparagus; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food.

Porter:

Pair with: Smoked foods; barbecue; sausage; rich stews; meats; bacon; chili; braised dishes.

Stout:

Pair with: Roasted foods; smoked foods; barbecued/grilled foods; salty foods; oysters; rich stews; braised dishes; chocolate; desserts (ideally the beer is sweeter than the dish).

Wheat Beer :

Pair with: Light soups and salads; vegetarian dishes; sushi; Gruyère cheese and Feta/goat cheese; sweet and fruity Asian dishes; citrus-flavored dishes, including dessert and salad dressings.

Here's how to make the right choice sending fruit hampers.

Fresh Fruit Baskets

2011-07-28T08:21:00.001+10:00

Don't you just love wandering through the French Quarter, chatting to the local providores about their produce and sampling some of the seasonal freshness?
Of course, Hunter Valley Hampers has cemented our reputation for the finest Fruit Baskets and Hampers in Newcastle and the surrounding region with yet another accolade.
You'd be plain silly to buy elsewhere.

Hunter Valley Hampers

2011-07-14T19:55:00.000+10:00

Thank you all for your kind wishes over the past few days - it has been a great time for us and we appreciate your thoughts and expressions of love - we truly do.

Thank you all, it makes such a difference when you support us and continue to make us feel so special and wanted. It is a true gift to us from you that we all share.

Thanks.

Sending Fruit Baskets and Fruit Hampers

2011-07-08T03:58:00.000+10:00

3 Tips for Sending a Fruit Baskets or Fruit Hamper?

First, here’s a simple checklist to make your job so much easier.

1. Have your delivery address details with you when you call. Do you have the exact delivery address and as much detail as possible, including any important information that might help the delivery person? Things like is there a dog at the residence, or the ward name and bed number, or a mobile phone contact of the recipient all go towards making the delivery run smoothly for the courier, and most importantly, for you so there is lees chance of missed-communication or confusion.

2. If possible have your message prepared before you call. if you have artistic flair and would like to share your message with your recipient in more detail than a simple Get Well Soon or Thinking of You it always pays to write out your message and edit it prior to making your order phone call. At Fruit Baskets Newcastle we appreciate it may be an emotional event for you and in all the hustle and bustle of organizing your delivery you may have overlooked one of the most important details – your personal message. Don’t worry, we can talk you through the process and offer advice.

3. We offer over 16 unique Fruit Basket designs, which is the largest range of Fruit Baskets and Fruit Hampers at an independent Australian retailer, something we are justly proud of and no doubt keeps us at number one year after year. So you may be overwhelmed with choice considering the popularity of the designs. So once again, we are here to help and you can be confident your suggestion for a custom Hamper will be met with a positive response. After all, it is a challenge ad a thrill to make your fruit basket just as you request!

So with this in mind we hope you will make the right decision and give Newcastle Fruit Baskets the opportunity to be your partner in a delivered fruit Hamper to your friend, co-worker or colleague.

How To Order A Corporate Gift Online for Delivery

2011-07-07T09:59:00.000+10:00

Ordering a Corporate Gift Online?

There are a few simple things to remember.

Have your preferred delivery date ready.

Have a space set aside in your office for Corporate Gift Storage - a spare room will do.

Have a specific idea of what you expect in your corporate gifts.

Making Gourmet Food and Wine Hampers.

2011-06-29T12:10:00.000+10:00

Making the perfect Gourmet Food and Wine Hamper is simple if you follow these three steps. Be sure to use locally made produce, ideally from a slow food source, with organic and natural ingredients. Take the time to put your gourmet food with a delightful Hunter Valley Wine, like our favorites shiraz and semillon. And finally, the finishing touch is a crisp fresh woven basket, with a sturdy handle so you can re use the basket to carry your picnic in the park.

Winter Warmers Are Gourmet Hampers

2011-06-15T12:45:00.000+10:00

Fantastic winter warmers - all from the comfort of your own desk - order online and send a taste. Forget parking, running through the rain, fumbling for change.
It's all here.

Darby Street Coffee and Chocolate Festival

2011-05-30T07:47:00.000+10:00

Curling up under a blanket with a good book? Or getting on down to Darby Street for a some fresh ground coffee and quality chocolate? Easy to make a Gourmet Hamper out of the plethora of available food items in the stall and shops along Darby Street.

Despite the grey skies and instinctive call to hibernate, it was well worth weathering the cool to do the Darby Street walk and catch up with some local shop owners and their products.

Music, food and plenty of familiar faces made it a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

What makes Our Business Different?

2011-05-11T09:47:00.001+10:00

“A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we keep putting great products in front of customers, they will continue to open their wallets” Steve Jobs

Over the years we have evolved from a prize basket workshop where we sold imported novelties to registered clubs for bingo prizes, assembled by teams of workers living with varying degrees of intellectual disability, through to a wholly online operation specializing in upper end gourmet hampers and corporate gifts.

In that time we have relocated six times, changed business owners four times, re focussed and re positioned ourselves at countless team meetings and strategy huddles and still we are not entirely content with our product. We love some key features, like

1. The Focus on Locally Made Hunter Valley foods, wines, condiments and fresh fruit direct from the Newcastle regional markets. This is a unique selling proposition we have that makes us stand head and shoulders above other competitors. For sure, they may have copied the concept and have a few regional products, but we dominate the niche for true loyal to local producers.

2. Customer Service.
We have developed a checklist of standards or each and every incoming call. This ensures the customer experience is consistent and the responses are measurable. A recent key area where we noticed we we failing our customers was in replying with invoice emails promptly, sometimes it was taking over a week for a client to receive a paid invoice email in her inbox. Now, we aim for a 24 hour turnaround.

By these two simple recent measures we have followed through on identified areas of weakness and set clearly defined targets for improvement, and whilst we may not have the resources of Apple and Steve Jobs, the incremental steps help us move closer to these goals.

Promoting Products on Your Blog!

2011-05-08T10:03:00.001+10:00

Had a great few days with the Grab One Promotion - it opened us up to so many new customers who might otherwise have not chosen to go with a local Fruit Basket Supplier. So many orders and some really positive feedback from the the recipients and senders it was a great way to end the week.

Here's what we came up with for future promotions.

Keep it simple and limit the offer to a single product

Initially we were preparing to offer a selection of hampers for the promotion. During post production one of the team suggested that it would be overwhelming and that customers would have so many ideas running through their heads, as well as competitor suggestions of the traditional favourites that they would move on.

This is like a brain explosion when the customer sees there are so many options, our promotional offer has not simplified the buying process at all, rather it has made it even harder!

So the conscientious shopper leaves the website and moves on without making a purchase! And we have missed a sale, even thought at the start of the process we engaged the buyer and she was ready to buy a hamper, just that she hadn't settled on the exact individual product.

So the tip is keep it simple - make your bestseller the suggestion and don't baffle the buyer with over the top marketing showing how clever you are and how wide your range is. Bottom line - the customer just wants to buy and get on with her life.!

Grab One Fruit Basket Deal Newcastle

2011-05-04T08:53:00.002+10:00

Hey, go on over to Grab One and check out our deal for the next 48 Hours only!
Fruit Baskets

Favourite Customer Feedback Post

2011-04-30T05:38:00.000+10:00

I appreciate this is a little self promotional, but it is just the greatest feeling, so I thought I'd share it with you. Just yesterday took a call late afternoon from a lovely lady down Bowral way (you know who you are!).

Her question? "We ordered a hamper of you guys last year and they just raved about it so we wanted to send another one - but I can't remember which one we sent," she gushed, "If I give you our name and the month we ordered it would you be able to remind me please?"

In no time I had sourced the previous order, we made alternative arrangements for a different design combination, and the order was placed.

Easy, simple, classic satisfied return customer. That is a great way to finish a Friday afternoon in my opinion!

Corporate Gift Giving

2011-04-14T17:45:00.001+10:00

OK, so you have responsibility for the upcoming Corporate Gifts for the Conference, Event or Success Meeting?

Do you look forward to this or see it as another PA chore where all you can expect is a cursory nod and maybe thats guy from accounts goes "yeah, the promotional umbrella was great when my car broke last winter."

Want something a little left of the middle, featuring premium quality items, that people will actually open and share?

Well, unlike the big three, Hunter Valley Hampers is proud to be number seven, and we are not lowering our standards or product integrity to get market saturation.

Since 1988 we have been used, off and on, by probably most of the largest Corporations in Australia. That may be a pretty big call, but I was going through our sales history when we were moving warehouse and it is not far off the mark.

You might want to ask "Well why don't you have pages and pages of the logos of all the firms you have supplied to and details of the jobs and reviews?" Well the answer unfortunately is simple - we used to, but we had to pull it down. Why? Because the businesses featured on our Client list were bombarded by our big three competition, and offered loss-making incentive deals to switch to our competitors.

Which, naturally, they did, even though many corporates still maintain links with us, and our contacts send through the spam emails they receive from the big competition. It's a very cut throat operation, this Corporate Gift Business!

Anyway, here's the point of this article.

We are totally restocked and ready for business! We are brimming with Hunter Valley Foods, Wines and Condiments; We have re-stocked our wooden boxes and display cases and wine hampers and they are all sitting here glistening in plastic wrapping! Just screaming out to be shared as Corporate Gifts.

So, here's our opwn little incentive from the Number 7 Corporate Gift Specialists.

When you place your order for $1500 before May 30 2011, we will send you a private (no-one need ever know) bottle of Moet Champagne. We'll call it our little incentive so no-one need know why you campaigned extra hard for Hunter Valley Hampers at the presentation - let's just say you liked the chutzpah of the little guy!

So go for it and don't forget to mention this offer when you order. Otherwise it stays a little secret!

Newborn Baby Gift Hampers In Newcastle

2011-03-29T19:32:00.000+11:00

Newborn baby gift hampers come in all different shapes and sizes. If you know someone who is about to have a baby, a gift hamper is a great way to let mother and baby know your feelings.

Before deciding on what type of basket you want to purchase, first find out if the mother is having a boy, girl, twins, triplets, etc.

Knowing the sex of the baby is not always possible. In that case, you can always stick to purchasing a neutral newborn gift. Since color is a huge factor, refrain from selecting any pinks or blues until you are certain of the sex of the child. If the mother is having a little girl, be sure to purchase a basket composed of lots of frills, pinks, yellows, lavenders and white along with some stuffed animals and other cute girly decorations.

If the mother is having a boy, choosing light blues, whites, yellows, browns, and greens would be an acceptable option. Trucks, tractors, cars, spaceships, frogs, etc. are all great decorations for a boy's gift.

Finally, ask the mother-to-be for her opinion. The key to making newborn baby gift baskets a huge surprise is to simply keep it that way - a surprise. The only thing you should be sure of is the sex of the child and how many there will be.

From there, consider the amount of money you have available to spend. Fortunately, you can find decorative baskets loaded down with goodies for less than $100.00. Many cost much less than $100.00 - the choice is ultimately up to you as to how much you spend.

Think about where you want to shop. Before rushing out to your nearest store, consider shopping online. Most local areas do not carry hampers and if they do, the prices are outrageous (just ask at Charlestown Square!!) Online, you will find varieties that contain all baby's bare essentials and more for a decent price.

Most hampers are based around a theme. Some of them include nothing more than a few stuffed animals, some picture frames, and diapers, while others include the entire package - diapers, wipes, rubber ducks, picture frames, bottles, and much more.

There are also gift hampers that are simply gifts that baby doesn't necessarily need, but are unique nonetheless. The most fun thing about purchasing newborn baby gift baskets is that there are tons of baskets to choose from. You'll find hampers containing towels, teddy bears, blankets, booties, keepsake hangers, socks, burp clothes, caps, rattlers, teething rings and much more.

Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar

2011-03-01T19:49:00.000+11:00

Balsamic Vinegar hails from an ancient recipe lost in the sands of time. In the meantime, we have been making it up for centuries and no-one has really complained so much. Until Now!!

So stay tuned for the next update...

Hill & River Foods

2011-02-25T17:31:00.000+11:00

Some new products locally made in the Hunter Valley for Gourmet Hampers Australia.
Try Hill & River Foods for some creative award winning food ideas. I am especially fond of their Roasted Pepper and Chunky Tomato Relish
Enjoy, till next time...

New and Inspired Barbeque Range of Gift Boxes

2011-02-18T10:39:00.000+11:00

So excited to share with you the new and inspired range of barbeque sauces, marinades and rubs we have made available. Pop on over and have a browse.

Burnt Fig Jam by Maggie Beer

2011-02-13T13:38:00.001+11:00

Just reviewing Maggie Beer's Burnt Fig Jam, since Figs are currently in season. A delightful tangy sweetness for all lovers of figs, and if you are new to figs, give this a try, definitely worth considering.

Also, have a look at other Maggie Beer products like her famous verjuice and tomato and sultana chutney.

Well worth waiting for.

Hampers

2010-12-08T14:58:00.002+11:00

More Christmas Hampers, ho, ho, ho.

Christmas Hampers as seen on the Today Show

2010-12-01T19:57:00.001+11:00

As featured on the Hunter Valley Hampers on the Today Show on Channel Nine.

Oprah visits the Hunter Valley

2010-12-01T17:39:00.000+11:00

Apparently (don't you just love that word?) Oprah is destined to visit the Hunter Valley on her Australian Tour.

Keep you posted.

Hamper Emporium

2010-12-01T17:36:00.001+11:00

The Hamper Emporium is Hunter Valley Hampers - in the true sense of the word - no less.

em·po·ri·um (m-pôr-m, -pr-)
n. pl. em·po·ri·ums or em·po·ri·a (-pôr-, -pr-)
1. A place where various goods are bought and sold; a marketplace.
2. A large retail store or place of business: a furniture emporium.

Thanks for the definition.

At Hunter Valley Hamper we have used the Hampers Logo for years and it has worked for us, so don't be confused.

155th Posting! Congratulations!

2010-11-24T17:49:00.000+11:00

Australia's Favorite Premium Christmas Hampers 2010
Can you believe we shared our 155th Posting?
Great to be a part of the blogosphere, and appreciate your support.

And still sharing Quality Christmas Hampers for Corporate Clients everyday.

Christmas Orders for Hampers Delivery

2010-11-22T21:11:00.000+11:00

Just pumped out another lovely Corporate Christmas Order.

We make EVERY HAMPER by hand, and what is even more remarkable, we include handmade food and condiments and design in every Hamper.

Come join us this year, just like XXXXXXX and XXXX XXXXXX who have made the switch to Hunter Valley Hampers. Call 1300 284 684.

Chrisco Hampers

2010-11-22T21:06:00.000+11:00

Not looking good when they start charging fees for cancelling orders...

Christmas Hampers - Bulk Orders are Going Crazy!!

2010-11-19T19:47:00.001+11:00

Having a great lead into Christmas 2010, with enough clients realizing the stark contrast between "Crap in a Basket" and a Premium Gourmet Hamper.

Here's some images to keep you satisfied...

Just threw these first few as a teaser - here's our newest venture, making our fourth vintage our Hunter Valley Shiraz. It has been a tumultuous few years, especially the torpor of 2008, but with some luck we are emerging for the 2010 vintage in a much wiser, more calm position. Anyway, here's some of the French Oak Barrels.

Bottling 500+ cases of wine requires some infrastructure. You should see the gang in full work mode manning these stations!

The 2010 vintage days after harvest. A gorgeous Hunter Valley Shiraz that has settled and matured as expected.

Another load of Christmas 2010 Hampers delivered, personally, to your business.

Have a look at the quality inclusions and professional hand wrap on these Hampers.

Hunter Valley Hampers

The convenience of the Hyundai iLoad, with twin side sliding doors, makes Hamper delivery simple.

Another Corporate Order for Christmas Hampers

Day in day out at this time of year.


One of the "Little Helpers"

A custom hamper made for one of the many corporates who trust us with their large orders. We welcome you to give us the opportunity to quote on you brief and we offer a marked point of difference - NO imported "Crap in a Basket" Just simply local made Gourmet Food and Condiments, Hand assembled in the Hunter Valley.

Traditional Christmas Hampers

2010-11-12T18:20:00.000+11:00

Image via Wikipedia

Traditional Christmas Hampers are such a popular choice for all kinds of business and corporate Gift Occasions, and Hunter Valley Hampers have established an enviable reputation as award winning market leaders.

Choose from a Create Your Own Hamper option or rely o our years of experience since 1988 to make a selection for you. Often, clients simply say "Do whatever it is you do, I've heard you are the best" and we fulfill their wishes.

Christmas Hampers at Hunter Valley Hampers.

Christmas Hampers 2010

2010-11-09T17:45:00.001+11:00

New Christmas Hampers and Gifts for the 2010 Christmas hampers Season. Read the New Article.

Christmas Hampers

2010-11-05T20:36:00.000+11:00

Christmas Hampers and Xmas Gifts are such a part of the whole experience for a traditional Australian Experience of Christmas.

Homemade Christmas Gifts

2010-10-29T16:45:00.000+11:00

Sometimes sending a handmade Christmas Gift is simply not possible. That's when a Hamper is the perfect gift for delivery.

Christmas Hampers

2010-10-29T16:37:00.000+11:00

Here is a story about the Christmas Hamper. Gift Giving is made effortless with 100% Australian made Hunter Valley Food and Wine.

Hampers for Christmas Gifts

2010-10-12T17:39:00.000+11:00

Moet Champagne and Chocolates

Such a wonderful time of year, it is so busy I have struggled to find the time to post a blog. But here it is.
Firstly, we would like to share our feature in The Newcastle Herald where we were nominated amongst the favourite Online Stores for Food and Wine Gourmet in the Hunter Valley. We are so proud of this achievement and it is testament to Kacy, Brendan and the team that we keep being considered for such accolades.

Next, we have launched our Christmas Campaign and are already preparing quotes and filling briefs with many of Australia's largest Corporations. It is a pleasure to deal with such experienced and professional teams and again we learn so much from interacting with our clients at the process and protocols of maintaining a large client base.

Please feel confident you will be able to access experienced corporate administration staff and procedures at Hunter Valley Hampers. Also, at this time of year we recognise your planning with healthy bulk order discounts.

Christmas Indulgence Hampers

Lets chat before we do the deal and ensure you don't have to settle for over-priced, imported, overly-packaged products full of preservatives. Like I said to a customer today, have a look at our competitors product range, and tell me you couldn't buy all that grocery product at your local Coles.
No wonder people send a gift card for groceries instead of a gift basket when it has John West Smoked Oysters and a can of Coke in it! Puhleese!

Final words - SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN stores, suppliers, producers and especially the farm gate producers from the Hunter Valley. Call 1300 284 684 to order a fresh, Hamper made to order.

Wife and Daughters

2010-09-11T22:31:00.001+10:00

http://huntervalleyhampers.blogspot.com/2010/08/baby-gifts-for-delivery-and-above-all.html

Such a curious time for me and my daughters and wife.

Jazz in the Vines October 2010

2010-08-31T14:17:00.002+10:00

Come by yourself or grab some friends and join in this party that we call Jazz in the Vines, come in fancy dress (plenty do), bring a blanket or a deck chair, settle back and relax or dance till you drop, the choice is yours. One thing is for certain, there will be plenty of great Hunter Valley food and wine to enjoy, lots of people to meet and good time to enjoy.

Baby Gifts for Delivery and Privacy.

2010-08-27T16:51:00.002+10:00

It is a thrilling time when someone you are close to has a new baby, and you want to make contact with them, but you are sensitive to the needs of the family for some down time.

Baby Bubbles Hamper $80

Some space and a little time to adjust to the new routine.
Let alone their home has already been visited and re visited and people from all their friendships and families have seen the new parents bleary eyed and in their pyjamas.

A thoughtful baby gift basket is a better way to share in the excitement without getting in the way. You can visit later, when everyone is more settled, but a baby gift basket full of helpful items is the best way to welcome the new family home for the first time.

Call 1300 284 684 to order.

Love this Season of the Year - SPRINTER

2010-08-22T19:42:00.000+10:00

you may be itching to get through the last frigid mornings of winter, and urging the flowers to unfurl and the buds to burst. We like to call it a cross between Spring and Winter - SPRINTER!

Have to mention a couple of our best selling and most requested gifts for men in the lead up to Father's Day.

Hunter Valley Hampers Beer Box

For an affordable gift with punchy appeal you can not go past the simple beauty of the Boutique beer box. Have a look at the photo and tell me what guy would not have a smile on his dial to see this at his doorstep with a neat personal message from you.

Don't know about you, but at Hunter Valley Hampers, we don't think you would see VB and Tooheys as unique gift ideas - I mean you can send a gift voucher from a bottlo if that's what you have in mind. But if you prefer local boutique product, with stand out presentation, stick with us as we have established an enviable reputation over 22 years trading.

So have a great Sprinter and look forward to some more Father's Day tips and offers in the next few posts.

Opera in The Vineyards 2010

2010-08-18T17:26:00.001+10:00

Image by marybnolan via Flickr

Wyndham Estate Winery in the glorious Hunter Valley Vineyards hosts the 15th Annual SMH Good Weekend Opera in the Vineyards on Saturday 23 October 2010. Come and enjoy a feast for all the senses, with fine wine, fabulous music and stunning surrounds.

For more information contact Opera In The Vineyards or call 1800 675 875.

Free Corporate Hampers

2010-08-17T20:56:00.000+10:00

Please, can we make it clear that our Hampers and Gift Baskets are completely different from the competition.
We don't use preservative filled imported products, just locally hand made food and wine from the Hunter Valley Wine Region.

Gourmet-Hampers-Sydney

2010-08-13T17:32:00.003+10:00

Here are the two Hunter Valley Gift Baskets we are featuring with FREE delivery Sydney-wide for August and September 2010.

Here is a gorgeous hamper as a gift idea for the foodie in your life.

The Taste of Gourmet Hamper is a genuine regional taste of the Hunter Valley Vineyards, featuring local handmade food and some particularly fine wine from our friends at Audrey Wilkinson.

The Gift Basket is presented in a thick, quality wicker basket that is perfect for re-using at summer barbeques or around the pool. For special corporate orders, you can add your own flourishes and make some unique touches so that it is a reflection of your particular brand.
Order your Taste Of Gourmet Hamper for $110 with FREE DELIVERY across Sydney by calling 1300 284 684.

Another suggestion for a gift idea is the Masterpiece Gourmet Hamper.

Gourmet Masterpiece Hamper

People who order the Gourmet Masterpiece are aware they will be making an impression of generosity, opulence and above all, a comprehensive boutique food experience.

The perfect gift for a couple or a family, this hamper is such a great gift because so many of the jars, bottles and condiments do not have to be opened and consumed immediately.

Instead, treat yourself to a steady supply of the finest Hunter Valley Vineyards hand made food and wine and condiments. Open a jar each weekend for a satisfying few months of experiencing new tastes. Definitely recommended by the team, call 1300 284 684.

Create Your Own Hamper Gift Online

2010-08-09T18:56:00.002+10:00

Never before have we been able to offer the opportunity to create your own hampers online. You see, it is such an easy thing to do, although there are a couple of handy hints and tips to consider to ensure you make the best choice.

1. Window Shopping (imagine wandering through the Hunter Valley Markets)
Browse across our website at Hunter Valley Hampers. You will find a wide selection of Unique to Region Hunter Valley Products, from local Gresford Chutney to Methode Champenoise Sparkling wines. We have personally spent hours driving across the Hunter Valley and meeting the local suppliers and Market Stalls so we have access to the finest quality local gourmet produce.

2. Trust what we do, We have been in business since 1988.
Sometimes, you may have the perfect arrangement of products but there is something missing or misunderstood. Please call 1300 284 684 before you make your decision.
Often we can make some minor changes or personalise your hamper so it fits your budget.
Sometimes it is as simple as adjusting the portion size of the product in your hamper!
Like 500gm of honey; we can save your bottom line or meet your corporate budget with a more compact 150gm jar, with a saving of over $4.60 per hamper - imagine this across your selection to meet your budget!

Hunter Valley Hampers and Gift Baskets ship out dozens of handmade gifts each week.

New Gift Tags For Hunter Valley Hampers

2010-08-04T17:54:00.004+10:00

Gorgeous Gifts Tags Available soon like this one

Searching for the perfect gift hamper is a passion of mine and i trawl through dozens of sites worldwide each week to keep up with the latest innovations and techniques to ensure our Gift Baskets are of international standard.

Perhaps I am not giving too much away to concede that one thing that has let us down in the past has been our gift cards. Certainly the copperplate script of the hand written message is impressive and personal, but for a truly ethereal experience with some handmade magic, we are trending towards hand printed cards inspired by the love of nature from the romantic era.

Stay tuned as we complete our supply arrangement with our new bespoke gift cards and be ready for an even more hand made experience when you choose Hunter Valley Hampers.

Bitter and Twisted International Boutique Beer Festival

2010-07-30T16:43:00.003+10:00

Image via Wikipedia

Bitter & Twisted International Boutique Beer Festival
Saturday 6th – Sunday 7 November 2010
Maitland Gaol, John St, East Maitland
In 2010, Bitter & Twisted will feature stalls offering tastings of over 60 beer from the best Australian craft-breweries as well as specialty international beer from around the globe. There will be heaps on offer for beer drinkers, wine drinkers, non drinkers, food lovers, music lovers, arts lovers, parents, children, grandparents, friends, lovers, dancers, singers.....basically anyone who wants to have a good time!
MUSIC * FOOD * BEER
Purchase your tickets before 1 September to go into the draw to win the Twisted Ales Brewing Competition.
Nominate your most twisted beer - be it ale, lager, whatever - for your chance to win a day brewing your winning beer with the expert brewers at Hunter Beer Company.
You'll get to take home 10 litres to share with your mates and have your beer featured on the Hunter Beer Company stand at Bitter & Twisted.
For more information, to purchase tickets and to enter the competition visit “Professor Sigmund von Beer’n’Mister” at www.bitterandtwisted.com.au or phone the Maitland Visitor Information Centre on 02 4931 2800
Buy Boutique Hunter Valley beer.

Hunter Valley Wine Matching to Vineyards

2010-07-23T20:22:00.005+10:00

Here is a list of Hunter Valley Wineries and some of the featured wines produced on site. Unfortunately, I have lost the attribution - if it's you, please let me know and I will amend this.

Adina Vineyard - visit for- Pinot gris
Allandale - visit for- Chambourcin, Verdelho
Allyn River - visit for- Chambourcin
Apthorpe Estate - visit for- Chambourcin
Arrowfield - visit for- Petit verdot, Verdelho
Audrey Wilkinson - visit for- Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Tempranillo, Verdelho, Zinfandel
Ballabourneen Wines - visit for- Verdelho
Belgenny Vineyard - visit for- Verdelho
Bell's Lane Wines- visit for- Verdelho
* Benwarin Wines Chambourcin, Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Beyond Broke Vineyard Verdelho
* Bimbadeen Estate Verdelho
* Bimbadgen Estate Pinot gris, Sangiovese, Verdelho, Viognier
* Bishop Grove Wines Verdelho
* Boatshed Vineyard Chambourcin, Verdelho
* Briar Ridge Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Verdelho
* Broke's Promise Barbera
* Broke Estate Barbera, Tempranillo
* Brokenwood Wines Pinot gris, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Viognier
* Brown's Farm Winery Pinot gris
* Brush Box Vineyard Verdelho
* Calais Estate Chambourcin, Durif, Marsanne, Verdelho, Viognier, Zinfandel
* Camp Road Estate Shiraz Viognier, Verdelho, Viognier
* Camyr Allyn Wines Verdelho
* Capercaillie Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer, Petit verdot
* Catherine Vale Vineyard Arneis, Barbera, Dolcetto, Verdelho
* Chislehurst Estate Verdelho
* Colvin Wines Sangiovese
* Cooper wines Chambourcin, Verdelho
* Cruickshank Callatoota Wines Cabernet franc
* David Hook Wines Barbera, Pinot gris, Verdelho, Viognier
* De Iulius Verdelho
* Dimbulla Tempranillo
* Draytons Verdelho
* Drews Creek Wines Sangiovese
* Echo Ridge Wines Verdelho
* Elsmore's Caprera Grove Verdelho
* Elysium Vineyard Verdelho
* Emmas Cottage Vineyard Verdelho
* Ernest Hill Wines Gewurztraminer, Verdelho
* Evans Family Wines Gamay, Viognier
* Fairview Wines Barbera, Chambourcin, Verdelho
* Farrells Limestone Creek Verdelho
* First Creek Verdelho, Viognier
* Foate's Ridge Verdelho
* Fordwich Estate Verdelho
* Gabriel’s Paddocks Vineyard Chenin blanc
* Gartelmann Hunter Verdelho
* Ghost Riders Vineyard Viognier
* Glandore Estate Albarino, Tempranillo, Viognier
* Glandore Estate Tempranillo, Verdelho
* Glendonbrook Verdelho
* Glenguin Pinot gris, Sangiovese, Tannat
* Golden Grape Estate Gewurztraminer
* Heartland Vineyard Barbera, Verdelho, Viognier
* Hillside Estate Gewurztraminer, Verdelho
* Hollyclare Aleatico
* Honeytree Estate Clairette
* Hope Estate Verdelho
* House of Certain Views Barbera, Viognier
* Hudson's Peake Wines Verdelho
* Hungerford Hill Pinot gris
* Idle Hands Wines Verdelho
* Idlewild Barbera, Cabernet franc
* Iron Gate Estate Verdelho
* Ironbark Hill Estate Verdelho
* Ivanhoe Wines Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer, Verdelho
* James Estate Sylvaner, Verdelho
* Juul Wines Verdelho
* Keith Tulloch Wine Petit verdot, Verdelho, Viognier
* Kevin Sobels Wines Gewurztraminer, Petit verdot, Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Krinklewood Tempranillo, Verdelho
* Kulkunbulla Petit verdot, Tempranillo, Verdelho
* Little's Winery Marsanne, Verdelho, Viognier
* Little Wine Company Gewurztraminer, Petit verdot, Pinot gris, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Verdelho, Viognier
* Lucy's Run Verdelho
* Mabrook Estate Verdelho
* Madigan Vineyard Verdelho
* Margan Family Barbera, Verdelho, Viognier
* McLeish Estate Verdelho
* Meera Park Verdelho, Viognier
* Molly's cradle Verdelho
* Molly Morgan Vineyard Verdelho
* Moorebank Vineyard Gewurztraminer
* Mount Broke Wines Barbera, Verdelho
* Mount Eyre Vineyards Cabernet franc, Chambourcin
* Mount View Estate Verdelho
* Mount Vincent Estate Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Nightingale Wines Chambourcin, Verdelho
* Oakvale Chambourcin, Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Outram Estate Verdelho
* Palmers Wines Verdelho
* Pangallo Estate Zibbilo
* Pendarves Estate Chambourcin, Verdelho
* Penmara Petit verdot, Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Pepper Tree Wines Cabernet franc, Gewurztraminer, Tannat, Verduzzo, Viognier, Zinfandel
* Piggs Peake Winery Barbera, Marsanne, Sangiovese, Verdelho, Zinfandel
* Pokolbin Estate Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Verdelho
* Polin & Polin Verdelho
* Pothana Pinot gris, Verdelho, Viognier
* Pyramid Hill Wines Verdelho
* Racecourse Lane Wines Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Reg Drayton Verdelho
* Ridgeview Wines Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Viognier
* Rosebrook Estate Verdelho
* Rothbury Ridge Chambourcin, Durif, Verdelho
* Saddlers Creek Wines Verdelho
* Sandalyn Wilderness Estate Verdelho
* Serenella Estate Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Sevenoaks Wines Petit verdot, Sangiovese
* SmithLeigh Vineyard Verdelho
* Southern Grand Estate Gewurztraminer, Verdelho
* Splitrock Vineyard Estate Verdelho
* St Petrox Chambourcin, Durif, Mondeuse
* Stirling Wines Verdelho
* Stomp Verdelho
* Stonehurst Cedar Creek Chambourcin
* Taliondal Gewurztraminer
* Tallavera Grove Winery Verdelho
* Tamburlaine Cabernet franc, Chambourcin, Malbec, Marsanne, Petit verdot, Verdelho
* Tempus Two Aranel, Arneis, Marsanne, Pinot gris, Sangiovese, Verdelho, Zinfandel
* Tinonnee Vineyard Chambourcin, Durif, Verdelho
* Tintilla Wines Sangiovese
* Tower Estate Barbera, Sangiovese, Verdelho
* Tulloch Marsanne, Petit verdot, Verdelho
* Two Rivers Verdelho
* Twin Bridges Shiraz, Semillon, Methode Champenoise.
* Undercliff Chambourcin
* Vercoes Vineyard Verdelho
* Verona Vineyard Verdelho
* Vinden Estate Alicante Bouchet
* Wandin Valley Estate Verdelho
* Warraroong Estate (aka Swish) Chenin blanc, Malbec, Verdelho
* Wattlebrook Vineyard Verdelho
* Wild Broke Wines Barbera
* Winbourne Wines Verdelho
* Windsors Edge Tempranillo, Tinto Cao, Touriga, Verdelho
* Wright Family Wines Chambourcin
* Yarraman Estate Chambourcin, Gewurztraminer

Gourmet Hampers and Gift Baskets

2010-07-23T08:50:00.000+10:00

Gourmet Hampers and Gift Baskets

Fruit Baskets Popular In Winter

2010-07-20T13:10:00.001+10:00

Image by wizan via Flickr

Fruit Baskets are still a popular get well gift over the cooler months. Whilst we may not have the same dazzling array of tropical summer fruit we appreciate in the warmer months, some may say it is even more important that we keep up our fruit and vitamin intake over the influenza season.

Just yesterday we delivered a dozen fruit hampers and gift baskets across the Newcastle and Hunter Valley Region, and by all accounts they were well received and appreciated. As featured in the Newcastle Herald in May 2010, Hunter Valley Hampers and Fruit baskets make great sharing gifts and can be personalised so they make an exact fit to your recipient.

Green Christmas Hampers

2010-07-19T19:02:00.000+10:00

For an Environmentally Friendly Christmas, Go Green and order Online!
By shopping online with Hunter Valley Hampers you will save time, fuel and the masses of stressed out shoppers, and you'll be gifting yourself...
More time to simply enjoy the Christmas season with your family.
And in my opinion that's what Christmas is all about.

Create Your Own Virtual Gift Baskets

2010-07-13T17:53:00.000+10:00

Here's your chance, have some virtual fun making your own online Gift basket you can send to your friends - FREE POSTAGE!

Visit http://www.giftfantasia.com/my/gift-basket
to start playing and don't forget to share the Hunter Valley Hampers story.

Hampers and Gift Boxes - Tying a ribbon

2010-07-05T10:22:00.000+10:00

Here some tips on tying a ribbon bow on a gift box.

Hamper Tips; Decanting an Old Bottle of Wine

2010-06-21T19:50:00.001+10:00

Another fantastic tip to have in mind when you are a Gourmet Hamper Providore. Decanting wine.

For sure, you have a few bottles under the stairs or have left some in the cellar for a little too long, and would like to get some value from them. Try decanting your wine before drinking. There is no mystery behind decanting wine; simply pour the wine into a carafe and let it breathe a bit before serving. Decanting a wine both removes the unappealing and bitter sediment at the bottom of an old bottle and allows the wine to breathe.

Uncork the wine and pour it slowly into the carafe making sure that the sediment stays undisturbed at the bottom of the bottle. When complete, you should have about half a glass of wine left in the bottle.

Wine and Cheese Hampers - The Cheese Platter

2010-06-14T18:32:00.000+10:00

A favourite of mine, love sharing differing opinions on making a wine and cheese platter. Here's the latest one I've found, with thanks to Barry's Bistro.

Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

How-to-remove-red-wine-stains-from-carpet

2010-06-14T07:27:00.000+10:00

If you happen to spill any of the red wine in your hamper, here are some tips on removing red wine from your carpet. While these methods have proven effective in individual cases, they may or may not work in all situations. If you have any reservations, contact a professional cleaning company.

[note: these methods only work on fresh spills treated quickly/not old dried stains]

White Wine Method (preferred method)

1. Blot up as much of the Red Wine as possible.

2. Pour inexpensive white wine around the perimeter of the spot, working inward to the center (to keep the red wine from moving in an outward direction). The white wine should neutralize the red color, making it clear.

3. Blot up the liquid; repeat if necessary.

Salt Method
1. Leaving the spot untouched, pour regular table salt over the entire spot until there is a 1/4″ or more of salt around and above the spot.

2. Let the spot completely dry (the salt soaks up the wine), which can take up to 24 hours, at which point the salt can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.
Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Some-Funny-Things-I-might-have-heard

2010-06-13T17:02:00.000+10:00

Sometimes in the thick of the action, things happen, and you have to say something to paper over the cracks....
“That’s funny because I was thinking it looked swollen.”
“It’s OK, remember I said I was a Dr.? '

"Don’t get it wet? Is that thing a gremlin? “

“Come on, it’s really that expensive?”

“It was a bad call, I’ve never seen it get angry & bite before.”
“OK so you’re right it isn’t waterproof. You can’t be right about them being out of print also, can you?”

“The fact its rolling on the floor is a good sign – it gives us hope.”
“Why? I couldn’t see from where I was, that’s why. Maybe it’s the Zoo that needs to change their attitude.”
“Yes, clearly that was too much weight.”
“Yes - it’s now stuck! It looked smaller before I started & put it there."

Gift Baskets and Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Value-For-Money-Gifts-in-Australia-Top-7-Tips

2010-06-09T16:55:00.000+10:00

OK, here we are sharing the Top 7 Tips for Gift Hampers to keeping your costs low and making for maximum value and visual impact on delivery when sending food hampers and wine gift baskets to friends, family and clients to save money and make the whole process easier and less time consuming.
Create Your Own Hamper - Visit a website that lets you decide exactly what you want to put into your hamper. A great way to control the cost of your gift, as these sites will let you remove items if you see that your hamper is becoming too expensive. If in doubt give a great regional supplier like Hunter Valley Gift Baskets, like 1300 284 684 and discuss what you exactly want, from experience, they are reliable and more than willing to go out of their way to accommodate your needs....
Hampers need not be Massive - You are giving a very nice gift in the form of food items. Where does it say that hampers have to be huge? It doesn't. So, select a variety of items that relate, but keep the quantities down to a minimum. Remember, it's the thought that counts. A few Premium Gourmet items are far preferable to a mumble jumble of big boxes filled with preservative filled imported food that has travelled half way around the world and is months old.

Alcohol is not Vital - Sending a gift hamper does not require alcohol. This will keep your hamper costs down and there are plenty of luxurious treats you can fill a hamper with that are more economical. If you want to send a drink, why not send a non-alcoholic drink instead?

Only send Hampers within your Country - Delivery costs are usually added at the end of your purchase. But if you want to send a hamper to another country, the costs increase considerably. By sending hampers only within your country, the costs are not increased. If you need to send a hamper to another country, select a hamper company from that country first. There are affiliate links but they take out a percentage of your order. Type in gourmet hamper australia and the country name to find a reliable supplier.

Don't send Hampers on Weekends - Delivery charges are quoted for Monday through Friday deliveries, because that's when most courier companies deliver at the most affordable rates. If you would like to deliver a hamper for a Saturday delivery, you will pay dearly for that convenience. Keep deliveries to weekdays and save.
Don't pay for a "Personal Message Added" - To have a personal message added to your hamper, this should be a free service, which includes a free card. Some companies will even have your message handwritten on a greeting card. It just adds that personal touch, which recipients like. Trusted companies like Hunter Valley Gift Baskets and Hampers include a handwritten card at no cost. It is these small touches that separate us from the inferior others...

Are the Products Value for Money? - Looking at the items put into hampers, have they won any food awards - like the local produce at Hunter Valley Hampers has? Top quality fine foods always receive awards. Quality food companies enter fine food competitions often because winning means more sales. It's your guarantee that the food in your hamper tastes as good as it looks.

With so many choices on the internet these days, it really pays to shop around and see what sites have to offer. Each are quite different and if you take the time to go past the first page of your Google search, you will find that it was well worth your time.
Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Gift Baskets, Hampers, Fruit Baskets - Hunter Valley Hampers Originals

2010-06-09T16:34:00.000+10:00

Have been doing brisk trade this month as people really get behind the hunter valley hampers promotions and word of mouth referrals.
Surprisingly, our corporates are trending towards their favourites, whilst our online retail clients are simply loving the Freshest Fruit Baskets in Newcastle.
It is great for business and we really appreciate the rapid turnover of fresh new Hunter Valley Gourmet Food, although it is not ideal weather in this chill wind being out and about for our delivery guys Darren and Kirby (thanks guys!)

Anyway, just a short post to keep it real.
Here's some of the guys from masterchef we bumped into at the Sydney Food and Wine show. Great event and made some really special connections - watch out for our new website and business concept.

House Warming Gifts Made Easy

2010-06-04T11:08:00.000+10:00

Giving housewarming gifts is a delightful way to help celebrate and usher in a new beginning with a new home and a new location. Finding the perfect gift always depends on the recipients unique tastes and needs and based on what stage of life they are at. Here we have come up with a few gift ideas to inspire you when making the decision to share a housewarming gift.

Whether the recipient is a guy, girl or an entire family these gift ideas help to give their new abode a comfy feel and are truly unique memorabilia that can also be personalized with names, dates or a personal message to make the new digs feel like home. A wall clock, art prints or decorative pictures, beer glasses, wine glasses, crystal decanter sets or wine gifts like stoppers, carafes and totes are great for completing or providing a start to any home bar, plus don’t forget a very unique wooden bar sign that come available in a huge variety of styles for a fun one of a kind gift the whole family will love. Also coaster sets, towels, afghans or throw blankets, welcome mats, gift baskets, serving dishes or a set that is complete with bowls and trays, picture frames which should always include a memorable picture, even desk accessories like clocks, nameplates or organizers, can create a fun and unique gift, again depending on the individuals who are receiving the gift.

Big ticket items can always be suggested so a group of people can go in on one gift together. Items like: Patio furniture, BBQ Grill, home appliances, lawn mowers and even a gift certificate to a favorite home improvement store so the recipient can pick out big items like tubs, showers, fireplaces, a hot tub, doors or anything else he or she may have on their wish list for a great gift sure to be used and greatly appreciated.

Other gift ideas include items like: A hammock, gardening tool set, grilling tool set, food saver or Tupperware, spice rack, lawn ornaments or décor and bird feeders are all items that are nice to have and can be enjoyed by most everybody. Also you could give plants or flowers along with hanging pots or planters or even a fire ring or stones for building a fire pit for years of enjoyment. One last idea is storage or organization items which are always very handy and although practical, are sure to be used and appreciated for life.

I found all of these gift ideas while looking on the internet which can save time, money and a lot of stress when trying to find the perfect gift for any occasion. You can check out any business with the BBB for piece of mind. Plus with the cost of living in this day and age, who doesn’t want to save themselves a few bucks here and there? Not to mention shopping from the comfort of your home sure beats sitting in traffic or adding more running around to an already hectic schedule.

If you’re still unsure what to get for a housewarming present remember all it takes are a few well placed questions to help figure out what gift to give. As long as the gift is something they want and can use, your gift will be appreciated and enjoyed. Also remember to try looking early for your gift so you can take advantage of any deals that may come along, not only saving you money but time and stress as well.

Good luck and as always Happy Shopping :-) Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Unique Baby Gifts - Ideas and Inspirations

2010-06-04T10:56:00.002+10:00

Birth of a baby always calls for a celebration and hence the family members, close friends and other invitees begin to plan the gifts that they are supposed to present to the babies and their parents. There are many unique baby gift ideas to consider to share your blessings and wishes to the new family.

Historically, people have offered a photo frame as a preferred gift item for adults, in that it was a safe option and there was little to offend the recipient and the frame was easy to transport and deliver. Also, giving baby staples like clothing, accessories and health care consumables like nappies and bottles is not really that inspired and is almost like doing a bit of grocery shoppinf for the new parents.

When giving a blanket or clothing item, ever thought of stitching or printing the messages or blessings that you want to deliver to the newborn baby and make it one of the best among the unique baby gift ideas. This will in turn personalize the whole product thereby making it unique. The clothing things can include bibs, caps, baby shoes, etc.

Safety is another concern - always make sure you gift adheres to Australian Standards and has at least a basic quality control. For a gift idea with quality, handmade local Australian baby accessories, call 1300 284 684.

There are unique baby gift ideas that offer the options for personalized toys. Toys are one of the most demanding items for the babies as they understand how to use toys and play with them more than anything else. These are the items that you can buy even if you have a limited low budget. The photo frame, however, will help you to cherish the memories of your child when he grows up. All his first time activities like first crawl, first walk, etc. can be recorded and put into those frames as mementos. Earlier, you had to wander about the shops in search of the gifts, but now you do not need to do so as the online shopping facilities is a one site solution to your baby gift ideas.

If you still cannot decide, let me suggest a Fresh Fruit Basket or a Gourmet Hamper. Call 1300 284 684 for all your baby Gift Ideas.

Three Tips for Buying Christmas Hampers,

2010-06-03T23:10:00.000+10:00

Important things to consider when Buying Christmas Gift Baskets, with thanks to my friends in Alabama at Pecans

1.Never be afraid to request for customizationor what we call Create Your Own at Hunter Valley Hampers. You may not believe this, but most of the companies specializing in Christmas gift baskets are quite open to discuss and adjust the items replaced or add other items in them. If they are not, you may feel entitled to raise your eyebrows - Just make sure you give your request ahead of time and that you are willing to pay the extra fee for items added, or that you are OK with the substitution.

2.Be practical. When you choose gift baskets, make sure that the basket itself can be useful even if after the items have been consumed. The container you may use can be a decorative wooden box, a tin can or wicker baskets. Don't be fooled into thinking that a collection of products in a cardboard box is good enough - baskets and hampers are established traditions for a reason and it is not some new concept to be sending a gift without it. Gift baskets made of wicker are guaranteed to last long since they are made from rattan, the material used in some furniture.

3.If it is possible, try to look for Christmas gift baskets that are put together only when you do the purchasing. This is better than those ready to go gift baskets, .ike you may find available at ridiculous prices at discount shops. You can never be sure of the expiry date on pre-packed hampers, as you simply cannot see it until you open it. To be guaranteed fresh, locally made food and wine items locally made right here in the Hunter Valley Wine Region of New South Wales, you can't go past the quality, affordable gift baskets.

Call 1300 284 684 for help and assistance or for a good chat about what you have in mind for your Christmas hampers and Xmas Gift Baskets. Since 1988 we have been getting it right.

Some Confronting Things About Blogging

2010-06-01T17:10:00.000+10:00

Some refreshing and honest insights into the world of blogging. My thoughts are added in italics.
Most of the tips about blogging and everything that people say about it is very supportive of the wonderful online world of weblogs. Whether you like it or not, aside from all the amazing tips on just how good blogging can be for you, there is also the negatives, what people always try to hide away and never discuss. These negatives can turn blogging from the amazing angel, we bloggers think of it, to our absolute worst nightmares, affecting our lives, the way we think and worst of all others.

Here are the top five things people don’t like to discuss about blogging, and they don’t do it, simply because its the truth. That's right - too often comments are bland, pats on the back and do not offer any realistic insights or frank discussion.

No one will ever be there to support you
No matter how hard you try, the same people who read your blog currently will not be there to read your blog in the next few years. It’s a sad truth, but people fall in and out of blogging all the time, you can never build up strong relationships with your readers and expect them to stick by you forever. I wish it were true, but people lose interest in blogging and find better blogs to follow, no matter how hard this may seem, its entirely true and one thing that is never talked about or discussed. So thanks for dropping by but don't think I'll tell you my whole lifestory cause you'll just keep moving on like the Littlest Hobo.

You will always hate your blog design
Its a known truth that the blogger is always the one who hates the design, that’s why so many new templates are released, people can’t accept what they have and are willing to work with. Countless times people have contacted bloggers asking, “Why did you change your blog design.” There original design was fine, they simply are never happy with what they have.

The obsessions is impossible to break away from
Blogging can become very, very obsessive, you may think that a few tweaks here and there on your blog design and a few new blog posts doesn't mean much, all those precious minutes you may spend doing this can turn to hours, all that time wasted. There are much more important things you could be doing with your time than tweaking your blog template or checking your blog statistics.

It will get in the way of your life
There’s no way to deny it, but blogging seriously can become the controller of your life. If you delve to far into it, you may end up no longer planning blogging around what you do in the day but rather what you do in the day around blogging. Blogging is incontrollable and when you let it take over your real, out of the internet life, that’s when its gone to far.

Your writing is public
If your even considering having a successful blog then everything you write has to be public. Although this is not really something that people don’t want to know about when it comes to blogging, people don’t ever spend the time to actually think what making your writing public, means. Publicly writing, has many sides to it. If you write with humour attached to your posts, then you might offend someone and be held responsible. Another problem can be work related. How would you cope if your employer found blog and started reading it and it had offensive material or information about you? Your blog is an open portal that people can and often will, use against you.

Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Unreal Ideas to help with your Blog

2010-05-29T18:55:00.000+10:00

Get Your Blog sorted once and 4 ALL>
Pick a topic. Decide what you want to blog about.
Make sure your topic isn’t too narrow or you’ll get bored with it.
Don’t let the focus get too wide or people will get confused.
Come up with a great idea to showcase your skills and knowledge.
Work out your unique selling point, even if you’re not actually selling anything.
Decide how to explain to other people what you do.
Define your goals clearly.
Write them down in a maximum of two sentences.
Come up with a slogan that sums up in as few words as possible what people will find on your blog.
Brainstorm for sub-categories on your blog. Like Hampers or Gift Baskets.
Divide the information you’ll be sharing via blog posts into chunks of information to make it easier for readers to find what they’re looking for.
Work out what static information you need on your blog ~ for example about, contact and legal.
Sort out what your values are and how you can share those with your readers ~ for example adventurous, caring and down to earth.
Brainstorm possible names for your blog.
Find a suitable domain name – not too long and easy to spell.
Buy the domain name.
Embrace branding. Branding has a bad reputation but it’s unavoidable and strong branding is vital for online success. First impressions count. People will be judging you and your blog from the second they set eyes on your photo or website.
Decide how you want people to describe you ~ for example knowledgeable, off beat, stylish, witty.
Work out how you can convey that in your branding.
Choose a photo of you that you can use on your blog and all social media.
Be consistent with your image and chose a photo that suits your branding image ~ for example friendly, trustworthy, professional and interesting.
Remain consistent in everything you do and say online. Inconsistency is confusing and will scare people away.
Check out some websites and work out what you like and dislike about them.
If you’re creating an online business invest in it and outsource jobs you can’t do. Unless you’re an experienced project manager, Internet technician, writer, graphic designer, business planner, marketer and branding expert you’ll need help in some of those areas if you want to get good results fast.
You may need a separate graphic designer who specialises in logos and branding as well as one to design the web interface.
Write a detailed brief for your graphic and web designers outlining your goals, target audience, site design guidelines, topic, categories, sub-categories and static pages in as much detail as possible.
Consider the page layout too. People read from top to bottom and left to right. Make sure the most important parts of your blog are immediately visible to people. For example, on my blog my main goal is to let new readers know what the blog’s about and get them to subscribe. The first place people’s eyes will fall is on the logo and slogan top left. The second place they’ll look is top right where I have a big red banner encouraging people to subscribe now.
Choose your web designer wisely. It’s an unregulated industry. Try to pick someone who’s qualified and experienced. Look at some of the sites they’ve designed and spend time exploring them. Do they look good? Are they easy to navigate? Do they have clear calls to action like contact us now, subscribe or buy now links?
Outsource jobs you can’t do well. The best recommendation for choosing people to help you is often word of mouth. If you can’t find a good recommendation ask for clients you can call to speak to for a reference.
Relationships are important too. Choose someone you like and trust. You should be working with them closely so it might as well be fun and rewarding.
Trust your gut. If you’re not 100% sure find someone else. It may take time but that’s better than spending money on something sub-standard that doesn’t get you results.
Be prepared to spend time on all of this. If could take months but it’s worth planning it properly and avoiding costly mistakes and wasted time.
Hand over the job to your chosen experts and give them some creative freedom. You chose them carefully. Now you need to trust them.
Refine the initial design until you’re 100% happy with it. Keep testing and tweaking. No matter how carefully you plan there are always some elements that have been overlooked or need refining.
Develop the blog in a test area so you can play around with it before it goes live. Actually clicking on links and imagining you’re a reader looking for certain information will help. For example, test how fast can people find your email address? Your best selling product? Your Twitter page?
Watch your language and check the wording. Does the language you use reflect your branding and company values? Does it speak to your target audience? For example if my target audience was students I’d use different words than if I was trying to appeal to baby boomers.
Have a soft launch. There might be problems to begin with. Put the new site up and try it out. Ask some friends to test it for you on different computers and browsers. A good web designer should do this for you.
Make sure your blog isn’t marked as private and submit it to the major search engines, and share links like http://www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au/
Get your technical expert to sort out the widgets and install the essential plug-ins like aksimet which will catch your spam comments and the tweetmeme so people can easily tweet your post.
Put up your first blog post. You can use your target goals, target audience and company values to get you started.
Work out a posting schedule of a minimum of once a week and stick to it. This will get you in the habit and make you commit to your blog.
Brainstorm for post topics and come up with some eye-catching headlines that will make people want to read them.
Start networking and find a blogging buddy who will keep you going when times get tough
Committ to a time frame and set goals. I set myself the goal of 1000 subscribers after one year of blogging and got there even though I changed my domain name and topic three times which really set me back.
Interact with your readers – reply to their comments, read their feedback and show them you care.
Sign up for Twitter and Facebook. Make sure you keep your branding consistent across all platforms.
Network with other bloggers who are starting out, people who’ve been at it for a while and the top bloggers in your niche. Retweet their links, comment on their posts. Just let them know you’re around and interested.
Be authentic. It shouldn’t take practice but it does. Your confidence will grow as you learn to share confidences with your readers, trust each other and feel safe being yourself. That’s the person people will love best.
Have fun with it.
Don’t worry about not knowing everything about blogging. You’ve set up a strong foundation, the rest will happen naturally over time, keep visiting http://www.huntervalleyhampers.blogspot.com and http://merewether-life.blogspot.com.
Celebrate. Have a launch party and invite all your new blogging friends. I’m not sure of the date and time yet but I plan to have a launch party online. I’ve been to a few fun webinars. The party will be similar to a webinar. I’ll be talking to you live and you’ll be able to chat to me and other party goers. Sounds good? Make sure you’ve subscribed so you get an official invitation. Of course, you’re all invited, I just need to make sure you know when it is. Feel free to bring your friends – the more the merrier.

Slides of gift baskets and hampers

2010-05-14T11:25:00.000+10:00

Gourmet Hampers with Honey

2010-05-07T17:06:00.000+10:00

Honey Facts & Benefits

Did You Know?

■Honey is a sweet, thick material produced by bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey is created by bees after removing water and adding enzymes that change the character of the sugars in the nectar.
■Honey contains vitamins and antioxidants, but is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free!
■An antioxidant called "pinocembrin" is only found in honey.
■Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.
■Honey speeds the healing of open wounds and also combats infection.
■Honey has an anti-microbial agent, which means it deters the growth of certain types of bacteria, yeast and molds.
■Honey is an excellent energy booster! It provides a concentrated energy source that helps prevent fatigue and can boost athletic performance.
■Studies have proven that athletes who took some honey before and after competing recovered more quickly than those who did not.
■Honey supplies 2 stages of energy. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost. The fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.
■Honey never spoils. There's no need to refrigerate it. Honey can be stored unopened, indefinitely, at room temperature in a dry cupboard.
■Due to the high level of fructose, honey is 25% sweeter than table sugar.
■For years, opera singers have used honey to boost their energy and soothe their throats before performances.
■Ancient Egyptian and Middle-Eastern peoples used honey for embalming the dead.
■Honey is the only food produced by insects that is eaten by man!
■Honey has a healthy Glycemic Index (GI), meaning that its sugars can be gradually absorbed into the bloodstream to result in better digestion.
■Honey is not considered an allergen and does not contain wheat, crustacea, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, tree nuts, soybeans, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sulfites, lactose or tartrazine.
■Honey does not contain glutens because glutens are protein from wheat flour. Gluten-free Gifts.
Honey - A Natural Energy Boost?

Honey is a great natural source of carbohydrates which provides strength and energy to our bodies. It is well known that honey is extremely effective in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural fruit sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise.

The body quickly absorbs the glucose in honey and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar.

Build Your Immunity with Honey

The benefits of honey seem to never end and here is one more great benefit. Honey can be a powerful immune system booster. The antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties present in honey can help improve the digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease.

Try this daily cleansing tonic if you want to experience the health benefit of honey: before breakfast, mix a HoneyStix (or a Honey Drop) with lemon juice from half a lemon into a cup of warm water and drink it.

What's In Honey?

■Honey is composed of 38.5% Fructose, 31.0% Glucose, 17.1% Water, 7.2% Maltose, 4.2% Trisaccharides, 1.5% Sucrose, and 0.5% is made up of minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.
■The less water content the honey has, the better the quality of honey.
■The trace amounts of vitamins present in honey are B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folic acid and certain amino acids.
■The minerals found in honey include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, selenium and zinc.
■Honey contains eighteen free amino acids, of which the most abundant is proline.
■The main group of antioxidants in honey are the flavonoids, of which one, pinocembrin, is unique to honey and bee propolis.
■Honey also contains organic acids such as acetic, butanoic, formic, citric, succinic, lactic, malic, pyroglutamic and gluconic acids, and a number of aromatic acids.

Types of Honey
■Raw Honey - Raw honey is honey that is taken directly from the hive.
■Strained Honey - Strained honey has been passed through a mesh material to remove particles such as pieces of wax, propolis and other defects without removing pollen.
■Filtered Honey - Filtered honey is processed by filtration to remove extraneous solids and pollen grains and other fine particles.
■Organic Honey - Organic honey is regulated by a strict set of guidelines that covers not only the origin of the bees but also the siting of the apiaries. Standards for organic honey differ from country to country with differences based on cultural, topographic, climatic and geographic factors.
■Comb Honey - Honey which is meant to be consumed still in the honeybees' wax comb.
■Chunk Honey - Honey packed in widemouth containers consisting of one or more pieces of comb honey immersed in extracted liquid honey.
■Pasteurised Honey - Honey that has been heated in a pasteurisation process.
■Whipped Honey - Also called creamed honey, spun honey, churned honey, candied honey, and honey fondant, is honey that has been processed to control crystallisation. Whipped honey contains a large number of small crystals in the honey. The small crystals prevent the formation of larger crystals that can occur in unprocessed honey. The processing also produces a honey with a smooth spreadable consistency.
Honey and Religion

■In Hinduism, honey is one of the five elixirs of immortality.
■In Jewish tradition, honey is a symbol for the new year, Rosh Hashana. At the traditional meal for that holiday, apple slices are dipped in honey and eaten to bring a sweet new year.
■The Book of Exodus famously describes the Promised Land as a "land flowing with milk and honey"
■In Buddhism, honey plays an important role in the festival of Madhu Purnima, celebrated in India and Bangladesh.
■In the Christian New Testament, Matthew 3:4, John the Baptist is said to have lived for a long period of time in the wilderness on a diet consisting of locusts and wild honey.
■In Islam, there is an entire Surah in the Qur'an called al-Nahl (the Honey Bee). Gift Baskets.

Blogging Mania

2010-05-06T15:46:00.000+10:00

Have had some great fun recently being involved in some blogs with guest postings - stay tuned, you WILL be surprised. ALSO some recent media gigs, (very embarrassing but oh-so-good-for-the-ego) keep your eyes open, she promised a FRONT PAGE!!! OMG!!! I feel like a style maven or some such OMG!

Mother's Day Gifts

2010-04-30T20:40:00.000+10:00

Some Mothers Day Gift Ideas for Mothers Day 2010 delivery.

Or some pamper hamper gift ideas for mother day

Mothers Day Flowers, yeah we've said it all before...

Always remember the Gift Ideas when you call 1300 284 684.

Gift Baskets and Hampers

2010-04-28T21:47:00.000+10:00

Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684 But http://www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au/ gift baskets and Hampers

Hampers

2010-04-28T21:42:00.002+10:00

Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Gifts

2010-04-28T21:26:00.000+10:00

Gifts for Family with a Disability

Gifts

2010-04-28T21:23:00.000+10:00

Hey, great new Australian Gifts and a Gift Baskets Hampers online Shopping
http://www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au/

Gift Baskets and the Gourmet Hamper

2010-04-27T20:38:00.000+10:00

Gourmet foods and fresh fruit gifts are a popular choice for birthday gifts, holiday gifts, corporate gifts – any special occasion. Each gift is hand packed with the highest quality gourmet foods and snacks, like our famous Hunter Valley gourmet giftbaskets, premium fresh fruit, luxurious chocolate truffles and bakery treats. We promise superior quality and excellent service, backed by The Strongest Guarantee in the Business.

Just celebrating 100 Posts!

2010-04-27T20:17:00.000+10:00

Gift-Basket-Lover-Elton-John-Rocks!

2010-04-26T23:11:00.001+10:00

Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Elton John YOUR SONG

2010-04-26T22:55:00.000+10:00

Is this Your Song?

Gift Baskets and Gourmet Hampers www.huntervalleyhampers.com.au Call 1300 284 684

Thinking Hampers? Or Even Thinking at All?

2010-04-26T20:36:00.000+10:00

OMG What is happening here? Please tell me this is reality TV?

Emmas Cottage and Hunter Valley Hampers

2010-04-26T16:39:00.000+10:00

A well regarded hunter Valley destination...

Audrey Wilkinson Hunter Valley Hampers

2010-04-26T16:32:00.000+10:00

Take a sneak peek at Audrey Wilkinson in the Hunter Valley to see where the wine in your Hamper is grown...

Gourmet Hampers Australia

Newborn Baby Gifts Fruit Baskets

Fruit Baskets Delivered

Christmas 2011 All Wrapped Up

Christmas Fruit Baskets

Best Christmas Hampers over $100

Christmas Hampers and Gift Baskets

Corporate Christmas Gifts 2011

Christmas Hampers - Make Your Own

Christmas Hampers - Best Gifts Ideas for 2011

Happy Christmas Fruit Baskets

Christmas Wine and Cheese Hampers

Corporate Christmas Hampers

Buying Christmas Hampers Online - The Checklist.

Christmas Gift Baskets - Make Your Own

Wine Baskets for Christmas Gifts

The Gourmet Hamper - Regional Produce in a Box

Worst Christmas Gifts Ever - My List.

Christmas Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything

Fruit Basket Delivery

Picnic For Two Hampers

Christmas Hampers for Office Parties

Seasonal Fruit Hampers

Christmas Hampers 2011

Chocolate Gift Delivery

Welcome to Hunter Valley Hampers

Father's Days Gifts Online

Beer and Food Matching Guide

Fresh Fruit Baskets

Hunter Valley Hampers

Sending Fruit Baskets and Fruit Hampers

How To Order A Corporate Gift Online for Delivery

Making Gourmet Food and Wine Hampers.

Winter Warmers Are Gourmet Hampers

Darby Street Coffee and Chocolate Festival

What makes Our Business Different?

Promoting Products on Your Blog!

Grab One Fruit Basket Deal Newcastle

Favourite Customer Feedback Post

Corporate Gift Giving

Newborn Baby Gift Hampers In Newcastle

Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar

Hill & River Foods

New and Inspired Barbeque Range of Gift Boxes

Burnt Fig Jam by Maggie Beer

Hampers

Christmas Hampers as seen on the Today Show

Oprah visits the Hunter Valley

Hamper Emporium

155th Posting! Congratulations!

Christmas Orders for Hampers Delivery

Chrisco Hampers

Christmas Hampers - Bulk Orders are Going Crazy!!

Traditional Christmas Hampers

Christmas Hampers 2010

Christmas Hampers

Homemade Christmas Gifts

Christmas Hampers

Hampers for Christmas Gifts

Wife and Daughters

Jazz in the Vines October 2010

Baby Gifts for Delivery and Privacy.

Love this Season of the Year - SPRINTER

Opera in The Vineyards 2010

Free Corporate Hampers

Gourmet-Hampers-Sydney

Create Your Own Hamper Gift Online

New Gift Tags For Hunter Valley Hampers

Bitter and Twisted International Boutique Beer Festival

Hunter Valley Wine Matching to Vineyards

Gourmet Hampers and Gift Baskets

Fruit Baskets Popular In Winter

Related articles by Zemanta

Green Christmas Hampers

Create Your Own Virtual Gift Baskets

Hampers and Gift Boxes - Tying a ribbon

Hamper Tips; Decanting an Old Bottle of Wine

Wine and Cheese Hampers - The Cheese Platter

How-to-remove-red-wine-stains-from-carpet

Some-Funny-Things-I-might-have-heard