Christmas Shopping Gift Awards 2013

Award Winning Christmas Shopping Ideas
for sharing with Friends and Family at Home in 2013

MEDIA RELEASE OCTOBER 2013

Announcing the release of the winners of the National Christmas Shopping Gift Awards, as judged by an esteemed panel of foodie and gourmet experts from around Australia.  After an exhaustive judging process, as revealed to our readership and enthusiastic followers by the highly regarded and critically acclaimed leaders in the industry.

Christmas is a Special Time of Year

It is also the time to get a few foodie friends around and put together you gingerbread house, mince pies, shortbread, biscotti, panettone, panforte and whatever other regional delicacies you include in your Christmas Celebration.  Especially in Australia, freeze ahead – one of the best things about most Christmas fare is that it can be made ahead of time and frozen – so on the day you can slowly release the frozen products and they can act as cooling agents around the kitchen.

Christmas Day

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

New Christmas Hamper Designs 2012

The Christmas Hamper to surprise and indulge your family, friends or business connections? Perhaps we should suggest the Taste of Hunter Valley - a generous helping of gift foods for the season to share as you celebrate Christmas and welcome the new year.

Taste of Hunter Valley Christmas Hamper -
a fresh design for 2012 and exclusively at Hunter Valley Hampers

Order online at Hunter Valley Hampers - click here to go straight to the Taste of Hunter Valley and place your order.  And be mindful, we sell out every Christmas so the earlier we receive and confirm your order, the better for you to share with your loved ones.

Gourmet Hampers Australia Delivered

Hunter Valley Hampers Real Hampers

Buying a Christmas Hamper in 2012 is often a question of price point.

Let me explain how this can set you up for failure.

When you are responsible for a Corporate Order and you are solely concerned with pricepoint, or negotiating a winning discount, you miss the whole point of the process.



Here's why.

Never forget, a real hamper is a genuine authentic hamper and there's no two ways of looking at it. 

A hamper is a collection of products displayed in a basket and presented as a visual experience. 

A hamper is not a box full of products. 

Let me repeat that - a hamper is not simply a box, (no matter how brightly coloured or heavily decorated with bows), filled with products.  That is not called a hamper, it is called a box filled with products.  Are you getting the picture?

So be mindful of why a box filled with products is cheaper and less expensive to deliver than a genuine authentic handmade hamper.  There is a difference and discerning customers know this.  Good Luck with your Christmas Order!

Most Popular Christmas Hampers

Ordering Christmas Hampers for your business friends can be daunting – there are so many options and so many competing options at this time of year. But you can make the right choice, and completely eliminate risk, by choosing Hunter Valley Hampers.

Wine Appreciation Christmas Hamper

We have an established history since 1988 of providing memorable hamper experiences for corporate clients across Australia.

As the saying goes – no job is too big or too small – we work diligently with individual orders from across the globe and fulfill substantial corporate requests with flying colors.

Make the right choice, for your business, for your brand, and to represent what your values are. Hunter Valley Hampers offer a wide, easy-to-customise range of Christmas Hampers.

Happy Christmas Fruit Baskets

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.

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

Buying Christmas Hampers Online - The Checklist.

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

The Gourmet Hamper - Regional Produce in a Box

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.

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 Hampers 2010

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

Christmas Hampers

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

Christmas Hampers

It's Christmas Hampers Time!
Gourmet Hampers Australia welcome back all our loyal to local Hunter Valley Hampers clients and let me say we really appreciate helping you source your Christmas gifts and corporate thank you ideas.

Christmas Hampers are a funny game. Often, we have businesses call us who have religiously ordered inferior hampers from the same jaded company each year. Simply because the person delegated to do the job liked the ease way out. He did not look for the best deal with Christmas Hampers. He just wanted the easiest.

So we get the order last year and they are converted to the presentation and ease of delivery that makes Hunter Valley Hampers a leading Gift Service Australia wide. This year (2009) they increae their order and we add some special inclusions like Veuve Cliquot NV Champagne and Sticky Date Pudding from Pudding Lane.

You can trust hunter Valley Hampers to deliver premium gourmet hampers Australia wide and know you are

Sending the Taste, and Sharing the Feeling...

Gourmet Hampers Australia Delivery

For fast delivery Australia wide for your Christmas Hampers, Hunter Valley Hampers use trusted courier companies and Australia Post to ensure your package is delivered on time, in time.
New for 2009, all of our Christmas Gift Baskets are delivered in a custom made, unique to design cardboard box to ensure a striking impact on delivery to your office Australia wide.
Another reason Hunter Valley Hampers is Australia's Favourite Christmas Gift Hamper.

Biz to Biz Christmas Gifts

Year after Year, Hunter Valley Hampers are the trusted and favourite corporate Xmas Gift Basket favourites.

Christmas Hampers with a Hunter Valley Twist, your choice our taste ensures a smiling response.

Christmas Hampers for Corporate Gift Giving

Christmas orders are already arriving at Hunter Valley Hampers! Join the evergreen popularity of premium Hunter Valley Gourmet products and our sparkling presentation and cheerful service for a truly memorable Corporate Christmas Gift giving occasion.

To ensure priority delivery and attention to meet your individual needs, we advise early ordering and offer a free quote to beat all competitors on price. Simply contact us with a competitors gift basket or gourmet hamper and we will beat their price using local Hunter Valley produce!

As an added incentive to send a corporate pre purchase order, we offer a special surprise gift specifically for you and discreetly delivered to a personal address as a thank you for choosing Hunter Valley Hampers. Call 1300 284 684 for more information.