It’s the little things that matter, and the sidelines to the festive feasts we are planning for later this month are no exception. So while we may have the turkey ordered and the plum pudding maturing, there are lots of ways we can make our Christmas meals more exciting, by ordering from the many Irish companies delivering seasonal treats right to our doors, or for collection.
Mister S Larder Box
misters.ie
This is the box of tricks that keen cooks have been snapping up to elevate their food this month, and beyond. It contains a selection of oils, rubs and condiments that the Dublin restaurant uses in its kitchen, including smoked rapeseed oil, charcoal and tomato ketchup, dill oil, burnt onion and garlic salt, fermented hot sauce and spice rubs for red and white meats. There is also a block of Applewood smoked bacon butter, and you can add optional extras of smoked sausage stuffing and honey mustard smoked Andarl Farm ham. The Larder Box costs €60, with nationwide deliver available for an extra €5.
My Cookie Sandwich
mycookiesandwich.net
These giant cookies are made to the highest standards, using single varietal whole grains from Ballymore organics, by chef Rory Shannon of Bistro One in Foxrock. They come in four varieties - loaded chocolate, coffee companion, hazelnut and honey, and oatmeal and raisin - and are sandwiched with Swiss meringue buttercream. The chunky, palm-sized cookies cost €3 each and the mimimum order is a box of six. Delivery is available nationwide and Shannon says they will keep for a couple of weeks refrigerated in an airtight container, though it's doubtful they will hang around that long.
Cliff Christmas hamper
cliffhome.ie
The properties in the Cliff hotel and hospitality group, including Michelin two-star Aimsir restaurant, have contributed to a range of Christmas food hampers that can be delivered nationwide or collected from The Pantry at Cliff at Lyons in Co Kildare. The top of the range hamper costs €225 and includes three bottles of wine from the Aimsir cellar, chutneys made from fruit and veg from the restaurant's kitchen garden, Majken Bech Bailey's "Stone Age" bread, Guinness bread, baking mixes, coffee, tea, olive oil, Arcane chocolates, and lots more.
Allta Everything Inbetween
allta.ie
A Christmas provisions box sounds like a very good idea, and when it's put together by the chefs and sommelier at Allta wine bar, it is definitely somethingto look forward to. They took the decision not to reopen the restaurant for the pre-Christmas season and instead are channeling all their culinary creativity into this luxurious box that has everything you'll need for Christmas dinner, except the turkey and ham.
The box contains Champagne, charcuterie and pickles, Burren Smokehouse smoked salmon, shitake miso butter, rye bread, pistachio and foie gras terrine, potted crab, spiced Velvet Cloud yoghurt dressing, Malone’s redcurrant jelly, black apple and smoked honey ham glaze, McNally’s braised red cabbage, chestnut and sausage meat stuffing, turkey gravy, Skeaghanore herbed duck fat, pain perdu, Teelings custard, Young Buck cheese, and apple and pear chutney. It costs €195, including nationwide delivery on December 23rd or 24th. Quantities serve four generously.
The Bretzel Bakery
blas2020.ie
The Dublin bakery, winner of the supreme champion award at the Blas na hÉireann awards this year, has teamed up with other winners from the annual event to offer four collections of food products, all of which pair well with their award winning Pain de Maison Boule. Butter, jams, honey, bacon, teas and coffees are all included, as well as handmade chocolates.
The Supreme Champion box, which has 16 products as well as a bread board and other gifts, is the most expensive offering at €185, and there are also a vegan box for €59 and a breakfast of champions offering for €45. They can be ordered online for collection at pick-up locations across Dublin.
Volpe Nera Christmas Eve box
volpenera.ie
The team at Volpe Nera in Blackrock have put together a luxury no-cook box to be enjoyed on Christmas Eve, so you can stay out of the kitchen that night, if you wish. The box contains bread, cep butter, a selection of cured meats, pickles, smoked almonds, olives, picpoul olive oil, Irish cheeses and crackers. For those with a sweet tooth, there are spiced red wine poached pears with vanilla mascarpone and nut crumble, Volpe Nera panettone and a box of Cocoa Atelier chocolates. Along with two bottles of wine selected by sommelier Darrren D'Arcy, the box costs €150 and can be collected on December 24th.
Medley Christmas hampers
medley.ie
All of the contents of the Medley hampers are made by hand at the private venue's Dublin 2 premises, except the Christmas cake which is made by proprietor Andrew Rudd's mum, Prue. There's a real homemade taste to the selection, which also includes gingerbread people, shortbread, cheese biscuits, macarons, cranberry sauce, truffles, spiced nuts, marshmallow tree decorations, and the best craberry sauce I've ever tasted. The Christmas food hamper is €40 and there is also a mulled wine box with mince pies and glassware included (€45). Both are available for collection or delivery.
Lir chocolate hampers
lirchocolates.com
There is something very decadent about a hamper filled only with chocolate.The Lir deluxe chocolate hamper contains four boxes of chocolates, three truffle pouches and two large bars. The chocolates are made in Co Meath and the price is €45 including postage.
Gobblebox
rockfarmslane.ie
Keith Coleman and Aisling Mc Hugh of the Roots Project have created the Gobblebox to compliment the organic bronze turkeys and organic heritage pork on offer at Rock Farm in Slane. In the box you'll find turkey dry brine mix; Slane Whiskey ham glaze; paprika, brown butter and honey glaze for vegetables; herb stuffing butter, and cranberry sauce, along with a recipe card. The gobblebox costs €35 and can be purchased at the farmers' market at Rock Farm every Thursday from December 10th, or ordered from rockfarmslane.ie, or mcnallyfamilyfarm.ie.
