Dish Cult’s 2021 Christmas Gift Guide

Lockdown had us pouring a few more drinks than we’d probably care to share – let the Christmas season be a chance for detox, minus the exclusion around the table. Seedlip has perfected the non-alcoholic spirit game. Cook and Nelson host a variety of Seedlip’s best sellers (amongst a bunch of other amazing artisanal brands, perfect for a gift browsing session) including their Garden 108, mimicking the floral and fresh notes of gin. If it’s something a little warmer you’re after, Seedlip’s Spice 94 is an aromatic and earthy blend of copper-pot distillates, including allspice, cardamom, lemon and grapefruit. Lastly, for the 700mL range, the Grove 42 encapsulates everything great about citrus notes with lemon peel, three varieties of Mediterranean orange, ginger, lemongrass, and Japanese Sansho peppercorn.

Cook and Nelson also carry a range of Seedlip accessories, including a detailed cocktail recipe book, cocktail set with a bottle of Seedlip and all the makings for a tonic cocktail, a copper-plated jigger, and a taste tester set acting as the perfect gift for your Secret Santa. Grab a bottle and a few accompanying pieces from Cook and Nelson for the ultimate non-alcoholic cocktail kit this Christmas.

We’re lucky enough to be blessed with a multitude of local vineyards and winemakers up and down Aotearoa, sometimes it’s hard to wrap your head around the magnificent drinks lists consisting of purely NZ wines. So why not help your friends and family branch out this Christmas and introduce them to a whole new world of wine. A more contemporary label we have been loving this year is Leftfield, entirely New Zealand owned, grown, and made. Coming in at less than $20 a bottle, Leftfield offers all the luxuriousness and chicness of a $50 bottle of wine, just at a lower price point.

Their standouts include: their Rosé, a dry Rosé made from Merlot, Pinot Noir and Arneis with strawberry, cranberry and juicy raspberry flavours packed in. No kiwi summer day is complete without a cold glass of rosé. And The Hatchling, a new blend from Leftfield, the Hawkes Bay wine pushes the boundaries on how many blends you can get into one bottle, combining merlot, tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, syrah and grenache grapes to create a velvety-smooth delicious red wine.

Just in time for the busy holiday season, dining in has finally reopened in Auckland, after almost four months of remaining closed for sitting in. As Aucklanders head to cafes, restaurants, and bars in droves, why not gift a red light outing to an exciting new restaurant or perhaps your gift recipient’s all-time favourite establishment. Hospo vouchers are more handy and readily available than you may think, with a majority of restaurants and cafés in the city offering vouchers for purchase. Our top picks are: Kiss Kiss in Balmoral, offering a unique and consistent experience of Asian Fusion, recreating dishes that you would never think to make at home. Fields Café in Albany with their constantly raved about brunch menu, Fields not only dishes up the perfect dishes to start your day, but does so in a relaxing and welcoming environment, with views overlooking the Hooton Reserve. And Sails Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in the heart of the City of Sails, it doesn’t get more Auckland than seafood and fine wine by the harbour.

So whether you want to treat your friends and family to a fine dining luxury experience, open them up to a new cuisine, or gift them their favourite routine brunch dish, these three top spots have all your bases covered.

For the person who has everything they could possibly need, and who would be the perfect recipient of a box of chocolates – think bigger and better with a freshly baked treat. Adding an extra layer of thoughtfulness and effort, cupcakes are the perfect gift for the friend who already has it all. Petal Cupcakes is notoriously our go-to when it comes to Christmas, Birthdays, Graduations, or anything else worth celebrating, no matter how small. Stocked with a variety of fresh flavours, as well as gluten-free and vegan flavours, Petal’s cupcakes are nothing short of the fluffiest, lightest thing you’ll put in your mouth, while the buttercream icing remains some of the best we’ve ever tried. With same-day delivery, you’ll also be covered for those last-minute “Oh Shit” moments this Christmas.

Our top picks are the Salted Caramel, Hawke’s Bay Peach, Vanilla Milk Chocolate, and Ginger Kiss. Trust us when we say, no one has ever been disappointed to receive a Petal Cupcakes Delivery.

Show us an Aucklander who doesn’t love a Best Ugly Bagel! We’re partial to a Best Ugly with a maple iced coffee every weekend, it’s one of the best ways to start your day. Gift your friends and family their very own BUB Starter Kit this Christmas, with everything they need to recreate their favourite flavour at the bach this summer. You’ll be providing them with some of the best quality ingredients used by all Best Ugly stores themselves, including Fix and Fogg’s Peanut Butter, Marsh’s Honey, Al Brown’s Old Yella Habanero Mustard, as well as plenty of fresh bagels and Joe’s Coffee to go alongside it.

Top it off with a voucher or two for a bagel to be used immediately on their return to Tāmaki Makaurau after the holiday season.

We all have a foodie friend, whether they love grilling in the backyard every weekend no matter the weather, or they’ve loaded up their Instagram with food ratings across Tāmaki Makaurau, they appreciate food vendors a little bit more than the average person. Stop pondering the perfect gift for them, because we’ve already found it. Treat them to a full international experience at the legendary Eight Restaurant at Cordis. Combining eight different global cuisines in the one venue allows their guests to hop around the globe and visit each open kitchen for the freshest, tastiest dishes on an all you can eat basis. Go from their fresh seafood buffet to their American grill, dim sum bar, sushi and sashimi table, and Indian Tandoor Kitchen. They’ll end their service with a trip to the dessert bar, complete with roll your own ice cream and two chocolate fondue fountains – our favourite feature of the restaurant!

PS. Cordis also offers a range of incredible gifts alongside Eight, including some R+R pamper time at their Chuan Spa situated on their rooftop, and remarkable staycation packages tailored to your gift recipients personality. Our top pick is the Foodie Staycation which includes two visits to Eight for dinner and breakfast, win-win!

It’s the perfect time of year to sit back, relax, and unwind with all your guilty pleasures. 2021 has been a tough year, there’s no debating, so remind your nearest and dearest to treat themselves to their favourite things this silly season. Our top pick for the sweetest treat has to be in the form of a freakshake. Take a milkshake and add anything from you imagination on top – we’re talking cupcakes, brownies, donuts, candy-floss, candy-canes, lollipops, cookies, and popcorn. If you’re immediately reminded of a sweet-toothed friend, hook them up with some vouchers to The Freak Shack in Panmure, kings of the freakshake. Or better yet, take them there yourself and enjoy a super sweet and sugary date to remind them how sweet you think they are.