The (not so) Wee foodie gift guide to help you out
When you contemplate purchasing a gift over the festive season how about considering buying local. To help you out Wee Magazine creator Lou Evans has put together the (not so) Wee foodie gift guide.
When you contemplate purchasing a gift over the festive season how about considering buying local. To help you out Wee Magazine creator Lou Evans has put together the (not so) Wee foodie gift guide. Enjoy.
This is no ordinary rundown of gift ideas; this is a curation of the best kai-related gifts in Murihiku, tailored for taste buds that crave the wonderfully wee, crafted, and local.
These are gifts that fizz, sizzle, and tell stories. I’m talking spirits that whisper tales of the land, brews that bring a festival to your palate, and handcrafted wonders that turn kitchens into artisan studios.
And for the armchair explorers, some little curios to transport recipients straight to the heart of a Southland kitchen, all from the comfort of their cosy nook.
So, loosen your apron strings and dive into a guide that's bubbling with local flavour and a dash of whimsy. The (Not So) Wee Foodie Gift Guide is your ticket to being the most decadent Santa in the South. Happy gifting.
Make Christmas a wee bit merrier.
Let’s start as we mean to go on, shall we, making the silly season sillier. Give someone a kick of Christmas spirit with Southland's finest.
Auld Distillery, from Scott’s Gap, produces high-end gin distilled from their own grain. With flavours named Ocean’s Keep, Summit’s Reach, and Endless Fields, this gin captures the essence of the region - it’s Southland in every sip.
Endless Fields - 700ml $175
Third Island Gin, is wild and untamed like Stewart Island itself. Rakiura rain. Rakiura botanicals. Rakiura, bottled. Imagine a kiwi brushing past the very botanicals in your glass - it may be as close as you’ll get.
Third Island Gin - 700ml $79.95
For the beer enthusiasts, delve into the local brew scene. If they haven’t tried the creations of 4 Mates, Hopsession, or Gadoochi, gift a tasting voucher from a local restaurant or bar, or better yet, a ticket to Rhythm and Brews in picturesque Te Anau this January. It's not just a festival; it's a celebration of local craftsmanship set against the backdrop of stunning natural beauty.
Rhythm and Brews - Sat Jan 20th, 2024 $50 + BF
Buy tickets here
Tuatara Cafe and Brewery - Tasting paddle $20
30-32 Dee Street
Crafty’s Bar and Grill
www.craftysinvercargill.nz
Or, if you're uncertain about their tastes, Stéphan at Windsor Wines is your go-to guide. His unparalleled knowledge of wines from around the globe is sure to help you pick the perfect bottle.
Windsor Wines
8 Winsdor Street
For the perfect Christmas spread (pa rum pa pum pum).
There are spreads and then there are spreads. For the ones on toast (and don’t go past a FlourBro Jalapeno or Chocolate Sourdough loaf), Boasted Peanut Butter boasts a great peanut flavour - that'll be from all the peanuts. There's nothing else in it. Or go a bit nuts and mix it up - give hazelnut spread from Davis Downs - an idyllic orchard of Hazelnut trees in Makerewa. Miele Apiaries' Raw Clover Honey and the raw Manuka honey from Ruapuke Uncut are favourites, but a Murihiku honey tasting session seems like a brilliant gift.
Miele Apiaries Creamed Clover Honey - 250g $10
Online or at the Southern Farmers Market on Sundays
Hazelnut Assortment hamper - $88
FlourBro - Try the Jalapeño and cheddar
Open 8am-4pm Thursdays and Fridays, 171 Dee Street
Boasted Peanut Butter - Get a 2.2kg pail for $40
The Southern Farmers Market, Longwood Loop and Riverton Environment Centre are always jam-packed (eh-em), with jams and chutneys made locally and with love. And the chilli jam with fresh chillies grown from Gareth’s garden, from the Batch Cafe is possibly less for toast, and more for everything else. Chilli jam and ice-cream anyone?
Southern Farmers Market every Sunday from 9.00am-1pm at the Railway Station
Chilli Jam - 250g $13
The Batch Cafe, 173 Spey St.
Adapted from Nana’s closely guarded recipes, Mrs Pickles’ creations perfectly complement whatever kind of cheese board you’re having this Christmas. And they’re gluten-free to boot. Divine deli items by Jo Keppel, like hot nuts and black sesame and fennel lavosh crispbreads, will forgive any dry turkey. Or you could wrap up a bottle of Hopefield Hemp’s cold-pressed hemp oil - it has a nutty flavour that can either be drizzled over a salad or dipped with breads. Rad Dad’s burger sauce is perfect for the tong wielder in your house.
Robbies Pickled Onions - 1kg $18
Black sesame and fennel lavosh crispbreads - Bark style $10
Hopefield Hemp Seed Oil - 250ml $23
Rad Dad’s Burger Sauce - 300ml $12
172 Layard St on Thursday and Friday lunchtimes
Level up your charcuterie too, with local meats: A lady butcher’s Lamb Proscuitto from the Southern farms of Leelands Lamb, some Southland Biltong, or some Gathered Game Wild Venison Salami. Or don’t decide, and get the lot with Chef Ethan Flack’s Festive Spread.
Gathered Game Wild Venison Salami Sliced Packs - 100g $17.99
Leeland’s Lamb Easy Carve Leg - $60.00
Southland hot biltong - 100g $10
www.facebook.com/southlandbiltong
Southern Festive Spread - share comfortably amongst four-six people $200
Naughty and nice, and sugar and spice.
Naturalim chocolates are art pieces in their own right and a perfect wee Secret Santa gift. Norisah (the chocolatier) is a magician. From vegan bonbons to creamy hazelnut truffles and dulce de leche they’ll dream about - it will be hard to not keep these for yourself. The Seriously Good Chocolate Company has wee chocolate-filled decorations to hang from the tree, as well as cocktail infused delights. You can also get Moonshine Truffles from the Gore visitor centre and pretend the whisky tasters are in the name of Southern history.
For the perfect treat to accompany Santa’s milk, pick The Batch Salted Brown Butter & Choc Cookies. Assuming Santa is you, and you’re not going to share.
Vegan bonbons and creamy hazelnut truffles - $6 each
Naturalim Little Counter, corner of Yarrow and Deveron
Kiwiana Triangle Box - 5 Christmas Puddings for 19.95
www.seriouslygoodchocolate.com
Moonshine Whisky Liqueur Chocolates by Jude Taylor - $10
The Batch Salted Brown Butter & Choc Cookies - pack of 8 for $20
The Batch 173 Spey Street
Berries make for a wonderful gift that says “I didn’t know if we were doing gifts, and I don’t really know what hobbies you have, but oooh look, a strawberry,” like nothing else. And a frozen kilo of Otautau blueberries is a toddlers dream.
Fresh strawberries - large punnet of A grade $14
Greenyard Veges at the Southern Farmers Market
Otautau frozen blueberries - 1kg $13
Blueberry Country, 513 Otautau-Drummond Rd
From the workshops Santa only dreams of.
For the admirers of true foodie craftsmanship, gift something practically beautiful - like a masterfully crafted knife by Knife and Ember. Sam Stewart forges these in Arrowtown (almost Southland) with precision and care. Pair it with a chopping board from Darren Scott (Otatara), where each brisket-style board is crafted from rimu or local Southland beech.
Large brisket boards - 582 x 440 x 35 mm from $400
For those who prefer their craftsmanship in a cup, pick up some stunning ceramics from John Kalb who uses local clays, or the beautiful works by Sticks and Stones Pottery, Bluff It, and Drifted – and fill them with a local brew.
Southland has three distinct roasteries, each offering unique profiles for every coffee enthusiast.
Groove Espresso - Amplify 250g $15
136 Kelvin St or Text orders 02108290701
Roar Coffee - 12-week subscription from $170
www.roarcoffee.co.nz
Mint Roastery - Flash Blend from $15
Or purchase coffee vouchers (that can also be used for delicious treats like Herbie’s Fully Vegan Cinnamon Scrolls and Ethan Flack’s pastries) from their favourite spots in town and skip the middleman.
The Batch, 173 Spey St
The Urban Kitchen, 7 Centre St
Groove Espresso, 136 Kelvin St
Black Shag, 136 Dee St
Kahu Ariki, 113 Esk St
‘Tis the Season for Seedlings.
For a perfect wee stocking stuffer, give seeds from Festival Farm, Pumpkin Pete and Polly, or the Riverton Environment Centre. Each packet is from locally grown produce and is a promise (depending on your green thumb) of future feasts.
Festival Farm - Various seeds with hand drawn illustrations from $3.50
Online or at the Southern Farmers Market
Pumpkin Pete & Polly - Pumpkin Seeds $5
Roadside stall in Dacre
South Coast Environment Society Seeds - from $3.50
Riverton Environment Centre, 154 Palmerston St Riverton
www.sces.org.nz
A mushroom growing kit is far easier to wrap than a seedling, and comes almost ready to harvest.
Grow your own oyster mushrooms - small kit $15 Southland Mushrooms at the Southern Farmers Market.
More green than green thumb? The Riverton Environment Centre also offers comprehensive growing guides to gift: from luna charts and planting calendars to heritage orchard handbooks and worm farm how-tos. These manuals are treasure troves of local knowledge, ensuring that from tiny seeds, mighty meals will grow.
And to keep track of it all, the Wee Calendar is an indispensable tool. It’s not just a calendar with beautiful artworks from twelve local artists and their interpretations of our local Southland kai, it has practical tips for food harvesting, including dates for when all the kai seasons start and when to go hunting for wild blackberries.
Wee Calendar Twenty Twenty-four - 12 local artists and kai dates $35
www.wee.nz
For a hands-on experience, gift tickets to Riverton’s Harvest Festival or the Environment Centre’s workshop series Bountiful Backyards - perfect for those who love to learn and grow their skills alongside their plants. (Neither are on sale yet, but I’m sure Nick would write you out a voucher).
Online Classes from The Ferment Kitchen are just $10, covering a range of topics, including Fermented Condiments, Immune Boosting Ferments, Kimchi & Sauerkraut, and Brine Pickles. Each class comes with a one-hour session and a recipe card, offering a deep dive into the world of fermentation.
Fermented Condiments and recipe card - $10
The Ferment Kitchen
Thrifty and Thoughtful.
Inspired by the creative suggestion from Forage and Scout on Instagram of gifting a vintage picnic basket and filling it with curated local treats, here’s a whole section on embracing the charm of thoughtfully chosen secondhand gifts.
Pick up some beautiful planters, vintage vases, or even an old boot and plant them with herbs from local stallholders or the Riverton Environment Centre. It's a gift that keeps on growing, perfect for those with a love for fresh flavours.
Repurposed fabric napkins and tablecloths, crafted from upcycled fabrics, add elegance to any dining experience. Combine a pretty tea towel with a freshly baked sourdough loaf from FlourBro, and you've got a feast wrapped in sustainability and style. Or, put in some elbow grease and polish up some secondhand silver spoons to pair with a jar of Boasted Peanut Butter for a decadent wee treat.
Fill $2 baking tins with wee treats made by hand.
Hospice Shop - 117 Yarrow St
Habitat for Humanity Restore - 33 Glengarry Cres
Unleash Your Inner Christmas Elf.
Remember, nothing says 'I adore you' this Christmas quite like a slightly burnt cookie or a lopsided cake. It's all about mixing, kneading, and a dash of chaos in the kitchen.
Here are two wee recipes to try. One they can taste, and one they don’t have to.
Elderflower Cordial:
Dissolve 2.5kg of sugar into 1.5L of water. Add zest of 2 lemons.
Add 20 elderflower heads, rest of the lemon and 85g citric acid.
Stir, leave for 24 hours. Strain.
White Clay Decorations:
Combine 1 cup of baking soda and half a cup of cornflour with ¾ cup of water. Mix. Squish. Roll. Use cookie cutters or be a rebel, I dare you. Dry. Hang.
Things to gift last-minute, anywhere* in NZ.
Send pies! World-famous in Invercargill, and now delivering across New Zealand, you can send the taste of home to the Fat Bastard in your life. Or send a Wee Calendar (yes, I get two plugs because I’m writing this guide) for a beautiful showcase of Southland kai by local artists.
A box of eight pies - $65 including delivery*
12 local artists, hundreds of practical reminders - $35
*pies don’t get sent to rural addresses. My guess is Fat Bastards don’t live rurally. Complain to someone else. The calendars can be sent anywhere.
Wishing you a wonderful wee Christmas.
Miri Kirimete!
Lou