The Menu: Joe McNamee's Christmas foodie gift guide
The Lismore Food Company's food hamper
The most stylishly liveried and luxurious assemblage of any hamper out there, an ever-expanding range that just gets better each year, and their sumptuous All Butter Panettone washed down with big bowls of café au lait is fast becoming a Menu Christmas morning tradition.
From one of Ireland’s very best food shops and a real Menu favourite, from a range of hampers, this year’s showcase is An Barróg (Irish for hug), presented in a soft Olannmor handmade, unwoven sheep’s-wool basket, including a stunning selection of produce and wrapped up in cheesecloth with festive decorations. Limited availability.
A selection of hampers and Christmas ‘care’ packages delivered worldwide, including some of the finest produce from their hinterland, not least a wonderful West Cork Breakfast package.
Pride of place goes to their Rebel Hamper, all products sourced from within the county of Cork.
Create your own English Market Hamper, selecting from Bubble Brothers; The Roughty Foodie; On the Pigs Back; Mr Bell’s; Hederman Smoked Salmon, or pick up an English Market Gift Voucher.
Create your own hamper from a dizzying range of delicious delectables from one of the finest food stores in the country.
The Nash 19 hamper is a longtime legend on Leeside, with one of the best traditional puds around.
Cracking hamper including spice rubs, their own craft beers, stylish t-shirt, with restaurant vouchers and mini-kegs also available.
One of The Menu’s most favourite new cheesemakers, The Lost Valley Dairy Christmas Box brings it back to basics with just honey and cheese — mind you, some of the best new Irish cheeses of recent times.
Superb range of excellently husbanded Irish farmhouse cheeses and European classics, as well as a superb range of condiments, charcuterie and associated gifts.
Mayo creators of gorgeous Velvet Cloud yoghurt and Rockfield Cheese, offer premium sheep’s milk cheeses, chocolates, handmade fudge, and luxury sheep’s milk soap for sensitive skin.
A bespoke selection of cheese hampers featuring their world-class cheeses and assorted extras.
The Queen of Irish smoked fish, also offering gift cards and the chance to purchase attendance at one of her splendid masterclasses.
Another legendary Irish salmon smoker who not only applies his talents to fish but also to wonderful smoked butter and paprika.
Birgitta Hedin-Curtin’s award-winning Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna, has a range of hampers including the Burren Smokehouse Wellness Hamper, pampering for within and without, all sporting a marine theme.
The Folláin Cheese Pairing Gift Box contains 6 Folláin preserves both sweet and savoury, perfect for cheese, and 50% of all online sales go to The Simon Community.
One of The Menu's favourite Irish makers of jam and preserves, with a fab pop-up retail outlet in St Patrick’s Woollen Mills in Douglas, near the Pig’s Back, until Christmas Eve.
Ballymaloe Foods partnered with i-Stil 38 Premium Irish Vodka to create a very special limited edition cranberry sauce, and great Menu comrade and cocktail maestro, Oisin Davis has created a special cranberry cocktail to mix up at home using the sauce.
A splendid Cork-produced alternative, combining biscuit, Belgian dark chocolate, salted butter, and brandy-soaked fruit, in three flavours: Brandy & Christmas Spices; Irish Cream Liqueur; and Spiced Arancello & Cardamom.
One of Ireland’s finest young pastry chefs offers splendid winter flavours in her Christmas collection, with personalised cards designed by Angela Gartlan.
Gráinne O’Keeffe’s delicious and visually delightful handmade chocolates, including a range of Christmas chocolate trees and crackers.
Best Sellers Hamper features three sublime sea salts, a salt pinch pot and salty-sweet goodies.
Wicklow-based Thierry Peurois’s fabulous range of fish and chicken liver patés, and pork Rillette for finest yuletide snackery action.
