Hampers filled with Australian treats after disastrous drought and bushfires

She was once known as Mrs Christmas, with the company insisting the classic December staple is still loved by Australians and New Zealanders.

James Hall

@James_P_Hall

3 min read

December 23, 2019 - 2:01PM

Retail

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The Chrisco site transforms into Australia’s North Pole from September each year when the workforce swells from 80 to 300 to ensure the decades-old hamper traditions are delivered.

“I joke with our family and friends that we are Santa’s elves,” said Robyn B, who has worked as a Chrisco casual in the lead-up to the holiday season for 16 years.

“Our work with Chrisco really gets us into the Christmas spirit and provides a bit of extra pocket money for the festive season too.”

The company offered a subscription service long before we were committed to Netflix and Stan. And after 40 years of operation, Chrisco says its consumers still go for the classic hamper with 100,000 delivered to families across Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Fun fact! The Chrisco Christmas Hamper was the original subscription service. pic.twitter.com/nOSf3yidhF
— shackas (@shackas) April 10, 2019

Customers pay off their massive packages in instalments throughout the year to help ease the financial burden of the festive season.

“While people still love all the traditional food hampers that are synonymous with Christmas, consumers now have a wide variety of choice available to them,” Chrisco spokesperson Robyn Gipters said.

“Our buyers work closely with the biggest brands to make sure we have the latest and greatest.

“We have expanded to not just include food hampers, we offer home and living, toy and gift and then the addition of our favourites catalogue in January to make sure we have the latest items.”

Supporting the bush and other Australian producers has been a strong theme in the lead-up to the Christmas season, and the classic hamper delivering service is no different.

The meat selected for Chrisco’s Aussie meat and festive hampers is sourced from Tara Valley in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley.

“Our popular meat hampers have long been a family favourite for the Christmas roast, barbecue or relaxed gatherings at holiday time,” Ms Gipters said.

“There’s also the peace of mind knowing that all of our prices are fixed, meaning families can choose their meat selection and set a budget they can afford with no chance of seasonal price rises.”

That's a heavy hamper.

HELPING OUT THE BUSH

Woolworths is celebrating local producers this season by featuring fruit-themed Christmas items in its Gift of Fresh campaign.

Through a partnership with food artist Laleh Mohmedi from the Jacob’s Food Diaries, the supermarket giant will encourage consumers to opt for fresh fruit as a present, such as mango teddy bear or a festive edible tree.

“We live in a country where we are blessed to have access to great tasting, locally grown fresh fruit,” Mrs Mohmedi said.

“I love the versatility, the choice, the tastes, the colours, which is why I’m really excited to get behind the Woolworths Gift of Fresh movement.

“By creating a gift using fruit you’re not only supporting Aussie growers but making something personal to give. It’s a great way to bring the family together at Christmas time, from the process of handmaking it through to seeing the delight on someone’s face on receiving the gift. It’s the type of gift that’s made for sharing.”

Woolworths expects to sell 2.5 million mangoes as well as 450,000 kilos of cherries and more than 800,000 kilos of stone fruit over the holiday season.

“Cherries are a great alternative to chocolate as a gift,” says Victoria-based Wandin Valley Farms chief executive Alison Jones, who supplied 75 million cherries to Woolworths in last year’s harvest.

“Giving fresh is as simple as bringing a big bowl of cherries to your next family gathering.

“If you happen to have a few cherries left over, we recommend removing the pips, popping them in a saucepan and gently warming them on the stove until the juices start to run, then serve over a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream and enjoy.”

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS AT COLES

It appears Coles has opted to go for a modern twist on the classic Christmas favourites with the supermarket giant offering sloe gin fruit mince pies, a beach-themed gingerbread house and the summer meringue, of course.