We have put together our Sydney Christmas Gift Guide to highlight some of the city’s small businesses that are producing great items right here in Sydney.

After another year, when local small businesses have had an incredibly challenging time, we wanted to highlight some small local operators that make great choices for Sydney Christmas shopping. The guide is arranged by theme, and we have tried to give you some perfect options for the whole family.

Shopping in your local area is a great way to support your community and maybe even help keep some operators in business. At the same time, you will find unique gifts for your family and friends, so everyone wins! No one has paid to appear on this list – these are brands and products we genuinely love.

Vouchers for Sydney Experiences

If you are planning a visit to Sydney in 2024 or have just vowed to get out more, there are heaps of arts and performance companies you can support with a great gift voucher

Griffin Theatre Company

Give the gift of Griffin this festival season! Griffin Theatre Company’s gift certificates are the perfect way to celebrate the theatre lover in your life. Gift the value of a 2023 subscription, a double pass, or a custom amount of your choosing.

Purchase before 23 December to receive your digital gift certificate before Chrissy! Enjoy the very best of new Australian theatre in 2024, only at Griffin Theatre Company in the iconic Kings Cross.

Learn more and purchase now 

Sydney Comedy Festival

The perfect gift for anyone who loves to laugh! The Sydney Comedy Festival is Sydney’s biggest and most exciting annual comedy event, bringing hundreds of comedians to stages across Sydney from 22 April – 19 May 2024.

With over 200 shows to choose from, including massive Gala events, the Sydney Comedy Festival has something to suit every sense of humour.

Support A Good Cause this Christmas

Legacy Christmas Wreaths

Sydney Legacy has partnered with Darlinghurst’s Floreat to create a special Christmas wreath ($150) to celebrate the festive season and honour servicemen and women. With 25% of the price of the wreath going to Sydney Legacy, this will enable them to support the families of veterans this Christmas. 

Made with native eucalyptus leaves and finished with silk poppies as a nod to those who have served, the wreath is a symbol of both the festivities and remembrance. As many families decorate their front doors with wreaths for Christmas, Sydney Legacy and Floreat are proud to have created something special that will look great at the front of your home as well as give back to the community in the spirit of the season.

The Sweetest Gift

The Sweetest Gift is a Sydney based charity supporting transplant recipients and people living with chronic illnesses. With a tag line “eat dessert, support charity” along with selling fabulous dessert boxes you can also order custom cakes, macarons and Christmas puddings.

Each dessert box contains:

• Christmas tree donuts
• Cranberry & pistachio blondies
• Peppermint bark
• Rum balls
• Gingerbread cookies
• Lemon myrtle & macadamia shortbread
• Maple nut fudge
• Macarons
• Beurre noisette & gingerbread mini cupcakes
• Dark choc filled profiteroles covered in Ruby chocolate

The items are to fundraise toward our ultimate goal of opening a social enterprise restaurant where we can provide employment opportunities to our vulnerable group, many of whom suffer financial disadvantage and social isolation because of their health needs.

Find out more about the delicious treats on offer and how you can support the important charity on the Sweetest Gift website.

Gifts for Sydney Foodies

In an era of sustainability, gifts you can eat are a brilliant choice, especially for those that have everything they need.

Baked By Keiran Christmas Hampers

Is it your turn to bring a dessert to Christmas lunch? You are in luck, Sydney artisan bakery Baked by Keiran will be offering some fabulous Christmas Hampers and festive season specialties.

The bakery, known for its 72-hour sourdough, will offer Christmas Hampers and individual specialty items from its Elizabeth Bay, Bondi, Peakhurst and Dulwich Hill bakeries.

Keiran’s Christmas Hampers will include*:

• Gingerbread Men: soft and chewy gingerbread
• Mince Pies: Soaked fruit mince in crumbly, buttery pastry
• Christmas Pudding: Keiran’s Drunken Pud, best enjoyed warm
• Xmas Granola: crunchy granola with cranberries
• Christmas Canele: spiced fruit mince canele with white chocolate topping
• Festive Rocky Road: milk chocolate with cranberry nougat and marshmallows.

*See the full range in the feature image at the top of the page.

Order your hamper online and pick it up from one of their four locations.

That Gingerbread Place

Their DIY Gingerbread house or tree kits are their best sellers and provide great value for money! Easy to assemble, fun to create and suitable for all ages. Let your creativity run wild! You can order online or purchase in store at Castle Hill.

That Gingerbread Place creates an amazing array of customised products locally produced at their bakery in Sydney. All products are 100% Australian made with no preservatives and are dairy-free!

Lotus Dining Group

Treat your loved one to a Lotus Dining Group gift voucher which can be redeemed at any of the group’s seven venues across Sydney. Plus, gin-lovers can enjoy sipping on a delicious cocktail made with the group’s very own Mandarin Gin, created in collaboration with artisanal Canberra distillers Big River Distilling Co.

To purchase, head to www.lotusdininggroup.com

Shaffa Restaurant

in 2023 Shaffa has come out on top as my go to lunch spot. I encourage you to try with Shaffa’s modern twist on Middle Eastern street food in the heart of Surry Hills. 

Designed to evoke memories of Tel Aviv and its vibrant, bustling marketplaces and melting pot of Middle Eastern cuisine, Shaffa is bursting with personality, flavour-filled share plates and a creative, yet sophisticated drinks list. Nestled within a narrow alley between a 150-year-old church and a 19th-century inn, the modern indoor-outdoor space is enclosed by a dramatic 10-metre-high glass roof and is equipped with a chef’s bar, dining space and a magnificent indoor bar, originally constructed in the 1850s. 

To purchase, head to www.shaffa.com.au 

Beautiful Wooden Boards by Exquisite Atelier

Exquisite Eatelier, created by Giulia & Maria produces & sells handmade hardwood chopping and serving boards, finished in eco food-safe oils, perfect for entertaining guests and a lovely display for any room with character. Focusing on sustainable and natural products, our pieces are made with extreme love.

Every board tells a story, and we shape them and protect the surface with handmade coconut oil and a pure beeswax balm that we produce in our workshop. We also take great pride in our packaging, made with brown paper and small natural decorations, or wrapped with fabric to give as gifts. You can purchase from their online store or in person in Pymble.

Related: No plans for Christmas Lunch? Check out what’s on offer this year in Sydney’s restaurants and hotels.

Tours, Classes and Experiences

Buy a voucher for a local food tour

Small tourism operators have perhaps had an even more challenging time than even the hospitality industry with their primary income often coming from international visitors.

We think there are dozens of these tours that most locals would really enjoy if they knew about them. From small bar tours exploring the inner city to travelling to new suburbs and learning more about one of Sydney’s ethnic communities, there is so much variety and always something new to discover.

One company we really like to support is Taste Cultural Food Tours who offer both the city and suburban adventures. Taste Food Tours is a social enterprise that provides training to Australian migrants and refugees and local youth. The guides are employed leading local tours, which promote cross-cultural understanding.

Choose from tours like Taste of Afghanistan, Syria and Persia in Merrylands or Taste of Greece, Lebanon and Vietnam in Bankstown, or Taste of Chinatown in Haymarket.

Sydney Seafood School Classes

Sydney Seafood School offers fun and informative classes from their kitchens above the Sydney Fish market

A mix of celebrity chefs and in house specialists present demonstrations or hands on classes to help you learn how to cook all your favourite seafood specialities. Find out more here

Iconic Sydney Gifts

Bangarra Dance Theatre Swag

Gift your loved ones some of Bangarra Dance Theatre’s iconic apparel and accessories, designed to be worn by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands Communities and their friends, family and allies.

Select from a range of tees, caps, totes, keyrings and prints, DVD’s and CDs of your favourite Bangarra performances. 

View the range and purchase now

The Train Game – Sydney edition

As avid public transport users, we could not go past including The Train Game. While the first edition, released in 2019, was based on the Melbourne train network this small Australian family business launched a Sydney version of the game in 2020 and have recently launched Brisbane, NYC and London.

Creators Lauren and Mark have come up with a game that is fast-paced and requires a great mix of strategy and luck. Each set contains train lines with local stations across the line, ticket inspectors and undercover ticket inspectors, tickets and trains.

The game is best suited to players aged 7 years and older and is the perfect after lunch game for all the family. Check out their website to learn more and sign up for details of future cities when they come online. The Sydney edition is available for $39.99 from their website.

We hope you have found some products that will make perfect gifts for your family and friends.

Merry Christmas
Paula and Charles

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