7 December 2022

Put Canberra on the menu this Christmas

| Lucy Ridge
Ham

Preorder a Christmas ham from the Pialligo Food Emporium. Photo: Pialligo Food Emporium.

Like it or not, Christmas is fast approaching and it’s time to start thinking about what to eat on the big day. Whether you’re planning a long lunch with all the relatives, a quiet dinner with your loved ones, or a feast with friends, there are plenty of ways you can put a taste of Canberra on the menu.

All great meals start with good snacks so level up your game at Ainslie IGA’s famous cheese wall. Once you’ve made your selection from the 200 varieties of cheese, you can also grab some Poachers Pantry cured meats and local olives to build an impressive grazing board.

Ainslie IGA cheese

Ainslie IGA stocks some great festive cheeses. Photo: Ainslie IGA.

The Capital Regional Farmers Market will be open on Christmas Eve, so you can grab all the fresh produce you need for the perfect Christmas feast. Narooma Seafood will be attending with plenty of fresh South Coast oysters, fish and prawns. Local farmers will be selling ethically raised meat so you can feel good about the life of your Christmas turkey, chook or ham! It’s a great opportunity to buy fresh fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers and reducing your carbon footprint.

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Three Mills Bakery has proved themselves adept at providing easy and delicious bake-at-home treats. And they’ve gone the extra mile for the holiday season with their Christmas Entertainer’s box. The goody bag includes a loaf of soft and nutty emmer loaf that is perfect for mopping up gravy. Classic Christmas panettone has been zhuzhed up in cruffin form with a boozy brandy and vanilla custard. And save the glazed sourdough brioche ham buns for Boxing Day leftovers.

hamper with fruit mince tarts

Three Mills Bakery expects to make thousands of fruit mince tarts this Christmas. Photo: Three Mills Bakery.

They also have gingerbread house kits, plum puddings and hampers which make a great last-minute gift. And no Canberra Christmas list is complete without mentioning their fruit mince tarts which have become such a favourite that the team is expecting to make 45 thousand (yes, thousand) over the silly season!

Pialligo Food Emporium has got the lunch menu sorted with a number of raw, precooked, or fresh dishes available to take the stress out of catering for the masses. Preorder a rolled pork belly stuffed with apple, fennel and pistachio, and grab a side of baby beetroots, a creamy cauliflower bake and crunchy coleslaw.

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Ask the experts at a local bottle shop like Farrah’s Liquor collective for their best Canberra region wine recommendations. Grab a bottle of local riesling to accompany the prawns, and have a glass (or two) of shiraz with the roast.

beer hamper

The Hoppy Holidays Hamper from Bentspoke Brewing is a great gift for the beer lover in your life. Photo: Bentspoke.

Local brewery Capital Brewing Co will deliver tinnies to your doorstep, like the seasonal Mango Tango XPA which would pair very nicely with whatever’s on the barbecue. You could also gift a Bentspoke Brewing Draughters Membership or a ‘hoppy holidays hamper’ to your favourite beer drinker.

And for anyone trying to cut back on the booze, Canberra start-up Heaps Normal has alcohol-free beers that taste just like the real thing. Or try Altina’s range of sophisticated non-alcoholic craft wines.

Pink drink in glasses

Altina Drinks are a sophisticated non-alcoholic option. Photo: Altina.

Wherever your guests are coming from, they’re sure to be very impressed with such a delicious spread of locally sourced ingredients. What other Canberra businesses will feature on your Christmas table? Let us know in the comments below!

Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Riotact.