Christmas gifts chosen by our Restaurant Award winners

TOW AND LINE LINEN

Chosen by DANIELLE ALVAREZ, FRED’S

“I think nice linens are things we rarely buy for ourselves, but they can make such a beautiful gift because they last a very long time. We use this Tow and Line linen at Fred’s and I love the simple elegant colours. They’ve only just been launched in Australia, by my friend and colleague Ricky James. The linens are made from flax grown in France and each piece is volcanic-stonewashed, so everything is extra soft. I love the ease and look of unironed linen. It’s easy breezy.”

Tow and Line Linen Napkin Set, $40 for a set of four, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/tow-and-line-napkinset

ALTO OLIVE OIL

Chosen by DANIELLE ALVAREZ, FRED’S

“This is the perfect olive oil for my palate: big on flavour, but very versatile. I started using it a few years ago at The Fish Shop because one of the Alto owners, Westerly Isbaih, brought some in for me to taste. I knew it was a great olive oil then, and to me it’s just gotten better and better. At Fred’s we use it for everything – but it’s my favourite for finishing pastas and making vinaigrettes. It has a great fruit flavour without overpowering you with heat or bitterness. It’s buttery but balanced and feels nice and round on the palate.”

Alto Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $25 for 500ml, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/alto-olives

OLSSON’S SMOKED SALT

Chosen by JOSH NILAND, SAINT PETER

“I met Alex Olsson before I opened Saint Peter and she supplied me with an array of her products to try. It was so inspiring and beautiful to see such high-quality salts produced here in Australia. Not only do I absolutely love the crystal size and flavour of Olsson’s different kinds of salt, but I love the fact they’re the oldest family-owned and operated sea salt company in the country.”

Olsson’s Redgum Smoked Salt Flakes, $19 for 90gm, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/smoked-salt

OLSSON’S SALT

Chosen by JOSH NILAND, SAINT PETER

“The taste of Olsson’s salt is so clean, with just a subtle taste of the ocean. At home, avocado on toast wouldn’t be the same without Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes, and at Saint Peter, no fish leaves the pass without a sprinkle of the Olsson’s Fleur de Sel.”

Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes, $23 for 250gm, http://sorrythanksiloveyou.com/sea-salt-flakes

FISH WEIGHT

Chosen and commissioned by JOSH NILAND, SAINT PETER

“This is a totally unique product that’s unavailable in any other stores. The specific weight, material and size of the fish weight are all very exacting, giving you a tool you shouldn’t live without if you like cooking fish on the skin. At Saint Peter we use our fish weight on every piece of fish we cook on the skin. It allows the fish to develop a wonderful crisp skin that’s even from edge to edge. It’s also a much gentler way of setting the protein, without it turning dry and chalky. You’ll notice a huge difference to the even colour and crispness of the skin, and also a slightly silky texture to the flesh.”

Josh Niland’s Fish Weight, $195, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/josh-niland

MADE OF AUSTRALIA TABLEWARE

Chosen by JOCK ZONFRILLO, ORANA AND BISTRO BLACKWOOD

“I first discovered Anna-Marie Wallace, the designer at Made of Australia, on Etsy. She had a few jewellery pieces listed – ceramic bangles, earrings and the like – so I wrote to her and asked if we could work together. Her tableware is entirely unique and I love the way our food looks on her plates. One of our regular dishes at Orana – kohlrabi with dorrigo, quandong and lemon myrtle – is plated on one of her custom pieces.”

Made of Australia Minimalist Wide Bowl, $120, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/made-of-australia-wide-bowl

MADE OF AUSTRALIA TABLEWARE

Chosen by JOCK ZONFRILLO, ORANA AND BISTRO BLACKWOOD

“The Made of Australia ceramics are made of actual Australia! They’re fired with everything from pandanus fruit and macadamia nuts to crocodile eggshells. Each piece seems completely natural to me, and speaks of the land.”

Made of Australia Minimalist Coupe Bowl, $44, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/made-of-australia-10cm-bowl

DRNKS BAROSSA NATURAL WINE PACK

Chosen by JOCK ZONFRILLO, ORANA AND BISTRO BLACKWOOD

“Tom Shobbrook, Smallfry, Sigurd and Ruggabellus Fluus – you’ll find each and every one of these Barossa Valley winemakers on the lists at Orana and Bistro Blackwood. To me, these are shining examples of free-minded South Australian winemaking at its best. They’re all natural wines – easy drinking, lower alcohol and certainly a talking point due to deliciousness – but please, if you prefer the oak chip-infused wine with fake tannins from the big, giant labels, then go ahead. More of the good stuff for us.”

DRNKS Barossa Natural Wine Pack, $160 for five bottles, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/drnks

Photo by Andy Braithwaite.

DOGBOY CHEESE KNIVES

Chosen by JOCK ZONFRILLO, ORANA AND BISTRO BLACKWOOD

“I discovered Dogboy on Instagram of all places. The maker, Richard Cooper, handcrafts each and every knife from repurposed files, lawnmower blades, saws and the like. It’s my idea of stylish, repurposed luxury.”

Dogboy Cheese Knife, $180, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/dogboy-cheese

DOGBOY STEAK KNIVES

Chosen by JOCK ZONFRILLO, ORANA AND BISTRO BLACKWOOD

“We use Dogboy at Bistro Blackwood for our steak knives. Richard Cooper – a bloke whose passion for what he does almost outstrips my own – made 50-odd for us with beautiful blackwood handles.

Dogboy Steak Knives, $1,055 for a set of six, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/dogboy-steak

Photo by Rowan Jackson.

ZALTO AXIUM DECANTER

Chosen by CAITLYN REES, FRED’S

“I discovered Zalto glassware on a trip to Champagne in 2014. All the producers I visited used Zalto in their tasting rooms and swore by them. I fell in love with them straight away. This Axium decanter would be perfect for a loved one who likes to entertain and appreciates good design (and good wine, of course). It’s quite luxurious and to me that’s a great present – something that most people wouldn’t buy for themselves.”

Zalto Axium Decanter, $126, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/zalto-decanter

ZALTO CHAMPAGNE GLASSES

Chosen by CAITLYN REES, FRED’S

“The design of Zalto’s Champagne glasses is beautiful. That’s the first thing that grabs you – they’re very elegant. Then when you pick them up you realise how extremely fine they are – they almost seem too fragile to drink from. But they’re not, I assure you – they’re a real pleasure and dishwasher-safe to boot. The Champagne glasses are a particular favourite of mine because they’re very close to a white wine glass. More traditional flutes are often too narrow and concentrate all the bubbles at the top of the glass very quickly, and you lose the bubbles and the aroma of the wine much faster that way. Over Christmas, I’ll be using these for NV Georges Laval Brut Nature Cumières Champagne. I’ll probably pinch a couple of bottles from work.”

Zalto Champagne Glasses, $118 for a pair, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/zalto-champagne

ZALTO BURGUNDY GLASSES

Chosen by CAITLYN REES, FRED’S. 

“These elegant Burgundy glasses would be perfect for someone who loves pinot noir, nebbiolo or chardonnay, too. They’re mouth-blown and I love the fineness of the stem. We mostly drink Champagne and white wine on Christmas Day, but after the sun sets I like to pull out a couple of reds. Something like the 2015 Sailor Seeks Horse pinot noir from Huon Valley in Tasmania would be perfect.”

Zalto Burgundy Glasses, $112 for a pair, sorrythanksiloveyou.com/zalto-burgundy

BARGEEK CUSTOM COCKTAIL KIT

Chosen by NICK SMITH, BAR ROCHFORD

“If anyone has an interest in cocktails or wants to take the bar back home with them, then this kit would be ideal. It provides a great foundation of tools and has all the well-crafted components needed to mix and stir classics (a Manhattan or Hanky Panky, for example) or your own creations. We use our BarGeek kit for all stir-down-style cocktails at Bar Rochford. It’d be ideal at home when you want to make a Negroni or a Martini after a hard day, or, when you have company, you could try something new like Rochford’s Messin’ with the Kid: rye whiskey, Calvados, Cherry Heering and orange-blossom water.”

BarGeek Custom Cocktail Kit, $80, http://sorrythanksiloveyou.com/bargeek

Photo by Rowan Jackson.