A wonderful pineapple cake topped with a bunch of fresh flowers means you’ve sent someone both, a bouquet and a baked treat. The two ladies at Whisk Takers are behind this gateau, as well as delish cookies and Christmas hampers, one of which is an edible cookie tree.
91672 34012, Instagram: @whisktakers.in, Facebook: @whisktakers.in, Rs 400 and up.
A Christmas without snow, dessert without sugar. Both can spark joy, and here's proof: ACTIVeat's baked goods are equal parts delicious and healthy. Gift their guilt-free cakes, sugar-free cookies and high protein loafs; and also browse their Keto, low-carb and high protein meal plans while you're at it.
9833011895, activeat.in, Instagram: @activeat.in, Facebook: @activeat.in, Rs 700 for Keto tiramisu.
Boutique Patisserie: right in time for the holidays, eat-shoot these Boozy Baileys Truffles for that warm, fuzzy feeling. If you're looking for a sweet thing that's also on trend, inquire about their Lotus Biscoff cookies. See biscuit!
9819870587, Instagram: @theblackrosette, Facebook: @theblackrosette, Rs 750 for a box of 8 truffles.
We all have that friend who won’t give in to cheat days; not even on Diwali. Lucky for you we found this constellation of gluten-free, vegan cookies and cakes; it’s easy (and healthy) to lust after Kake It’s dark chocolate-olive oil cake.
9920476425, Instagram: @kake.it,Rs 1,400 for 1/2 kg.
A firecracker of a gift for Diwali. A set of two artisanal Naagin hot sauces - a family favourite Original flavour, and an extra ferocious Bhoot version made with Bhut Jolokia chillies from Assam. Both contain premium Indian chillies and real ingredients, instead of 80% corn starch like other grocery varieties.
naaginsauce.com, Instagram: @naaginsauce, Facebook: @naaginsauce, Rs 450
Here’s to beginning this list in good spirits. All Things Nice has a new hotline + wine and liquor store, The Wine Cellar, that shows off a super international collection. Founder & sommelier Nikhil Agarwal is standing by with personalised recommendations.
9820698883/9820704500, Instagram: @allthingsniceindia.
Single-origin coffee beans grown in micro-lots in the Araku Valley, delivered straight to your cup. Brew for small get-togethers & to fuel festive late nights that are around the corner. Their award-winning Grand Reserve and aromatic Signature coffees come with chic cappuccino cups, ready to be gifted.
Arakucoffee.in, Instagram: @arakucoffeein, Facebook: @arakucoffeein, gift boxes at Rs 2,200 and up.
Asorté’s elaborate artisanal cheese and grazing boards are right out of a Caravaggio still life. Here, gourmet cheese and accoutrement (fresh fruit, crackers, nuts, honey, dips) sometimes occupy two-storey platters; worthy of being a centrepiece. Vegan and keto requests are taken.
Instagram: @asortegourmet, Rs 5k and up.
Best.Cheesecake.In.Bombay. This Basque-style crustless confection shows off a dark, glossy caramelised outside and a pillowy, buttery, melting inside. Available in vanilla, lemon and a new salted caramel; packed with brown paper & baby’s breath - great for gifting.
9611123201, www.ayeshanallaseth.com, Instagram: @basque_tartadequeso, 1/2 kg at Rs 1,100.
The hottest new produce people in town. From their Pink Sol box, your giftee will harvest fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, dragon fruit, love apples, avocados, baby Mandarin oranges and Granny Smith apples. Bounty hunters, go!
Berrika.com, Instagram: @berrikaofficial, Rs 4k.
Can any Christmas list be complete without rum balls? Enter Bombay Sweet Shop’s Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice Christmas Collection. Think kaju marzipan bon bons, chocolate rum balls, honey-nut shortbread squares and Nana’s Coconut Ice. Details here.
7777011097, bombaysweetshop.com, Instagram: @bombaysweetshop, Rs 300 and up.
Typically, a pistachio soft cookie would be at the bottom of our lust list, but Dolcemi’s vegan, gluten-free ones are insanely good. They taste like marzipan, pistachio & cookie dough decided to be a throuple. Their tiramisu (in glass containers) continues to be a bpb favourite; alcohol-free but magically, still tastes like rum.
9029017000, www.dolcemi.in, Instagram: @dolcemi.in, Facebook: @dolcemi.in, Rs 500 for 100 gms cookies.
Lock us up in this delicious Ombre Tower, built with 26 assorted truffles - white
chocolate-coconut-pistachio, milk chocolate-kava-tea & dark-chocolate-orange-fennel.
9821051065, Instagram: @edd_india, Rs 1,100 and up.
Here, it’s hard to tell where chocolate ends and art begins. Ether’s Santa Baby Tart is the best something-red you can get this Christmas - a dessert built with strawberries, sour rhubarb and floral hibiscus.
Etherchocolate.com, Instagram: @etherchocolate, Rs 575 for an individual tart.
Neysa Mendes makes just one dessert on order and boy does she do it well. This chocolate tart - richer than your wealthiest relative - sits on a cookie base and is eggless.
9821336963, Instagram: @goodslice, Rs 2,500 for 9 inch tart.
Behold a range of rare and organic produce from Kashmir - the finest saffron to make Diwali brighter, plus a bounty of almonds, walnuts and apricots.
9602018465, Instagram: @kashmirrare, Rs 375 and up.
Motherland’s banana chips are made from green energy-packed Nendran bananas that are hand picked, hand peeled & sliced 1.2mm thin for audible crispness (rock salt is our fav flavour). Extra points for super packaging.
motherlandsuperstore.com, Instagram: @thisismotherland, Rs 360 for pack of 3.
Noor Mubarak’s salted caramel chocolate tart is like crack. A gift as gorgeous as it is tasty. Her babka and beignets will do nicely too.
Whatsapp 7045542681 or DM @thenottinghillbakery, Rs 750 for babka.
Nourish Organics, a homegrown clean foods company, has curated gifting hampers that look swell and promise to keep you well. Their newest Christmas hamper contains 100% natural, organic and preservative-free products, including Amla Bars (pack of 6), Oats Cranberry Cookies and Mixed Nut Medley. And yes, they taste delicious too.
9312006667, www.nourishorganics.in, Instagram: @nourish.organics, Facebook: @NourishOrganicFoods, Rs 860.
The Bombay Canteen and Stranger & Sons join forces and fruits to create this blush coloured distilled cocktail in a bottle. The gin and peru potion is sweet, sour, spicy and salty, all at once.
hungerinc.in, pick up from The Bombay Canteen or O Pedro, Rs 2999 for 750 ml.
For friends who pick flours over flowers: a Loaf Mark awarded German style sourdough bread made in Alibaug and delivered across the sea to Mumbai. Gift their bread subscriptions here, order 48 hours in advance.
purebrot.com, Instagram: @purebrot, Rs 195.
Gift boxes that look & smell like mini fragrant gardens; the Elixir Selection is our fav. Shop these at Sancha’s new e-store where you will also find herbal immunity teas for these times we live in. An online sale is underway, which means more tea for you and me.
Sanchatea.com, 8882274237 (Bandra), 40020852 (Fort), Instagram: @sanchateaboutique, Facebook: @SanchaTeaIndia, Rs 700 for Elixir.
We’re all for going old-school, but this time, swap silver platters of pistas for swirls of Sicilian pistachio ice cream, hand-churned and delivered across the city. They also do wicked fruit sorbets.
67982299/98, Instagram: @toshinofficial, Rs 800 for 500 gms.
Made in Kashmir from the rarest cashmere, using 15th century Persian techniques, Andraab’s shawls are better than hugs. The New York Times called these cloud-soft wraps “warm enough for the cold months to come, but somehow essentially weightless”. Their scarves and stoles make for good gifts.
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, store in the Lobby Heritage Wing, Colaba, 02262374856, +919928090110, www.andraab.com, Instagram: @andraabkashmir, Rs 12k and up.
We love everything about this organic, eco-friendly Nagaland brand - from its name to the clean ingredients. Comes in a bunch of unpredictable moods and flavours - just like our mums. See ganja soap and shampoo bars.
Facebook: @theangrymothersoapco, Rs 180
Absynthe refurbishes vintage radios, and brings them back to life as digital music players, ready for YOU-SB, FM & Bluetooth. They also use old watch parts to make cuff links. Big hand!
Baromarket.in, Rs 6k and up.
Trippy red, yellow & orange cacti in ceramic pots, are best delivered to friends who have no time for watering. These moon cacti, we’re told, “thrive on neglect”.
Bloombombs.com, Rs 679.
Bombay Kids Company: The next best thing to Santa who may have to follow COVID travel restrictions this Christmas. Enter Bombay Kids Company which curates the best playthings, stationery and Christmas decorations for kids, from boutique brands across Europe and the US. Founder Natasha Sabharwal Mehta - “Bombay kid since ’84” - lists her favourites here.
8928761933, www.bombaykidscompany.com, Instagram:@bombaykidscompany, Facebook:@bombaykidscompany,start at Rs 200.
This super furniture studio now makes cool cushion covers inspired by architecture. Now be a good shopper and get tempted by their Bubbly Tripod while browsing.
Borderlineplay.in, Rs 1,690.
Sari czar Anavila also makes these adorable Busa dolls (yes, they wear mini saris) and rather well-dressed stuffed animals. Ever seen a mouse dressed for brunch?
Anavila.com, Rs 1,200 and up.
Woven in Narin, Columbia & hand embroidered in Jaipur, these deCastro straw hats will bring back the summer you were robbed of. Also see velvet slippers for a soft landing.
Instagram: @decastro.moda, Rs 18k.
Spring for this - flowers & herbs are set in wax to make these super pretty, eco-friendly fragrance tablets; hang in your closet to keep clothes smelling fresh, or tuck in a bookshelf like a pressed flower in your favourite romance novel. Also shop candy-coloured candles here.
9910034515, www.doftcandles.com, Instagram: @doft.candles, Facebook: @doft.candles, Rs 995.
Three scientists started this cruelty-free, vegan, indie makeup brand, whose Rainbow Glow Oil and Nude Poet matte lipstick achieved cult status. For the season, create custom gift boxes with your favourites, or explore new launches - Satin Smooth Eye Shadow singles, new All Day Gel Kajal shades & 24 hues of Gel-Finish Nail Polishes.
9820944029, www.disguisecosmetics.com, Instagram: @disguisecosmetics, Facebook: @disguisecosmetics, Rs 400 and up.
Sitting under the shade of this Freedom Tree, it’s easy to understand how the iridescent wing of a butterfly could spark the design of a cushion case; how botanicals could inspire baking trays. The new Joyee collection turns bits of nature into the cutest egg cups, tea bag holders, salt shakers.
Freedomtree.in, Instagram: @freedomtreehome, Rs 440 and up.
You would be forgiven to spend an entire season longing for Juliette, Glass Forest’s handcrafted tableware inspired by the Italian Incalmo glass blowing technique. Think clean straight lines and jewel toned glasses, bottles, jugs and glass stoppers. How about this Diwali-orange carafe to get you started?
8810625886, www.glass-forest.com, Instagram: @_glass_forest_, Facebook: @glassforestdesign, Rs 2k and up.
A virtual version of your grandmother’s kitchen cupboard. Green Heirloom works with artisans in Kochi to craft smooth-talking, clay cookware, perfect for friends who like to cook and share. See clay curd setter, kadai and uniappam pan.
7012506499 / 919902470102, www.greenheirloom.in, Instagram: @greenheirloom, Facebook: @greenheirloom, Rs 400.
A portmanteau of ‘Jaipur’ and ‘miniature’, Jaimini sells lovely artworks - depicting cars and court scenes, birds and botanicals, deities and dancers - inspired by Rajasthani, Mughal and Persian schools of miniature art. Drawn on handmade paper with vegetable dyes & stone colours, we heart the intricate Persian series.
9829230119, www.jaimini.co.in, Instagram: @jaimini.india, Facebook: @jaimini.india, Rs 8k and up.
This Nepal-based design studio engages local artisans to make stoneware dishes in shades of butter, morning mist and that blush we get when we see you. We also love their bouquet candle, hand poured using 90% pure bees wax from Chitwan.
Nenepal.com, Instagram: @ne_nepal, Rs 450 and up.
It may be strange to have a favourite tray, but this is ours: a big-as-the-moon No-Mad one that re-imagines the Indian thali, handcrafted in colours of plum, olive and ochre, terracotta, brass and copper, in sizes that fit inside one another, like Matryoshka dolls. In fact, No-Mad has a whole section that lets your table play dress up: geometric print linen and kansa tableware.
98203 61687 / 22091787, www.no-mad.in, Instagram: @nomad97india, Facebook: @nomad97india, Rs 1,500 and up.
Fresh, artisanal, apothecary-style skincare featuring a robust bouquet of 29 formulations for women and men. Put our favourites - Body Love Trio, Everyday Essentials and Natural Haircare Duo - in a thoughtfully curated Oleum Cottage gift box for a much-required self care present.
oleumcottage.com, stores in Bandra and Powai, 9326470587, Facebook and Instagram: @oleumcottage, Rs 1250 and up.
A multi-generational homegrown scent company whose origins can be sniffed back to 1805 Lahore, where Gobind Ram Kahan Chand preserved the scented secrets of Mughal empress, Nur Jahan. Cut to present day where Pallavi Bhatia keeps her family tradition alive, selling luxe perfumes in clear cut crystal bottles, opulent candles and even an oud, vanilla and tobacco multi-surface disinfectant spray. Who knew santisers could be so sexy? Pallavi did. here.
9810060191, Instagram: @olfaoriginals, Facebook: @olfaoriginals,Rs 4,800 for a Oud Noir, Rs 2,850 for a candle.
Sabr celebrates quietly with chic, understated face masks bearing Chikankari embroidery on a georgette base lined with pure cotton. Pair with your favourite Sabr Diwali ensemble.
9920942216, Instagram: @label_sabr, Rs 305.
If it feels like terracotta and smells like marigolds, it must be time for festivities. Let Saphed’s special edition Marigold candle, made in collaboration with Indian artisans, light up the dark corners of your home & heart. Match with turmeric & Gulabjal linen sheets.
Saphed.com, Instagram: saphedhome, Rs 599.
The loyalty program curates the best restaurants, bars, organic produce vendors, cheese and meat suppliers, chocolate and bread makers, and alcohol stores and gets you 15% off each time you order. Best gift subscription ever.
7738934999, coupcard.in, Rs 5k for annual membership.
If you want to run away with a mystery man, it will do you well to pick Stranger by Tinge - a blush pink multi-use shade stick for eyes, cheeks and lips. This handcrafted make-up - 100% natural, cruelty-free & paraben-free - is great for the Indian skin tone; can be customised at the store. See Diwali sets that pair the brand's favourites together.
95384 77770, www.tingestore.com, Instagram: @tinge_by_sabrina_suhail, Facebook: @tingeshop, Rs 750.
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