The chilly nights and foggy days may sound like a recipe for blues, but who’s got time for that when Christmas cheer is here! Curled up on the couch draped in grandma’s jumpers, sipping mulled wine we’re all ready to scribble down our Christmas wish list for the year. Be it sifting through the scores of gifts you fancy for yourself or selecting presents for friends, family, and foes, curating the wish list is no piece of cake. This year, however, you can sit back and hum those carols as we wipe clean the ink stains on your hands from the many scratch outs & add ons – the DSSC Christmas Gift Guide is here to help you pick presents.
We have reached into the treasure trove of up & coming industry disruptors to bring to you the most coveted Christmas gifts of the year. And we aren’t just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk- pick the one (or ALL) that you like and get your hands on the treats right here on the DSSC website.
Winter-blend Coffee by Blue Tokai
The first of its kind café-cum-roastery in Delhi has changed how the city’s peeps hold their cuppa joes. We’re stoked with them taking forward the cause of indigenous premium coffee and sourcing specialty coffee beans from farms all over India. If top quality freshly-roasted coffee is not your thing, we may need to rethink this friendship. Whether it is getting over that Christmas-party hangover or heart to heart talks curled up in your Christmas jumpers, you know you’re not leaving that coffee mug anytime soon, so get your hands on the roasted-on-order Blue Tokai coffee.
Buy the bags of brilliant beans here.
Wine selection at La Cave
What’s a Christmas feast without a bottle(s) of wine! Be it a brunch or a dinner, it’s incomplete without pouring that vino. La Cave is Delhi’s own heaven for wines, with an exhaustive collection of Indian and international wines, knowledgeable staff, and ambience. The Bepin De Eto Brut Prosecco, Kendall Jackson Vinter’s Reserve Zinfandel, and Marchesi di Barolo Barolo DOCG look promising as our holy trinity this time round. Open up a bottle to share the Christmas cheer or be the perfect guest by gifting one- we recommend both, it’s wine. You can also grab these at India’s leading wine retailer, La Cave.
Buy this therapist/bestie in a bottle here.
Wine Glasses by Krosno
Festive season is the best to channel your inner fancy-self, and if you’re going to pour that wine it only makes sense to do so in wine glasses made with stellar craftsmanship. This Christmas our pick is the Krosno Red Wine Glass, as we love a full bodied red with our meats. It’s your ticket to impress the guest, whether complimenting a spread or served on its own. If you, like us, believe it to be blasphemy to not drink wine in the right glass, then this one’s for you!
Buy these stellar goblets here.
Botanical Breakfast Trio by Nicobar
We share a heartbeat with Nicobar, that is, creating fine experiences and enthusing culture back into the society in an original and inspiring way. We have a weakness for their impeccably curated lifestyle store, creating a niche for thoughtful purchases over impulsive ones. And if you haven’t put your heart in it, then it’s not a Christmas gift – making Nicobar the perfect shop for making your Christmas wishes come true. With all the buzz of this festive season, we love us some quiet mornings after a smashing (yet debaucherous) night, and nothing soothes as good as brekkie in Nicobar’s Botanical Breakfast Trio, a plate+bowl+mug stoneware set. If you want in on that, or simply love having charming possessions to use, bring the trio home this Christmas.
Make your mornings nicer and buy this breakfast set here.
Assorted Dates & Figs by Bruijn
The capital’s favourite gourmet confectionery, Bruijn, has done a splendid job of bringing the world’s flavours to Delhi under one roof. Their handmade goodies made with top-notch ingredients have us hooked – their dragees have become our new m&m. This year their Assorted Dates & Figs are on our Christmas wish list, cause we love to pop ‘em as they are and put as many as we can in our baked treats. If you’re looking to shower some love this Christmas with these healthy blood purifiers, add these keep-you-warm-this-winter delights to your list.
Buy these healthy and delish treats here.
Christmas Entremets by MIAM
Moving beyond Delhi’s fondant fetish, MIAM whips up desserts beautiful on the outside as well as inside. Bani Nanda (also a winner of the DSSC Power Packer Award), with her entremets, has successfully inculcated neoclassical baking into the capital’s palate. Her macarons and cakes have been melting in our mouths every other week at the DSSC HQ! Known for her unconventional flavour combinations, such as Peach & Lavender and Jasmine Tea & Raspberry, she’s come up with three Christmas themed entremets this season, and we’re loving how these are far removed from the typical idea of an Xmas cake and yet one bite and it’s Christmas cheer in your mouth. What’s Christmas without cake (and Santa)? Gifting a present or prepping for Christmas brunch Dessert by MIAM has all your needs covered.
Buy this edible art here.
Cinnamon Green Tea by Sancha Tea Boutique
A pioneer tea boutique in the country, Sancha has mastered the art of taking tea from a beverage to an experience in its 35 years of being in business. Oolong, White, Green, you name it and they have it at Sancha, serving over 65 varieties of teas. This chilly season has us brewing pot fulls of their Cinnamon Green tea – as we pile up those suppers & tipples this soothing tea helps us counter their effects, keeps us warm and it’s ingredients are famously known to kickoff the metabolism and calm them holiday nerves. If your wish is to spread that warm fuzzy festive feeling this Christmas, this tea is here to follow your command.
Buy this beau-tea-ful jar here.
All Things Christmas by All Things
All Things by Kuhu Kochar & Tejasvi Chandela is about divine chocolate wrapped in equally fine encasing. They bring to us bars made with premium cocoa and hand-picked ingredients from around the world, with quirky wrappers narrating the story behind each bar. We’ve travelled to Spain with their All Things Barcelona and battled many a Monday blues with the All Things Monday, and this season is all about hoarding the All Things Christmas for us. This Belgian milk chocolate with peppermint candy cane is Christmas merriment fit into one bar of goodness for us. Spreading cheer with its popping ingredients, this chocolate is for you if you want to know what Christmas tastes like!
Buy these bars of all things awesome here.
Stand Mixer by KitchenAid
We can’t recall the number of times KitchenAid has been our ever-helpful elf during our kitchen experiments and adventures. Their blender and garlic press remain our all time favourites, and have a dedicated spot on our counter tops to help churn out delish spreads whenever a team member dons the chef’s hat. This month we’ve decided to whip up some homemade Christmas treats and have welcomed the KitchenAid Stand Mixer into our cookery. There’s a big scoop to that – they’re playing Santa and giving away the Ice Cream Maker Attachment complimentary with the Stand Mixer. Get baked this Christmas with pies and tarts using their mixer and prep ahead for warmer times with the ace ice cream maker.
Buy this statement kitchen must-have here.
Pure Caramel Spread by Rosarté
It’s no secret that we’re nuts about Radhika Gulati’s Rosarté Couture Chocolates. Her Chip and Dale bars & truffles were quick to become the desserts-you-can’t-skip-even-on-a-diet in our HQ, so we were expecting to be floored by this chocolate crusader’s latest outing- Pure Caramel Spread- and we weren’t disappointed! Made with a Belgian chocolate base, pure sugars, a hint of salt, this party-in-a-jar has its muse in Henri Le Roux, the first ever carameliser who discovered the blend of butter, sugar, salt and cream. Nuts dipped in this caramel spread have made our winter mornings go from shivery to cozy. If you’re a caramel fan (who isn’t?) then this spread needs to be your jam! Have it with desserts, spread across a warm flax-seed toast, or with dried nuts.
Buy this party-in-a-jar here.
Mrs. LC’s Table by Anoothi Vishal
In her book, Mrs. LC’s Table, Food Critic & Writer Anoothi Vishal explores her world of Kayasth food and culture. We’re taken with how Anoothi has opened up the world of Kayasths to the rest, shedding that wall between communities rather seamlessly. Sprinkled with recipes and adventures of her Barima, the book is a treat to read, and taking culinary inspiration from Mrs. LC, you can set up your Christmas table with a gorgeous Indian feast!
Buy this cracker-read here.
Cold Pressed Juices & Superfood Shots by Antidote
Antidote is making people healthy one tasty sip at a time. Their motto to offer healthy cold pressed juices, nut milks, and superfood shots all the while keeping it delicious gets a big thumbs up from us. The team recently tried their Go Liquid-Until-Dinner cleanse and are happy to report it left us feeling light, active, and not craving any indulgent foods. Christmas time is binge time so narrow your waist & brighten your skin with Antidote’s cold pressed juice programs that come boosted with superfood shots. Ignoring your health is passé, so get on that wellness bandwagon and grab your bottles whether it is a detox you need or simply nourishing supplements.
Buy these stylishly dark bottles here.
Go on, become a jolly ol’ Santa and share these gifting goodies with friends, family or a special treat for yourself. You can shop for all of these here.
