The locals guide to Father’s Day gifts

Keen to support local businesses while you spoil dad this year? With Father’s Day on Sunday (6 September), Region Media has compiled our top gift ideas to celebrate and spoil the great dads of Canberra all while helping local businesses.

Here is a list of our top local gifts.

For the would-be baker and sourdough maker

The Sourdough Starter Bundle from Necessity Kitchen contains a sourdough starter, 1 kg of rye flour, 1 kg of white baker’s flour along with care instructions, and links to tried and tested recipes. It’s everything you need to get started on a long and satisfying sourdough baking journey

Belconnen local, chef and owner of Necessity Kitchen Frankie Bodel started selling sourdough starter after losing her job when COVID-19 hit. Ever since, her dough has been rising, her business has expanded to offer more products and she’s now supplying stores all over Australia.

The Sourdough Starter Bundle is $29.99.

Order online via the Necessity Kitchen website with pick up and delivery options available. Or, you can purchase the kit instore at The Essential Ingredient at 25 Jardine St, Kingston.

Throw a snag on the barbie

As the weather warms up, keep things simple and kick-off BBQ season by stocking dad up with a classic pack of sausages from the award-winning Griffith Butchery. Made on the premises and using traditional methods, the snags are a cut above the rest with 13 different varieties, including lamb & rosemary, Spanish chorizo, or a South African Boerewors. The team can also customise a meat pack to order.

Owner Richard Odell opened Griffith Butchery in 1989 knowing right from the beginning that people cared about what was in the food they bought. That’s why he’s been in business with the same trusted farmer ever since, providing free-range and grass-fed beef and lamb without herbicides, pesticides or hormones.

Sausages range from $17.20 to $21 per kg.

Order by email info@griffithbutchery.com.au for delivery or pick up, or visit the store at 10 Barker St, Griffith.

Set of wheels

Enjoy Canberra’s bike trails on a Surly from Kingston Foreshore Cycles. Surly makes bulletproof touring bikes and is a flagship brand thanks to their versatility. Tailored towards those seeking all-terrain adventures on roads, paths, dirt tracks and trails, it can easily be set up for touring and long-distance cycling, but is also perfect for a Canberra commute.

Kingston Foreshore Cycles owner Peter Hopkins is always at the ready to bring personalised, attention, service and advice to local cyclists wherever they are in their journey from beginner onwards.

Surly bicycles start at $2000.

Kingston Foreshore Cycles is located at Shop 2, 10 Parbery St, Kingston.

For the master of malt

For the dad who enjoys a tipple, Matthew Farrah from Farrah’s Liquor Collective, the mega warehouse in Fyshwick, recommends a bottle of Riverbourne.

The boutique distillery based in Jingera in the Snowy Monaro is the Region’s only local producer of whiskey and rum. Riverbourne head distiller Martin Pye runs a one-man show, mashing, fermenting, distilling and aging his range of boutique whiskeys and rums with the utmost attention to detail. The natural spring waters, climate and mountainous environment produce spirits with a unique flavour profile distinctive to the region.

Riverbourne prices range from $44.99 to $175.

Order online from Farrah’s Liquor Collective or visit the warehouse at 8 Townsville St, Fyshwick.

Let’s get physical

For the dad who likes to sweat, a 10-session pass to The Den Canberra is sure to get his body talking. The pass has a six-month expiry giving dad plenty of time to trial the different classes and gym facilities on offer. With eight different types of classes, there’s a lot on offer, including the flagship 20/10 interval session. It’s based on the famous (and very effective) Tabata method (high-intensity interval training) and has been designed to cater for people just starting out and looking to improve their overall fitness, health, and wellbeing. But, it’ll also challenge professional athletes.

Located in the Equinox Business Park in Deakin, The Den thrives on providing challenging and rewarding physical fitness conditioning sessions in a supportive and encouraging environment.

The 10-session Father’s Day Special is $180.

To purchase email thedencanberra@outlook.com.

A page-turner

The Future of Us: Demography Gets a Makeover written by local Canberra lecturer, demographer and social researcher Dr Liz Allen explores statistics beyond births, deaths and marriages. Dr Allen takes apart inequality, migration, tax and homeownership. She also dissects how the word ‘population’ became so charged, daring to ask what Australia might look like in 20 years if we had zero immigration.

Muse, the stylish and beautiful space located inside East Hotel in Kingston where good food, great wine and books come together has signed copies of the book available.

The Future of Us: Demography Gets a Makeover is $29.99.

Visit Muse inside East Hotel on 69 Canberra Ave, Kingston.

Masks are the new ties

For a gift that is very 2020 and will help to protect Dad while being stylish, buy a three-layer Stegosaurus Fabric Face Mask from Sovata. Since COVID-19 and masks are here to stay for the foreseeable future, a reusable, washable mask is way more useful than a tie this year.

Sovata is a local fashion label created and run by designer Jade McClelland. Usually Jade is busy creating vibrant and unique garments, millinery and accessories for fabulous, fun occasions but this year she’s turned her hand to making masks. As a part-time disability support worker caring for a vulnerable client, she learned the organisation she works for had trouble sourcing masks. Problem solved!

The Stegosaurus Fabric Face Mask is $23.

Order online via the Sovata website.

Purchase instore at Trove Canberra, located at 25 Dickson Pl, Dickson.

For the deli lover

When words are not enough, tell dad I love you with smallgoods and a Salami Bouquet from Urban Providore. The bouquet comes wrapped just as a bunch of flowers would with beautiful styled wrapping and ribbon in your choice of colour. Customise it with your choice of four salamis or mettwurst from the range.

Urban Providore in Fyshwick has been supplying Canberra with edible gourmet creative hampers and gifts since 2013 with a fun creative spin.

The Salami Bouquet is $65.

Order online at the Urban Providore website.

What’s SUP?

We may not live on the coast but there is still plenty to do and enjoy around Lake Burley Griffin for water lovers, starting with three beginners lessons from SUP CBR (SUP being ‘stand up paddle boarding’). All equipment is provided and the lesson starts out on land, making it a perfect opportunity for those who have always been curious to try to Stand Up Paddle Boarding but weren’t sure how to get started.

SUP CBR is Canberra’s only internationally accredited SUP School with gorgeous local waterway views and the opportunity to see some of the wildlife that calls the area home.

Three beginner’s lessons are $165.

To purchase visit the SUP CBR website.

Clean cut

For a little bit of masculine pampering, purchase a gift voucher for a standard haircut and full-face shave from Barbers Inc.

Located inside the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet building in Barton, Barbers Inc is also a café, so dad can have a coffee and a bite to eat along with the full luxe barbershop experience all in his lunch break.

A gift voucher for a standard haircut and full-face shave is $100.

To purchase visit, Barbers Inc at Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, Ground Floor, 1 National Circuit, Barton.