There’s already lots to consider when hosting Christmas Day lunch – setting the table, putting up decorations and organising the drinks – let alone having to worry about cooking (and the washing up).

Make your life easier this Christmas by ditching the Christmas cooking and outsourcing through these Brisbane businesses.

Pick up your salads ahead of time

No Christmas lunch table is complete without a few salads on it. Botanica Real Food won’t be taking any pre-orders this Christmas but will be open from 8am to 3pm on December 23 and 6am to 12pm on Christmas Eve at all locations for your salad needs. On offer will be a number of the most popular items including Botanica’s famous shredded broccoli salad with cranberries, almonds and a cashew garlic cream. Check out Botanica’s Instagram for the full Christmas menu.
botanicarealfood.com

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Don’t waste time standing in line for fresh seafood

Skip the huge lines at the fish markets and let One Fish Two Fish sort out the seafood for you. The seafood pros are offering boxes of fresh prawns and oysters, and they’ll even take the messy task of peeling the prawns off your hands. Prawns come with sriracha and lime aioli, tartare sauce and lemons, while the freshly shucked Pacific oysters include an aged chardonnay mignonette and lemons. The team needs at least 24 hours’ notice for all orders, so get in early to avoid disappointment. OFTF is open on Christmas Eve from 11am to 3pm.
onefish-twofish.com

Pick up a traditional Christmas banquet hamper

Sit back and let the pros take care of the cooking. The Star Brisbane is offering a Christmas hamper with all the fixings you need for a festive lunch or dinner. The hamper includes honey-glazed apple tree smoked leg ham, roasted turkey breast with a cranberry and sage stuffing and Tasmanian smoked salmon with lemon and dill crème fraîche for mains, with an assortment of classic sides. Dessert is sorted, too, with an indulgent spread that includes plum pudding with brandy custard, assorted macarons, brown sugar mango cheeks and fresh cherries. For an extra $50 per 500g you can add a seafood upgrade which provides fresh wild eastern king prawns with cocktail sauce. Tognini’s Cafe & Deli has also brought together its most popular festive products for a Christmas hamper. There’s a Byron Bay half leg ham, stuffed and pre-cooked turkey breast and smoked salmon along with accompanying condiments and fruit mince pies.

Finish off with something sweet

The team at Darvella have created a menu of festive goodies for Christmas Day, including a mixed berry pavlova and a baked lemon meringue pie. There are also festive cupcakes, gingerbreads, and fruit mince tarts. You’ll need to pre-order for pick-up between Monday December 18 and Sunday December 24 and remember to allow at least 72 hours’ notice on all orders.

Gluten free bakery Nodo has a Christmas menu available for delivery to select Brisbane suburbs – place your order before 3pm to receive your baked goods the next day. This year’s menu includes Nodo’s take on a Christmas pudding and an assortment of donuts. Perhaps you’ll go for the custard apple donut, or the cherry and dark chocolate Rudolph donut. There’s also a matcha white chocolate donut finished with Russian buttercream, and a triple-threat raspberry, pistachio and white chocolate flavour that comes with a gooey raspberry jam centre.

If you’re heading out of town for Christmas, Byron Bay patisserie Eclair at the Bay has a Christmas treats selection including a Black Forest scene featuring a delicate dark chocolate mousse with a cherry compote centre, all layered with vanilla cream, hazelnut praline and chocolate biscuit. Plus, it’s gluten free. There’s also a cranberry and apple crumble tart, and golden vanilla profiteroles. Pre-order here before December 16 and pick up on Christmas Eve between 10am and 3pm.

This article was originally published on December 9, 2022. It has been updated to reflect new information and remove out-of-date details.