Gift-giving isn’t always easy. Especially when your inner circle has particular tastes – and you’re committed to mindful consumption.
Sometimes you’ve just got to think beyond the usual suspects and consider a more thoughtful, enduring approach. That’s where subscription gift boxes come in.
Admittedly, I hadn’t considered subscription gifts until a friend surprised me with one from Thieves Coffee. The changing selection of local roasters not only pushed me to explore new flavour varieties but also brought a sense of anticipation with each delivery that I started to look forward to. Plus, I was saving some hard-earned cash by getting my caffeine fix at home.
It doesn’t stop at coffee, though. There are quarterly deliveries of gourmet pantry staples, monthly boosts of beauty essentials or even weekly bouquets to brighten up the home. Whatever you select, it feels good to know that subscription gifts are the kind that keep on giving.
15 of the best subscription boxes in Australia
Goldi olive oil
Everyone knows that a hearty supply of buttery, fragrant olive oil is the star of the pantry. Drizzled over crisp bruschetta, shaken through a mustard vinaigrette or served alongside sea salt in vanilla ice-cream, it’s the versatile gift that leaves you with a bite for more. Goldi’s extra virgin olive oil is pressed in the Goulburn Valley and you can subscribe to a regular delivery of their smooth or punchy flavour variety to suit your giftee’s taste.
Pep pepper
For the gourmet salt lover in your life, what about some attention for its somewhat overlooked accomplice, pepper? Sourced from Cambodia’s Memot region, Pep is the single-origin brand campaigning for the attention a fresh crack of pepper brings to each dish. Its long-lasting flavour and aromatic punch is the piquant accompaniment to cacio e pepe, but also to your drinks cart for a spicy Bloody Mary.
Thieves Coffee
Designed to refute “I’ll have the usual” with its changing selection of partner roasters, Thieves Coffee is the subscription service that brings a new type of coffee to the door each month. You can help even the hardest-to-buy-for people get their day started with a choice of whole beans, ground coffee or capsules to satiate everyone from espresso-sippers to pod, stovetop and filter brewers.
And with the option to choose three-, six- and 12-month- subscriptions, it doesn’t matter if your budget stretches to $85 or $800.
Foile
Foile is the Sydney beauty label that focuses on botanical-based formulas that nourish and restore balance in your skin. At first purchase, the brand’s collection of face oils, creams, serums and cleansers come in sculptural glass bottles that make for an aesthetic vanity display in a selection of glossy-hued shades. But it’s the refill pouches that are subscription-based. Purchase a bottle – plus a subscription – for the self-care gift that keeps on giving. Or just the subscription pouch for a travel-friendly option that’s lightweight and leak-free.
Hey Bud
Hemp-powered skincare is everywhere right now – and it’s all because of its skin-glowing benefits. One brand that’s heavily focused on the powerful ingredient is the beauty house, Hey Bud. The collection champions hemp seed oil within its formulations of the Vitamin C and Hemp Serum, Face Oil, Hemp Lip Balm, plus so many more. You can choose how often the subscription goes out – anywhere between four and 12 weeks – to suit your gifting budget.
Daily Blooms
Perhaps the only thing better than a home decorated with floral bouquets is a never-ending supply of them. But with the busyness of our everyday lives, it’s often something we forget to buy ourselves – and that’s where Daily Blooms comes in. Each day, florists across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth curate classic bouquets with seasonal cuttings and deliver them straight to your door. You can choose between fortnightly or monthly serotonin hits when selecting which subscription to gift.
Mat’s Hot Shop
Mat’s Hot Shop is the spot for chilli heads. It specialises in natural, small-batch hot sauces that prioritise flavour and creativity over sheer heat. The result means that each sauce is packed with as much character as kick, making the ideal accompaniment to sangas, eggs or tacos. You can choose between a six-month and 12-month subscription for three different sauces every three months from some of the world’s best brands.
Good Pair Days
Know someone who froths wine? Good Pair Days is the subscription service that delivers a curated selection of bottles to your door each month, accompanied by tasting notes and pairing suggestions. There’s everything from premium pours to lesser-known varietals, fresh and fragrant aromas to full-bodied and heady ones. And if you’re not sure what they’ll prefer – or don’t know your lo-fi bottles from your more hands-on ones – Good Pair Days has heaps of guidance on its site to help remove the guesswork.
Goodness Me
There’s a lot that goes into which beauty products we choose to use every day – and finding clean, nourishing labels is just one part of it. That’s where Goodness Me comes in, delivering a slate of chemical-free products that have had their ingredients lists reviewed and received the green tick of approval. Each box is packed with a thoughtful selection of skincare and wellness items, from botanical serums to luxurious face masks, all free from nasties.
Well Read
Well Read is the curated book club that sends a handpicked title across to you each month, alongside discussion notes. Each selection spans genres and themes, ensuring that every delivery introduces a new world or perspective. There’s a mix of new releases and hidden gems across local and international publishers for a reading list that goes beyond the norm.
Magshop
Babe, wake up, print is back. No but seriously, it’s so exciting to see digital words made tangible on glossy paper again – like the launch of The Design Files magazine or the return of Fashion Journal. If you know someone who gets too gets giddy at this comeback – or perhaps never stopped feeling that way – then Magshop might just be the perfect pick.
Vinyl Me, Please
There’s something nostalgic about listening to an album start to finish, the way it was designed to be heard. It’s all gotten a bit lost with streaming, but thankfully not with vinyl. Vinyl Me, Please is for those who revel in the album experience, delivering a new record each month with custom pressings, exclusive artwork and in-depth liner notes. From timeless classics to contemporary gems, each selection brings a sonic warmth to the home collection
Yarn’n
While toot paper might not top the list of most exciting gifts, Yarn’n makes it a thoughtful one. The brand delivers 100 per cent recycled toilet paper to your door and wraps each roll in vibrant, biodegradable packaging designed by Wiradjuri artist, Katrina Graves. Plus, 50 per cent of the profit goes towards First Nations education.
Bruny Island Cheese Co
For when you can’t get to Tasmania, a regular delivery from Bruny Island Cheese Co could be the next best thing. Each subscription box is filled with hand-crafted cheeses that celebrate traditional techniques and local ingredients, from creamy bries to sharp blues. It’s the gift of an artisanal experience at home – bringing the flavours of a remote coastal landscape to your doorstep.
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