The Sans Beast team are gearing up for end of year festivities, having emerged from (seemingly) endless lockdown in Melbourne ready to make merry. We are planning vegan feasts, beautifully wrapped parcels + an enthusiastic welcome to those that visit our studio for some Christmas shopping (oh how we’ve missed seeing people IRL). Here’s what’s on our celebratory to-do list this festive season:
Eating
We're planning our own various vegan festive feasts, now that we can finally gather with family + friends. There's plenty of vegan options for a magnificent festive lunch or dinner + we encourage you to explore.
High on our list is marinated vegan prawns from Smith and Deli, this luscious cheesecake recipe from The Vegan Dairy, and vegan plum pudding from The Kynd Butcher.
And how we've missed visiting our favourite vegan restaurants - this vegan soba noodle salad bowl from Heaven Leigh at Bodhi Restaurant is calling to us. Celebration in a bowl.
Supporting
We are year round supporters of Edgar's Mission, with $1 from every transaction going to support this wonderful farm sanctuary in Lancefield, Victoria. For Christmas we'll also be adding a Gift of Kindness to friends + family gifts - these help supply food and vital medical care for rescued animals.
Sans Beast also supports One Tree Planted, with a tree planted for every transaction + the opportunity for our community to add more when they place their order. We also donate to Sea Shepherd, who work to rid oceans + waterways of plastic, and to defend whale + marine wildlife sanctuaries. We encourage our community to check out our Giving page for more information + to consider how these critical organisations can be supported during the festive period.
Gifting
Check out our Festivus Gift Guide for some tips on choosing the perfect vegan accessory for your style seeking loved one (or yourself). We’ve curated a range of gifts for a handful of personality archetypes in your life: The Chameleon, The Cosmopolitan, The Traveller + The Boss. We’ve also collated our collections in price points, so it’s easy to shop by price if that’s your preference.
If a vegan handbag isn’t what their hearts desire (is that possible?), try some of our favourite small businesses for more gifting ideas:
@makersmrkt - a lovingly curated selection of creators' wares that Kelly Thompson hand picks + presents with arty finesse.
@milliesavage_ - bijoux that's landed from another planet.
@loving_earth - plant based chocolate that knows how to have a good time.
Or if worldly possessions aren’t their thing, our final suggestion is a voucher at a favourite restaurant - we adore Smith + Daughters, Red Sparrow Pizza, Bodhi Sydney, Gigi Pizzeria Newtown + for more ideas look at the Sydney, Melbourne or Newcastle Vegan Guides.
Wrapping
We LOVE wrapping gifts + know how easy it is to get carried away with all the options available. Our warehouse team led by John checks your purchase from top to bottom, keeps it safe in an undyed, recycled cotton Sans Beast dust bag, wraps it in tissue paper, hand writes a postcard (printed by local business Print Together) and then packages the lot in a recycled + recyclable brown cardboard box, before sealing it with water activated paper tape.
For the treasures you buy from us this festive season, we'll be following our usual process, but with the addition of a specially designed festive wrapping suite in bright yellow, white + black, to elevate the space beneath the tree. No Issue continue to be our supplier of choice for paper wrap - it's created using FSC certified wood pulp + is printed with soy based ink for optimum biodegradability - and they’ve also created our stickers. The finishing touch is a wrap of cotton ribbon, printed locally by our friends at Australian Printed Ribbon.
Our festive wrap is complimentary by request, so just add a note to your order or email studio@sansbeast.com if you'd like gift wrapping, a special note written, or price details removed - we’ll take care of everything.
Shipping
Yes it’s the boring bit, but significant shipping delays are a reality worldwide this year. We ship with Australia Post who advise sending overseas parcels by the following dates for the best chance of a pre Christmas arrival:
UK + most of Europe – November 26
US, Canada + most of Asia – November 30
NZ – Dec 3
For delivery within Australia, AusPost recommends:
Standard parcels - 13 December (*10 December for WA + NT)
Express Post - 20 December (*15 December for WA + NT)
Please remember these dates aren't guarantees - our best advice is to get in early to avoid Christmas morning disappointment, as parcel volumes continue to be at record highs.
Our studio at 6/62 Fallon Street, Brunswick is now open Monday to Friday - and weekends by arrangement - for onsite browsing + purchasing, and we can gift wrap your purchases on the spot as well. Email us at studio@sansbeast.com to book a time to visit.
Loving
And finally...we know that as fun as festive gifts + treats are, the most precious part of this time of year is spending time with those you love. We always encourage you to only buy what you - or someone else - will treasure.
This year more than ever we hope you're wrapped in a whole lot of love. We're so grateful you're here - be safe, take care + be kind to yourself.
XO, Studio SB