It’s no secret that finding that elusive, perfect present for the foodies in your life is more often a chore than a delight. With Australia’s food and wine industry offering so much choice, it can be hard to know which the right one is. Enter BananaLab, the solution to all your gifting woes this holiday season and beyond – especially as restrictions within the country continue to lift and Australians can return to enjoying the best of our hospitality industry.

A French expression meaning ‘smile like a banana’, BananaLab was founded by Eric Amiel and Thomas Dufraisse, both of Franco-Australian origin, in 2017 as Australia’s first range of curated, experience-focused gift boxes. Since then, this innovative, Victorian-based startup has grown to become the second biggest experience gifting platform in Australia.

Born from the realisation that there were few options for experience-based gifting in Australia, Amiel and Dufraisse, launched BananaLab to fill a gap for those looking to gift unique and memorable moments for their loved ones in place of purposeless or unwanted, material gifts. Lately, experience gifts have seen an increase in popularity; a phenomenon that has been attributed to the re-evaluation of lifestyles and priorities during the recent prolonged lockdowns, as well as the desire to ‘get back out there’ after being cooped up for so long. In fact, a recent Urban List study found that 55% of their audience saw themselves spending more on experiences than products in the future, while an independent BananaLab survey found that 77% of Victorians are eager to get out and undertake an experience as soon as possible.

BananaLab’s concept is simple; one gift box, thousands of hand-picked activities to choose from. Each experience gift box contains a booklet with an entire range of experiences and a pass, which can be redeemed for any one offer. BananaLab’s products are available at four price points, beginning with $99 for the ‘Her Bucket List’ and ‘His Bucket List’ boxes, which contains the broadest number of experiences ranging from culinary workshops to wine and cheese tours, making it a great stocking filler or corporate gift. On the other end of the spectrum, BananaLab’s ‘Unique Box’, priced at $599, could see you living out once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like a private truffle hunt in the heart of the Central Highland region, or indulging in a sensory cocktail-making class with your closest friends. BananaLab differentiates themselves from their competitors by leaving the choice of the experience in the hands of the giftee, ensuring that there’ll never be a need for exchanges or refunds. However, unlike most experience-oriented gifts which are merely offered as paper vouchers, neither the exciting ritual of physically unwrapping a present, nor the idea of a tangible gift as a symbol of love is lost. Moreover, with BananaLab’s availability in Coles and Woolworths nation-wide, the team have now ensured that BananaLab’s exciting experiences are available both on and offline, making it possible for last-minute shoppers to still offer their loved ones a significant, quality gift.

With over 1100 experiences available, BananaLab has made it easy to select the ideal experience for any food and wine enthusiast, no matter the receiver’s age, interests, skills or location – a point that is especially pertinent for Australia’s hospitality industry, given the wide range of businesses and communities across the country that have been negatively affected by both the bushfires and COVID-19 lockdowns that have occurred this year. The team have always made it a point to support local economies by prioritising partnerships with small and local providers offering one-of-a-kind experiences. However, now more than ever, BananaLab considers themselves as placed in a unique position to help Australians reconnect through meaningful interactions, and embrace all the extraordinary food and wine experiences that Australia has to offer. As Sarah Boukobza, BananaLab’s marketing manager, states “Australia has so many wonderful places to discover, and we are so proud to be able to bring these experiences that the whole world dreams of discovering, to everyday Australians”. 

With their concept of remarkable experience gifting and the ease of availability in Coles and Woolworths stores nation-wide, BananaLab will both simplify your Christmas shopping and bring intrigue and excitement to those who receive a box. Whether you’re looking for an experience to make up lost time with loved ones, or know of a food connoisseur who’s eager to return to a life of gastronomy, choose BananaLab and you’ll be the envy of all gift-givers and receivers this Christmas!

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