‘Tis finally the season.

Christmas is officially in full swing and if you’d like to team a little gift shopping with a lovely lunch or a lazy brunch, the new Winter Garden at The Crawford Gallery Café is just the spot.

The Winter Garden will open for breakfast in a heated covered nook just off Emmet Place from Monday to Saturday, but there’s another reason to visit – they’ve set up a gorgeous gift shop too.

Indoors, the café has been transformed into a festive treasure trove filled with Cork made crafts and beautiful bits and pieces from makers around the country.

We’ll be stopping in to pick up hand-dipped candles made from natural beeswax from farm hives of Brookfield Farm, located on the shore of Lough Derg in Co. Tipperary.

You can also check out Aoife Banville’s atmospheric hand-crafted lampshades, made from a collection of nautical maps from around the world. The cylindrical shades can be used as floor, table or hanging lamps and they give a warm, cosy glow as the light is diffused through the heavy map paper.

Elements of Action, a collaborative design practice working in furniture design, landscape architecture and project management, will also be selling a selection of items at The Crawford Café.

Look out for their beautifully made Christmas wreaths and brass napkin holders, which made a wonderful ‘forever’ gift.

The Winter Garden will open today in a heated covered nook just off Emmet Place (breakfast 8.30am – 11.30am and lunch 12pm – 3pm).