This season, make your gift-giving extra special by supporting local makers and businesses. From seasonal treats to stylish accessories and tools, we’ve curated a list of Canadian gifts perfect for the foodie in your life.
Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread Discovery Set,
Allo Simonne
Nutella who? Montreal-based artisanal chocolate company Allo Simonne makes a range of decadent chocolate-hazelnut spreads. The discovery set has five spreads, including a jaguar chocolate and hazelnut spread and a dark chocolate, hazelnut and roasted buckwheat seed spread.
$55
Gold Accents Polka Dot Stoneware Cookie Jar,
Cécile Delaux Céramique
Quebec artist Cécile Delaux makes each of these stoneware cookie jars by hand, glazing and adorning them with 22-karat gold accents. Available in brown, white and a pale shell-pink, each piece is unique and makes a perfect Christmas gift (pre-load with homemade christmas cookies to make it extra special).
$90
Olive Oil Negroni Candle,
Hudson + Oak
All of Hudson + Oak’s small-batch candles are hand-poured in their Vancouver studio. Their new cocktail-inspired candles are the ultimate indulgence. Notes of olive leaf, sea salt and vanilla characterize the Olive Oil Negroni candle. The vessel for each candle is an Apéritif Coupe, which you can use for real cocktails when the candle is done. An added touch would be to include a quirky olive ornament.
$49
Gluten-Free Baking Mixes,
Stellar Eats
The gluten-free foodie in your life will love you forever after receiving one of Stellar Eats’ baking mixes (which are also plant-based and paleo-friendly, each made with 8 ingredients or less). Grab a bag of their grain-free gingerbread cookies, gooey fudge brownies, chewy cookies or another treat.
$13
Gingerbread Cookie Superfood Tea Blend,
Lake & Oak Tea Co.
Hamilton-based tea brand Lake & Oak is ready for the holidays. Their cozy Gingerbread Cookie blend is the ultimate seasonal treat, loaded with ginger, cinnamon, rooibos and vanilla. Sip solo or blend with milk for a frothy tea latte.
$17.50
Tea Towels,
Lisa A. Design
Washington-based designer Lisa Anderson teamed up with Montreal’s Art of Where to design this Italian-drink-inspired tea towel collection. Grab an apertivo one dedicated to the Negroni or Hugo Spritz, or snag a Chianti or Prosecco towel for the wine aficionado.
$26
Freeze-Dried Holiday Fruity Sprinkles,
OHME!
Vancouver-based OHME! is known for their line of freeze-dried fruit snacks made using local ingredients whenever possible. For the holidays, they’ve created a unique ‘sprinkle’ blend with freeze-dried strawberries and mangoes that add colour and crunch to cookies, cocktails and more.
$12.50
Kokker Apron,
Therma Kōta
This elegant apron is adorned with a beautiful metallic damask pattern, but the formal style belies a durable, functional kitchen tool. The water-repellant, machine-washable fabric stands up to stains and scrapes – plus, 15% from each purchase is donated to The Canadian Native Centre, is works to provide meal services to at-risk Indigenous communities.
$75
Honey Gift Set,
The Heritage Bee Company
Ontario-based Heritage Bee Company has four gifting-ready sets made with their gourmet flavoured wildflower honeys, each with a gold honey spoon included. Grab a Charcuterie Set, Tea Lover Set or the ‘Bee Well’ box with superfood-flavoured varieties.
$35
Mailroom Premium Vodka,
Mailroom
Mailroom’s smooth vodka is made from Canadian wheat and distilled in a handcrafted copper still in Guelph, Ontario. The final product has distinct flavours of earthy cereal, spearmint, anise and cracked pepper, and each bottle is decorated with a typed message from a fan (drinkers are invited to share their most memorable moments and messages with the brand).
$38
Trio Set Sweet,
Cassis Monna & Filles
Fifth-generation family business Cassis Monna & Filles specializes in black currant wines and Crème de Cassis, but they also make a line of artisanal preserves with their Quebec-grown fruit. This trio set contains three of their most popular sweet varieties: a black currant jam, black currant jelly and raspberry and crème de cassis jam.
$28
Maple Wood Herb Stripper Set,
LivCan Design
Give the gift of saved time with this handy herb stripper set from New Brunswick’s LivCan Design. Crafted of durable Canadian maple wood and made by hand, the two tools are designed to quickly strip herbs off stems of varying sizes.
$38
Whimsical Christmas Mug,
La Fleur Artisane
This heirloom-worthy mug is crafted with twice-fired porcelain clay; painstakingly made and painted by hand in Toronto. Choose between a 10- or 15-fluid ounce capacity (go for the 15-ounce if your giftee is known to go for extra whipped cream).
$75
Cosmopolitan,
Civil Pours
Toronto cocktail distillery Civil Pours uses lime and orange distillates made from upcycled citrus fruit collected from local bars and restaurants to create this refreshingly balanced, ready-to-pour Cosmopolitan. The Sex and the City fan in your life will be thrilled.
$40
Vegan Dark Chocolate Collection,
Purdy’s
Purdys’ latest artisanal collection has been crafted to be less sweet than other options for those who prefer the robust flavour of dark chocolate and comes in four flavours: fig, raspberry, mango and tonka. A dusting of shimmering crystals make each bite feel more festive too.
$35
