For the person who loves to indulge…
One thing’s for certain at this time of year: it’s all about the food and drink. What’s more exciting than indulging in local festive apps and treats, followed by local mulled cider, wine or craft brew?! Nothing. That’s what.
Knowing that a local business owner thoughtfully made your Christmas treats makes them that much more special. Not only that, but often local producers are doing much more than making great products – they are also making your town a destination. That means more dollars into the local economy, which benefits everyone.
So get out the stretchy pants and discover what to buy to make your holiday table the talk of the town!
1. Cocoabistro
Celebrate each day with chocolate? Yes, please! At Cocoa Bistro, artisan chocolate is lovingly made fresh every day and meant to be experienced instead of simply consumed. Look here for the infamous CocoaGram, which is delivered to your special someone’s home or office. Another neat thing: they can create custom flavours if you’ve got a great pairing idea
2. Cheesecakery Bakery
Happiness in a jar! Treat the favourite people in your life with mason jars of cheesecake. Yes, you read that right. The Cheesecakery Bakery is a wholesale commercial bakery specializing in cheesecakes of any flavour with full cakes, bars, mason jars and cupcake sizes. Take a look at their website to find out where you can grab a jar.. or two… or maybe a case!
3. Mio Gelato
Dessert is a feast for the eyes – and the tastebuds at Mio Gelato. Homemade right on site, with mouth-watering fresh gelato, sorbetto, ice cream or frozen yogurt. Thinking about a cool treat during the holidays? Mio Gelato has a holiday collection to die for. Think flavours like candy cane stracciatella, gingerbread, cranberry orange and egg nog, as well as the traditional ones you know and love. And they deliver or offer pickup at the shop! Happy holidays, indeed.
4. Kingston Olive Oil
Foodies unite! Harvest olive oils and balsamic abound at Kingston Olive Oil Company. This family-owned, local speciality shop imports some of the finest extra virgin olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars the world has to offer. This is the ultimate gift for the home chefs in your life! Take a peek at their Top 10 of 2020 collection and shop online.
5. Pan Chancho Bakery
Discover the holiday collection at Pan Chancho featuring a Christmas feast for six people, Bûche de Noël, Charcuterie platters, soups, mousse and even maple roasted root vegetables. It’s a table worthy of the holidays! Gather your bubble together and order online to make your Christmas merry without the hassle. Don’t forget to toast to local food!
6. The Grocery Basket
This is the local, real life outside aisle of your grocery store! Start your holiday festivities off right and share a custom order cake with a friend, indulge in pre-ordered baked goodies or even nosh on a popular Friday charcuterie while on a virtual hangout. All available to order online; all real food.
READ ALSO: Kingston Makers Holiday Gift Guide
7. Rose Hall Run
Offering a wide selection of award-winning County wines, Rose Hall Run also locally-sourced gourmet food products. Look for the Pair it Forward initiative, celebrating local food and purveyors and available to order online! Give the Gift of The County – holiday gift packs are now available for meaningful giving to savvy savouries on your list!
8. The Wilfrid
An online taste of The Wilfrid delivered right to your fav person! Aside from two-night stay gift certificates available for purchase online at this boutique farmhouse, The Wilfrid is doing something unique and offering small-batch products made with care on-site. Look for their famous maple spice granola, or hot sauces, jams and even Wilfrid-made giant puffball powder. Dream about an escape and gift The Wilfrid tastes in the meantime.
9. Fifth Town Cheese
Cheese please! Fifth Town is an environmentally and socially responsible producer of fine handmade cheeses using fresh, locally-produced cow, goat and buffalo milk. What better way to celebrate the holidays with your foodie friends than by enjoying an amazing array of local cheese with them? The factory store is open now, but they’re also taking online orders for curbside pickup in their outdoor fridge or delivery.
10. Kinsip
This farm-based, grain-to-glass distillery will have you and everyone on your holiday list saying, “Cheers!” Leave a little something special out for Santa with this cookies this year. All of Kinsip’s products are fermented, distilled, and aged onsite with care. Look here for brilliant gift sets that can be ordered online, including Kinsip’s award-winning array of bottled goodness.
11. Honey Pie
These are gift boxes that you’ll want to give again and again. Honey Pie is a small, farm-based business with unpasteurized and unfiltered honey preserving its beneficial properties. Gift boxes have proven popular for staff or co-worker gifts – no order is too small or large. From handmade soaps to beautiful honey infused with lavender or with organic cocoa added they are sure to be a hit with honey-lovers on your list.
12. Vinnified
The perfect gift for the wine connoisseur: Vinnified is a genius wine service whose members receive a selection of premium wines shipped directly to their door each month. Packages of three or six bottles include information about the regions, the people and the history behind each carefully chosen wine. Look for the pairing and tasting guides in each package as well!
READ ALSO: Support Black-owned businesses in South Eastern Ontario. Blogger, Keep up with Kingston has created a working list of Black-owned businesses, that will continue to grow to include all People of Colour and Indigenous businesses. Take a look at some of the great services and products you can find all around the region and continue to support your community.
13. Millefleurs
From honey to lavender, to mead and aromatherapy, Millefleurs is a one-stop-shop for the foodie who loves organic, handcrafted products. Order online, by telephone or email and arrange for pick up, local delivery or shipping. Grab a gift card online to send to that someone special who always has artisanal, sustainable and quality top of mind!
14. Coco Chocolate Company
As a micro-batch producer, the makers behind Coco Chocolate Company take great care to ensure only the finest quality beans make it into the chocolate bars. These make fantastic presents – look for the Christmas lineup featuring Milk and Cookies and Candy Cane! Order online to give a treat you can feel good about.
15. No Nut Butter
Tasty food spreads that are completely nut-free, which are allergy-friendly. Sound too good to be true? It’s not! No Nut Butter makes tasty food spreads everything from pumpkin seed butter to chocolate spread, they create products kids will love that are free from nuts. Give the gift of taste without the worry this holiday season!
16. Thorpe Farms
Pasture-raised goodness! Clean, sustainable products raised and created while being environmentally conscious and respectful. Treat your family to lamb, chicken, turkey, eggs or honey from Thorpe Farms knowing they have been ethically and naturally raised. Pre-order online to receive the highest quality product.
17. Ridgway Confections
More than a neighbourhood chocolate shop – it’s a place where Charlie would have felt at home. Ridgway specializes in fine, handcrafted Belgian chocolates made with fresh ingredients, imagination and a positive attitude. Perfect sweet stocking stuffers! Order online for local delivery or curbside pickup. You can actually get chocolate platters here. Need we say more?!
19. County Honey
We could all use something to make this year a little sweeter. County Honey has great gift sets, beeswax candles and even CSA memberships. Raw, small-batch and local. Shop online for honeys like Sandbanks, Bloomfield, Waupoos to remind your besties of those summer trips to the County and pick up beeswax candles to keep that glorious scent all year round.
20. Cooks Gourmet
This gourmet food producer makes food for everyday and entertaining. Your foodie friends will love this! Great for appetizers, BBQ, pasta and rice dishes. Products are vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free and/or sugar-free. Looks here for Tapenade, Tapas, stuffed olives, herb blends, infused olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.
21. The Kafana
Gathering, laughing, eating well. The Kafana is all of these things and more. From delightful gifts for tea lovers to popcorn spice perfect for a movie night, to Immunity Elixir and mulling spices, The Kafana is a place of curiosity and sharing. Order online for pick up, shipping or even free local delivery.
READ ALSO: Cornwall’s Marvelous Makers
22. El Rebost De Les Mil Illes
Experience the taste Spain without the trip! They serve up all Spanish gourmet products you could ever dream of! For a gift, think tapas styled food paired with some insanely good wine. Your friends and family will fall head over heels for this.
Gift Cards
23. Knock them off your list one by one.
Shopping locally for food and drink is a no brainer and gift cards are always appreciated by everyone from coworkers, to family and even those sticklers in the hard-to-buy-for column on your gift giving list.
Pick up a gift card for your foodie from one of the many locally-owned restaurants that dot across South Eastern Ontario. Just to name a few, our favourites include: Flame and Smith, Stellas Eatery, Capers, The Lark, Olivea, Harpers Burgers, and Tango Nuevo.
READ ALSO: 15 Restaurants You Need To Try In Prince Edward County, 13 Restaurants Along The Rideau Canal, 11 Places In Lennox & Addington Every Foodie Needs To Visit, 11 Restaurants To Try In The Bay Of Quinte, 19 Restaurants To Try In Kingston, 11 Restaurants You Need To Try In The 1000 Islands Gananoque, 12 Restaurants You Need To Try In Cornwall & SDG Counties and 8 Places Every Foodie Needs To Visit In Frontenac County.
For the cocktail/wine/ craft beer enthusiast, pick up their favourite bottle or introduce them to something new from your favourite place. Our favourites include: Daft Brewery, Prince Eddys, Kinsip, Wood Brothers, Closson Chase Winery, Hinterland, and Rosehall Run.
Eat, drink and be merry this holiday season as the foodies in your life will have all the feels for your perfectly thoughtful gifts from local producers in South Eastern Ontario.
#ShopLocalSEO
If we can’t make it social in real life this season, let’s make it social online! Topsy Farms, Mackinninon Brothers, and Enright Cattle Co. have launched a Campaign to Spotlight Local Businesses and will be using their social media profiles to highlight local shops using #ShopLocalSEO.
Vendors will not only be provided with space at real-life events, such as the Enright’s and Mackinnons Christmas Holiday Markets but vendors will have their stories shared online. Shoppers are encouraged to use the hashtag on social after their latest purchase or to feature some of their favourite locally-owned shops. Any business with a website can be part of this campaign, so hop on board! Follow along and use the hashtag #ShopLocalSEO.
