2017 Holiday Gift Guide: 18 awesome local Vancouver foodie gifts
We love giving gifts, especially ones that are high quality and made with care by local Vancouver purveyors. This makes spending that extra present cash around the holidays hurt a little less, right?
There are so many amazing products out there, we couldn’t fit them all on this list, but here are some much-loved favourites that will not disappoint – we’re sure of it.
Give the gift of deliciousness this holiday season, here are 18 local foodie gifts and experiences to find in Vancouver.
See also
- Countdown to Christmas with these 2017 advent calendars
- 2017 Holiday Gift Guide: 16 subscription boxes that ship across Canada
- 19 Vancouver restaurants where you can host an amazing holiday party
- Meat & Bread's epic Turducken Sandwich returns for the 2017 Christmas season
Food and Drink
Aslan Chai
This local purveyor makes their chai mixes by grinding them from whole spices – there’s no powder and no syrup involved – so every variety is made from scratch and hand mixed into the secret recipe. All of the chai mixes are made to order so it’s always guaranteed fresh. Choose from Cinnamon, Cardamom, Fennel, Black Pepper, Brown Sugar, and Green Tea, and all of these are 100% vegan to boot.
Price: $10.99 per bag
Where to buy: These establishments in Metro Vancouver or online
East Van Jam
Grab a jar of East Van Jam this holiday season and you wont be disappointed. These jams are inspired by the eclectic variety of characters that make up East Vancouver, and they are made from local produce too.
Where to buy: Various markets and retailers in Vancouver
Gift Box from Harvest Community Foods
The Harvest Holiday Box (Photo courtesy Harvest Community Foods)
Harvest Community Foods has two gift box options. The Harvest Holiday Box includes homemade jams, pickles, and granola, along with a gift certificate for lunch for two at Harvest (AKA amazing ramen time). The other box is called The Love of Local Box, this is full of artisanal goodies sourced from local Vancouver businesses such as Hives for Humanity and East Van Roasters.
Price: $45 per box
Where to buy: Harvest Community Foods – 243 Union Street, Vancouver
Holiday Box from Commissary Connect
Commissary Connect Holiday Box (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
Commissary Connect have created an amazing box that’s delicious and gives some local love. A portion of the proceeds from this Holiday Box will go towards The Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
Price: $45 per box
Where to buy: online (order open November 27)
Honey from Hives for Humanity
Hives for Humanity makes local honey that allows you to taste the profile of various communities in Metro Vancouver: Main Street, Commercial Drive, Renfrew, Strathcona, Hastings, Kitsilano and Delta. Every jar is different and supports a great cause.
Where to buy: The Hives for Humanity Bee Space – 580 Powell Street, Vancouver, and these other retailers
Joe Fortes’ Lobster Oil
This is liquid gold if you ask us, and if there’s a seafood lover in your life you may be helping them start a bad habit if you gift them this Lobster Oil from local seafood institution Joe Fortes. Use this rich 375 ml bottle in pastas, salads, over popcorn, to dip fresh bread in, and wherever else you see fit in your cooking.
Price: $29.95 per bottle
Where to buy: Joe Fortes Seafood & Chophouse – 777 Thurlow Street, Vancouver
JT’s Hot Buttered Rum Mix
JT’s Hot Buttered Rum Mix, created by Cascade Room General Manager Justin Taylor, is comprised of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and salt, and it contains no alcohol and can be added as is to hot water for an enjoyable and warming winter drink, with or without rum. This treat will be available starting December 1 while supplies last at The Cascade Room, El Camino’s, The Union, and Main Street Brewing Company. Partial proceeds from each sale of the 250ml jars will go to Fawkes Academy Parental Advisory Committee. In addition, The Cascade Room will donate $2 from the sale of every Hot Buttered Rum cocktail (throughout December) to the cause.
Price: $12 per jar
Where to buy: The Cascade Room, El Camino’s, The Union, Main Street Brewing
Gift Boxes from The Dirty Apron
The Fresh Feast (Photo: Joey Armstrong)
This spot offers gift boxes perfect for any kind of foodie in your life. There’s ‘The Chef’ (gourmet pantry staples and essential kitchen tools), ‘The Snacker’ (chewy, crunchy, sweet, and salty bites), and ‘The Fresh Feast’ (artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, fresh baguette).
Price: The Chef – $190, The Snacker – $69, The Fresh Feast – $150
Where to buy: Call to order
Love My Local Cheese Boards
Get patriotic with your cheese board and opt for a handcrafted beauty from Love My Local. These boards are made in Vancouver, but come in the shapes of many Canadian provinces.
Price: Starting from $84
Where to buy: Various retailers in Vancouver and online
Sloe Gin from Odd Society Spirits
Odd Society Salal Gin (Photo courtesy Odd Society Spirits)
Odd Society Spirits has released the 2017 edition of their 375 ml bottles of Salal Gin, the local equivalent of Sloe Gin.
Price: $30
Where to buy: Multiple location across BC, and the Odd Society Spirits Distillery and Tasting Room (1725 Powell Street, Vancouver)
Silk Road Tea
Whether you pick up the Wellness Tea Gift Box, the Holiday Survival Kit, or simply some Loose Leaf Teas, local tea purveyor Silk Road has got the goods for the holiday season. Try the Berry Victoria variety, grown and picked on the island and made into beautiful hyper-local tea.
Price: Teas starting from $4.99
Where to buy: Silk Road Tea Vancouver – 2066 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver and online
Smoked Olives from Wildebeest
Wildebeest Olives (Photo courtesy Wildebeest)
Wildebeest’s signature smoked olives are now available to take home just in time for the holidays. With a smoky and meaty taste, these savoury Castelvetrano olives are perfect to enjoy alone or as part of a holiday charcuterie board.
Price: $15
Where to buy: Wildebeest – 120 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
Cookbooks
A cookbook written by local Vancouverites is the gift that keeps on giving – hopefully the recipient of these awesome works of literature will drop some of their creations on your doorstep after you gift it to them. Here are few books that recently hit the shelves in Vancouver an beyond.
Lure: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the West Coast
Ocean Wise and locally loved Chef Ned Bell released his cookbook dedicated to preparing and serving sustainable seafood earlier this year, and considering there are recipes like the (sea)weed brownies in here, we’d say it’s a must-buy.
Price: Approximately $38.95, prices may vary
Where to buy: Most places books are sold and online
The Gastown Foodie
This local cookbook showcases Gastown’s restaurants and foodie businesses in stories, images, and recipes. This is the third instalment of this cookbook series, which also includes East Van Foodie and North Shore Foodie editions.
Price: Approximately $44.95, prices may vary
Where to buy: Most places books are sold and online
The Recipe Box: YVR
This walnut wooden recipe box will be available in December, and it includes 100 Vancouver recipes from some local foodie legends old and new on water resistant cards
Price: $65
Where to buy: purchase online
Food Experiences
Give the gift your foodie will always remember by heading to a cooking class with them at one of these local spots. There’s a lot of laughing, eating, and edu-taining involved, you can’t go wrong.
Tartine & Maple
Get involved in classes that cover everything from every day basics like chili and meatloaf to delicate French pastry making at Tartine & Maple cooking classes.
Price: Starting from around $45 per person (per class)
Where: The Uncommon Cafe – 477 Powell Street, Vancouver
The Dirty Apron Cooking School
Take a whack at culinary classes like Mediterranean Mingle, Italian Small Plates for Two, and The Best Brunch Class at the Dirty Apron.
Price: Starting from around $170 per person (per class)
Where: 540 Beatty Street, Vancouver
Cook Culture
Cook Culture’s got a whole slew of delicious-sounding classes including Seasonal Superfoods, Thai Basic, and Moroccan Comfort Food to name a few.
Price: Starting from around $90 per person (per class)
Where: 377 Howe Street, Vancouver, 1230 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
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