Raise your glass: warm up this winter with some of BC’s best local wines and cheeses
November 19, 2015
Full steam ahead: Warm up this winter with Vancouver’s 2016 Hot Chocolate Festival!
January 19, 2016
Make a difference with your gifts this year! We’ve rounded up twelve great local gift suggestions for the foodie in your life. Buying local gifts is sustainable, delicious and a great way to invest in your community. Plus, you can’t beat local when it comes to meaningful gifts that will really put a smile on your loved ones’ faces. Get inspired by these ideas, then use our “Find Local” page to discover more local goods in your neighbourhood (tip: be sure to change the filter to your region).
1) Sweet treats: when it comes to confectionery, BC’s got a lock on sweet stuff. Small batch confections made in BC – like those from Kimberley’s Kitchen – make wonderful host gifts or stocking stuffers – and no one says no to gift certificates to your local bakery or chocolate shop!
2) Warm up with BC wines and cheeses: it’s a classic host gift, and perfect for a fireside chat on a frosty winter evening. BC wines are easily found at your local liquor store and locally BC made cheeses are available in the deli section of your favourite grocery store. Read more about our favourite BC wines and BC cheeses here.
3) Cook up local flavour: an easy present for a home cook, there are lots of excellent BC based cookbooks to choose from. To give them a real taste of BC’s local flavours, start with Don Genova, Jennifer Schell, and Anita Stewart’s books.
4) Go microbrew tasting: BC’s local beers are outstanding. Use our Find Local tool to find a delicious local brew. We recommend this year’s We Heart Local award winner, Rossland Brewing!
5) Say it with flowers: whether it’s a host gift or a present for your loved ones, fresh sustainable flowers make an elegant gift. Try Billie’s Flower House or this year’s We Heart Local award winner, The Bloom Bloom Room!
6) Give a getaway: surprise the special foodie in your life with a trip they’ll remember. A weekend trip to visit your local winery is relaxing, and a great way to warm up a cold winter weekend. Check out a few of our suggestions here to help plan your gift of experience. To cook up some really special memories, try Taku Marina & Resort on Quadra Island: they offer cooking workshops as well as delicious local food.
7) Take ‘em on tour: for a fun gift, you can’t go wrong with one of BC’s many food tours. With a friendly guide to steer you around new neighbourhoods and taste experiences, think of it as taking your loved one on an adventurous date with dinner included. Check out some of our favourite BC tours here.
8) Give your honey honey: local BC honey is a beautiful way to tell someone you think they’re sweet. For ordering, we like Meadowvista in Kelowna, but if you prefer to check them out in person, stores like the Little Cheese Shop in Vancouver also carry their products.
9) Save the dates: A local gift that takes a little planning (but gives all year round) is to treat your partner or child to an experiential gift like a weekly date. To get you started, take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market to see the sights and bring home seasonal ingredients for a special meal together. Quality time plus local treats will help you build sweet memories together.
10) A night to remember: gift your loved ones with a special night of luxurious local dining in the new year. Consider a restaurant that proudly serves local BC ingredients, like Fable in Vancouver, and Union Street Grill and Grotto in Courtenay.
11) Better than a stocking: for foodie family members who are too old for a stocking (but who still adore the good things that arrive in small packages), give them a gourmet gift basket from Edible Canada.
12) Get your apron dirty: know someone who loves to cook? Gift them with cooking lessons from a local cooking school or cheese/wine making lessons from a winery. To get you started, check out Mission Hill in Kelowna, The London Chef in Victoria or Dirty Apron in Vancouver (bonus: this gift will certainly give back when they show off their new skills over dinner!).
We’d love to know how you’re giving local this year – drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter. Happy Holidays!