Skip the Turtles and Toblerones this year and seek out locally made goodies that will show your thoughtfulness to the lucky recipients but also to the many small businesses in need of Christmas miracles to close their most difficult year ever…

St. Lawrence Spices – choose from Épices de Montréal, Herbes de Provence, Sel aux Agrumes, or Épices à BBQ.

Dosanko Koji Salt – light and flavourful fermented Japanese seasoning. Pick up a jar the next time you order a take-out dinner!

A Umami Bomb can be used on “anything from noodles and rice to veggies, sandwiches, and wraps” to take the flavour profile to the next level. Trust us, this is a solid and versatile gift for a foodie.

Blume Tumeric: this little bag of golden superfood goodness not only warms and soothes after a cold winter walk, but it will support immune health.

HuskeeCup Charcoal 12oz from Harken Coffee (extra points for popping a GC inside).

You may not be able to take them out for holiday brunch, but you can still hook up your loved ones with the Acorn’s organic pancake mix and wild harvest syrup.

The Spicy Espelette Honey from Chambar is phenomenal, any stocking you slip this sweet and spicy guy into will be a happier stocking.

Add on some Gochugaru citrus spice to your next Fromto order. If you’ve had Pidgin’s Beef Chicharron then you know why…

Speaking of hot stuff: Fable Diner’s signature house made hot sauce trio will kick Christmas morning up a notch. On the sweeter (but still spicy) side: bacon jam.

Like the hot sauce theme? From Avocado Ginger straight through to Beet Tequila, Siracha Revolver has a rainbow of unique flavours to choose from.

Anh and Chi has a handy gift box of sauces that could make a nice gift on their own, or be broken up for 3 stockings: set includes M?’s Chilli Fish Sauce, Sweet Soy Sauce and Peanut Sauce. We have the fish sauce at home and it’s really good!

Not exactly edible, but this new merch from Douce Diner is pretty awesome.

And so is the Ugly Dumpling’s new t-shirt with illustrations by Michelle Nguyen.

Don’t have a stocking to stuff? Ubuntu Canteen has a cool-as-heck tote bag filled with all kinds of good: from charcuterie and cheese to mustard, olives, chutney and quince – basically a picnic in a bag. Details here.

Hit up Bar Gobo and scoop a copy of Noble Rot magazine, which is chock-full of excellent food and wine writing.

Perk up the coffee-lover in your life with some Modus coffee or a monthly subscription if you place your order by December 21st.

This almost goes without saying: Cafe Medina waffle kit (waffles, salted caramel or milk chocolate lavender topping, and stylish face mask).

Stocking sized tins of fish, jars of marcona almonds and olives – even squid ink – Como Taperia has all manner of tasty treats available through their online shop here.

The future may still be uncertain, but one thing is for sure: a regular supply of locally grown, seasonal produce is a perfectly thoughtful, delicious and all-around excellent choice. It even kind-of fits into a stocking if you purchase a 2021 Fresh Roots Veggie Box subscription.

Everyone can use a nice chunk of parmesan cheese, right? Les Amis du Fromage has you covered. Also fit for the stocking: oodles of preserves, cheese boards and knives, olive oil (who doesn’t want olive oil?) and house made cheese shortbread.

Don’t skip the sweet stuff! Check out Scout’s Guide to Finding Vancouver’s Best Holiday Chocolates and A Quick Guide to Scoring Vancouver’s Best Baked Goods for even more suggestions.

You know who makes the stocking stuffer game a breeze? Legends Haul – they’ve got a dedicated dropdown menu and a nice selection of items (think DownLow Chicken Spiced Cashews, Juke Fried Chicken Seasoning Salt, East Van Jam and Beta5 Chocolates – just to start).

Stockings are nice and all, but what I really want to do is buy my friends a stiff drink.