The story below is a preview from our November/December 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
These five hidden gems offer great gift ideas for your favorite foodie.
When it comes to supporting small businesses, Roanoke is spoiled for choice. Happily, that means there are loads of locally-owned specialty shops and a wide selection of locally and regionally made goods.
Here are five under-the-radar places to shop for holiday gifts for the food lover in your life, whether you’re in search of custom gourmet gift baskets, unique kitchen gadgets and serveware, pantry upgrades, sweet treats or novelty wearables and games.
The Candy Store
The Candy Store is a one-stop-shop for food lovers whose tastes skew sweet. The walls are lined with a mix-and-match candy buffet featuring a variety of gummies, hard candies and chocolates, which you can opt to package in clear bags or cute takeout containers. There’s also an excellent assortment of gourmet chocolates, plus an array of vintage and international sweets and snacks, such as hard-to-find Kit Kat and Milka chocolate bar flavors.
You’ll also find food-themed gifts scattered throughout the space, such as candy making kits, over-sized gummy candies, novelty socks for adults and kids, card games such as Pass the Pasta, and whimsical kitchen gadgets and accessories like chip clips, dish sponges and tea infusers. Keep an eye out for video game- and TV-branded items, like energy drinks inspired by Pac Man or Ted Lasso, ideal for your office gift exchange or white elephant present swap.
Layla Khoury-Hanold
Dilly Dally
This charming general store, housed in a historic building just outside Salem’s downtown, is a treasure trove of locally made goods, including a namesake line of sauces, preserves and baking mixes (try the pumpkin bread or strawberry shortcake).
Give your bestie a kitchen pantry upgrade with items such as AR’s Hot Southern Honey, Spice Titan’s stellar spice blends (try Home Base or Sweet + Savory), Bone Doctors’ BBQ sauces or Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Co.’s small batch hot sauces.
For a festive holiday brunch or hostess gift, pair a bottle of barrel-aged maple syrup from Back Creek Farms with Dilly Dally’s Easy Morning Pancake Mix and bag of beans from Little Green Hive or Red Rooster Coffee (bonus points if you offer to make them brunch!). The staff can also put together gift baskets based on a theme or your recipient’s preferences.
After all that thoughtful shopping, treat yourself to a freshly made sandwich (try the house made chicken salad) or scoop of ice cream from the adjacent café.
Front Porch Prezzies
Terra Creasy combined her love of surprises with her passions for local art, crafts and small businesses to launch Front Porch Prezzies. The Roanoke-based custom gift basket company features an ever-changing mix of goods from dozens of local makers, including RND Coffee, Isha Devine Pottery, Bread Run, Petals and Sugar, Blessed Day Treats and Gracious Day Grains, to name just a few. Gift basket prices and contents vary depending on size and product availability; you can opt to build from existing baskets or create one from scratch.
For the snack aficionado, consider a bounty of nosh such as pimento cheese crackers, chocolates, mixed nuts, granola, jerky, candies and cookies. The “closing basket,” a favorite among realtors, would be an ideal choice for the consummate entertainer. It includes olive oil, bread, bread dipping spices, a ceramic dish, a candle, cookies and a hand towel.
Check out Front Porch Prezzie’s build-your-own-basket pop-up at Golden Cactus Brewing on November 22 and 29; follow them on social media for additional pop-up dates.
Want to see more great gift ideas for all the foodies in your life, including some from The HomeGrown Co. and Medmont Mercantile? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!
The story above is a preview from our November/December 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!