Shop Island Good for the Holidays

Think ‘Island Good’ When Holiday Shopping and send a ‘taste of Vancouver Island’ to isolated friends and relatives anywhere in the world.

We are hearing it on the streets and seeing it on social media posts. More than ever, people are shopping local when purchasing gifts for the holidays.

The Island Good brand and website is a simple, headache-free way to source Island Good products and retailers. Order an Island Good Gift Box—a ‘taste of Vancouver Island’ shipped anywhere in the world. Current boxes include the Breakfast Box with Level Ground Trading Coffee, Stonehouse Teas, Saltspring Kitchen Co. fruit spread Gathering Place Trading dried fruit and Singing Bowl Granola and the Pantry Box with Saltspring Kitchen Co. Spread, Singing Bowl Granola Paleo Bites, Gathering Place Trading spices, Ed’s Soup Shack+, Pixie Chicks Spices and Yeshi Dressing.  There are also dog and cat food boxes full of St Jean’s Cannery Healthy Shores pet food.

Or create your own themed gift, exploring the list of Island Good producers at islandgood.ca and let your imagination take hold. Here are some Island Good links and ideas to inspire your holiday gift planning:

• Don your mask from the Kindness Factory and go shopping for the foodies in your life. Visit Island Good food retailers, 49th Parallel Grocery, Country Grocer, Cure Meat and Cheese, Discovery Foods, Farm Table Inn Farm Store, French Creek Seafood, L’il Market at Page’s Resort, Peppers Food Store, Quality Foods, Smith & Lee Butcher, Springford Farm and Tru Value Foods, look for the Island Good brand and put together a basket of scrumptious Island Good nourishment. Some ideas include Abuelo’s Corn Tortillas, Ixim Foods, Arbutus Farms – Fresh Deli Foods, Paradise Island Foods, and Cowichan Milk.
• Treat that someone special to a platter of fresh appetizers and delicacies. The Drift Meat and Seafood, Pickles Pantry, St Jean’s Cannery, Hertel Meats, True Grain Bread and Martha’s Delectables cookies are just some of the many Island Good producers you can choose from. And reserve your holiday turkey with Victorian Acres Farm in Courtenay.
• Put together a bundle of easy to make meals for those busy people in your life. Ed’s Soup Shack+, hOMe Grown Living Foods, The Sinnamon’s Saucy Add-Ins, Sutra Sauces, and Tilly’s Easy Gourmet Meals, are all delicious options! Add in a pie purchased from the “TO GO” window at On The Fly Café and Catering Co. at the Comox Airport and you are good to go!
• Fashion a box of special herbs and spice mixes from Pixie Chicks Spices and ca. Both Pixie Chicks Spices and WoodfireSpice.ca are also offering gift box sets which you can order online from their websites.
• Provide some cheer with some amazing Island Good beverages. Visit Mid-Island Co-op Liquor to choose from a variety of Island produced beverages or visit some of our Island Good wineries and distilleries including, 40 Knots Vineyard & Estate Winery, Blue Grouse Winery, Merridale Cidery & Distillery, Rocky Creek Winery, Stillhead Distillery, Unsworth Vineyards, Valley Cider Company and Wayward Distillery to pick up a bottle or two for that special someone. Many are offering seasonal options, including Yule Fuel from Merridale Cidery & Distillery, a mulled cider that is delicious hot or cold and an added bonus is proceeds from every bottle go to the TLC Kids Fund. Wayward Distillery is also offering 100ml bottles of all their spirits, which could make great stocking stuffers. Also, for those that would rather enjoy a non-alcoholic drink Zen Moment Kombucha is an excellent option.
• Pamper that special someone with soaps from Vancouver Island Soap and Wychbury Ave. Add in some skin care products from Feisty Ferdy and Your Elegant Essentials and essential oils from Big Ventures Sales and you’ve got yourself the perfect care package.
• Give the gift of fresh Island Good produce year-round with a subscription to Community Support Agriculture (CSA) box from A & S Microgreens or Nanoose Edibles Farm. You can also add in a bottle or two of scrumptious Yeshi dressing to go with the greens.
• Surprise the animal lovers on your list with a t-shirt from Harlequin Nature Graphics or treats for their furry friend from Foley Dog Treat Company or a meal from Fresh Fetch or Healthy Shores.
• Gift an Island Good dining experience. The AQUA Bistro & Wine Bar and the fine dining Ocean 7 restaurant at the Kingfisher offer a menu full of Island Good options and currently they are offering a Sip & Sparkle 2 Night Package in celebration of the winter light display kingfisherspa.com. Farm Table Inn offers dinners using many local products. As well both the Campbell River Golf and Country Club and Morningstar Golf Club offer Island Good food and beverage in their lounge/restaurants. As well, the Campbell River Golf & Country Clubs’ new Retail Shop features Island products.
• Present a one-of-a-kind gift of art with a piece from Enamelling on Steel or furniture from Live Edge Design. Another Island Good retailer, Wildflowers & Co., an Indigenous woman-owned and operated e-commerce shop offers local and high-quality products for women and children including apparel, jewelry, home decor, artwork, and more!
• Go all out! If you are seeking the perfect bigger ticket item who wouldn’t love their own Aux Box, a beautiful small building, ready for them to enjoy! Add a comfortable mattress from Fawcett Mattress and talk about luxury! For the larger home K2 Stone and Woodland Flooring are great options for a renovation gift.

Our Island Good producers and retailers are continuing to find innovative ways to ensure you can shop safely. Most producers are providing online shopping and many offer free shipping when you purchase over a certain amount of dollars. For example, Tide to Table (Walcan Seafood) offers free delivery of fresh seafood on orders over $50.00 and they also have gift certificates. Holy Cow Indian Eats is offering delivery of frozen entrees in the Duncan region with a minimum order of $30.

Other retailers offering a great selection of Island Goods that make unique gifts are Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre, Bough and Antler Northwest Goods and French Creek Collective and they are all taking COVID safe measures. For example, French Creek Collective, located in Campbell River is offering a small more exclusive holiday experience for groups of 4 to 6, where you have the opportunity to shop stress-free with your own bubble. Your group can book a 45-minute shopping time, where you can safely come and share time together.

Enjoy your Island Good shopping experience and share your creative Island Good gift packages by using the #IslandGood hashtag.

Have an ‘Island Good’ Holiday Season!