8 Great Food Gift Boxes That Showcase Local Canadian Foods

Prince Edward Island

Award-winning tour company Experience PEI has encapsulated the charm of Canada’s smallest province in food boxes that come with a virtual cooking class. Each box supports 6 local businesses including perennial flavour favourites like COWs Creamery cheese and raspberry cordial (a nod to fans of Anne), PEI Preserve Company’s hot pepper jelly and P.E.I.-grown potatoes. Choose from the lobster roll (frozen or canned lobster) or P.E.I. clam chowder (bottled locally sourced clams) option. Bonus: $5 from every kit is donated to the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown.

PEI in a Box, $85-99

Nova Scotia

Available in every sweet and savoury permutation and combination to stock a pantry or fill a holiday table, these festive packages contain everything from condiments like Tidal sea salt and Acadian maple syrup to keepsakes such as reusable beeswax food wraps or a hand-cut bowl made by NovaScotian crystal. Curated by the province’s not-for-profit culinary marketing program, themed boxes include cheeky stocking stuffers for the naughty (Sweet Spot’s lump of chocolate “coal,” hot jerk spice mix by Big Cove Foods) or nice (Mrs. MacGregor’s shortbreads, Country Christmas blend from Tea Brewery), and a breakfast set featuring Van Dyk’s wild blueberry juice, Tangled Garden jam and honey from Cornet Family Farm. Taste of Nova Scotia 2020 Holiday Gift Boxes, $20-250. *Note: the Taste of Nova Scotia store says it will reopen Wednesday—it's currently closed while it's being restocked. 

Quebec

A veteran in the gift basket arena, Montreal-based Dolce Paniers-Cadeaux has the perfect collection for the discerning food lover, virtual party host or package to impress a client. Their elegant local artisan boxes are stuffed with products such as L’Épicurien’s fruit cake that’s aged for 30-days using Quebec produced BeOrigin gin, or a hot sauce from revered Joe Beef. Complemented by Quebec-made pantry goods like maple onion confit or a goose and pheasant terrine, the gourmet boxes might also include confections like nougat studded with Quebec black walnuts or a creamy maple fudge caramel spread.

Local Artisan Box, $69.75-82.50

Ottawa Valley

Assembling all the tasty treats made by producers from their immediate surroundings, the range of baskets offered by this Arnprior-based business includes everything from the traditional fruit basket to an elaborate brunch kit, and a sugar-free set for diabetics. Their Lanark County baskets, for example, are chocked full of regional delicacies such as blocks of Balderson cheese, Mrs. McGarrigle’s maple mustard, fair-trade organic coffee from Equator Coffee Roasters or Snark Coffee, Temple Sugar Bush maple syrup and an assortment of chocolates from Ottawa Valley icon, Village Treats.

Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets, $19.95-199.95

Toronto

Distilling the flavours made by Toronto’s talented array of independent food makers into a box is no easy task, but it’s not an issue for Foodie Pages who have been introducing food lovers to Canada’s best since 2012. Their Toronto-focused gift packages put a spotlight on the sweet and savoury goods from small businesses like Bee Local, Toronto Popcorn Company and Sullivan & Bleeker, then throw in crowd-favourites such as Rosen’s cinnamon bun spread and Soma Chocolatemaker bars to complete the kit.

Made in Toronto, $85

Saskatchewan

Partnering with local farmers, processors and artisans, SaskMade Marketplace is the go-to shop for all things traceable and uniquely Saskatchewanian. There’s plenty of options, from the conservatively priced Saskatoon berry travel pack filled with tea, spread, chocolate and honey made with the antioxidant rich superfruit to a dinner party basket jam-packed with cold-pressed canola oil that’s great over vegetables or popcorn, raw creamed alfalfa honey and other shelf-stable made in Saskatchewan pantry goods.

SaskMade gift baskets, $25-$150

Alberta

This holiday season, deliver Alberta-made goodness to loved ones across Canada. From handmade, small batch Organic Sunflower and Flax Seed Granola to a sweet Salted Caramel Spread, your recipient will be able to sample some of the artisanal foods Alberta has to offer. Bonus: some proceeds from each package also goes toward supporting provincial mental health and food programs.

Alberta Cares package, $79

British Columbia

Neither traversing a mountain highway in a snowstorm or a ferry ride through the Strait of Georgia will keep Crate West from tracking down the mouth-watering BC-handcrafted goods that are packed into their gift boxes. From wheat-free granola that’s made in Summerland, Whistler-produced sea salt caramels, lime Sriracha-roasted cashews from Vancouver, maple rub made in Victoria to toffee bark with smoked salt or hazelnuts from Saanichton, every item is sourced from artisans and lesser-known mom-and-pop shops. With nine themes to draw from, you’re guaranteed to find something perfectly delicious for that foodie, homebody or adventurer on your list.

Cratewest gift boxes, $150-160

Love My Local province-shaped cutting boards

These eco-friendly serving boards are handcrafted in Vancouver from FSC-certified bamboo, a rapidly renewable material. Shaped into each of the country’s provinces, the conversation pieces stretch from Newfoundland to Yukon, and includes a distinct nod to Vancouver Island.

Love My Local, $84