Holiday Gift Guide for Philly Food Lovers
Disclosure: NONE of the links below are affiliate links, so I do not earn any commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are all things I just naturally love and recommend. Please be assured that I only recommend products that I believe in & have personally tried or used. Your support is greatly appreciated!
If you’re anything like me, you haven’t really done much holiday shopping yet. And there are no presents already neatly wrapped under the tree.
And I holiday procrastinate.
I prefer to buy gifts for people when I see things that inspire me, that they’d like, or that make me think of them. I like my gifts to means something. And sometimes that’s hard to do with the pressure of all the gifts we are “supposed” to give around the holidays, especially if the holidays just magically crept up on us. Christmas falls on the same day every single year, yet somehow it always manages to appear out of nowhere.
If you don’t have it all done yet either, give yourself some grace.
At the end of the day, I’ll forever believe the kitchen is the heart of the home and food the way to the heart. Many of the best gifts I’ve given and received over the years have been the gift of love + food. So, to make last minute shopping more simple and still just as meaningful for you, that’s the place from which I created this gift guide. You can never go wrong with food or kitchen-centric gifts that also do some good, and I’ve got you covered with some of my favorite local Philly things.
My mission is always to support my community and smaller local businesses, so that’s what’s highlighted in this guide. If you don’t live in Philly, you can still absolutely support and order from some of these stores online, but I also encourage you to use this as inspiration for seeking out smaller businesses in your hometown. And, of course, if you don’t celebrate the holidays, that doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself or still give to others anyway! Everything that I am recommending (and in no particular order) is something I personally love, and none of these products have affiliate links. Just my stamp of approval, and this gift guide is my gift to you. Thank you in advance for supporting small businesses, like myself!
Happy holidays, my friends!
1. Vellum St Soap Company: A long-time veteran of the Philadelphia restaurant scene, Melissa Torre launched an environmentally-friendly skincare business as a solution to the huge amount of waste she saw commercial kitchens and restaurants produce. Her soaps and skin products are made with food-grade products, many sourced from local food producers such as Primal Supply Meats, as a way to cut down and re-use and repurpose those previously discarded ingredients. In addition, most of the packaging used for these products are upcycled from local restaurants and re-cut by Remark Glass. You’ll probably have a hard time choosing between all of the aromatic scents (I sure do), but my current obsession is the Lemon Ginger Oatmeal. And once you get a whiff and sample your skin feeling so luxuriously soft and silky, you’ll not only want to gift this to your loved ones but also yourself.
2. Rider Ceramics: Located in South Philly in the Bok Building, Lauren Rider creates beautiful, unique wheel thrown, functional pieces made from either porcelain or a fine speckled stoneware. Her colorful and sturdy bowls, plates, utensil holders, and mugs are sure to add a splash of fun and excitement to any kitchen.
3. Viva Leaf Tea Co.: Christa Barfield launched her tea company with one goal in mind — to provide a high quality, healthful tea with traceable origins. All teas are grown, harvested, and hand-blended from organic medicinal herbs and plants on Christa’s urban farm (LifeLeaf Organic Farm and FarmerJawn). It’s incredible to see her passion for the benefits of plants and her mission of ending food security by creating safe, green spaces that produce high yields of nutrient-dense food in a regenerative way for our community! Give the gift of self care and wellness with their beautiful farm fresh teas and honey while also helping FarmerJawn in providing accessible and affordable organic produce to the urban community.
4. Manatawny Stillworks: Located in Montgomery County on the banks of Manatawny Creek and with outposts in Philadelphia, Manatawny Still Works is a distillery that produces world class spirits with character in small batches and practices based on old world production with a reverent nod to the history of the region. The Creek, first named by the indigenous Lenape Man'en'tau'wata'wik, "the place we meet to drink," still holds the same meaning for the distillery today. Say cheers to a loved one with a delicious local spirit, gift card, or some fun merch, and I’ll cheers you, too!
5. The Bake School: Arguably one of the best pastry chefs in Philadelphia, and a dear friend of mine, Abby Dahan launched The Bake School in the height of the pandemic to teach you, (yes YOU, the one who just CAN’T bake), solid French pastry basics and techniques that you take and use every day in your own kitchens. She offers team-building classes, as well as private classes to those who have a passion for baking or who are looking to learn. A gift card or private lesson is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to bake better.
6. Crust Vegan Bakery: An all woman owned and operated, all natural, and all vegan bakery, I really value their mission of quality product and creating a better kitchen culture. How cute are these lil copper enamel bakery pins?! These cuties are perfect stocking or gift bag stuffers for anyone with a passion for baking. Make sure to take a look at their site for the most incredible Gritsommar T-Shirt and cookie boxes, too!
7. Herman’s Coffee: I absolutely love this lively small batch coffee roaster, cafe, and market in the heart of my neighborhood, Pennsport. Pop in and make a gift basket full of the delicious coffee, as well as sauces, condiments, and snacks from Philly chefs and makers like Kiki Aranita, Jacob Trinh, and Chris Paul.
8. South Philly Co-Op: The Co-op is a grocery store owned by members of the South Philadelphia community with the mission is to use food as a force for good - at our tables, in our community and for our planet. I love the amazing array of fresh, seasonal local produce and food products on rotation. Stop by the store and pick up a gift certificate, tote bag, or T-shirt for your neighborhood friends!
9. Mighty Bread Co.: There are few better ways to show someone you love them than by breaking bread (a warm loaf from the oven that is). Chris DiPazza’s small but mighty operation in South Philly started by baking small batch naturally leavened breads and recently expanded into a beautiful cafe. Pick up a gift card to treat your loved one to brunch. Or put together a gift basket with the array of breads, pastries, and other house-made spreads and condiments. The cafe is only open Thursday - Monday, so make sure you plan accordingly.
10. CORK by COOK: The Rittenhouse fave COOK space has been transformed into a wine haven, and it’s the most magical little shop with not-easily-found wines and accessories, cookbooks, entertaining pieces, kitchen utensils, and linens. Just as with COOK’s class lineup, CORK is a destination for everyone, whether you’re looking to pick up a well-priced table wine on a weeknight or a splurge-y sparkling to toast a special occasion. Treat the food lover in your life to a thoughtful gift, such as Turkish tea towels, Laguiole cheese knives, luxurious scented candles, Savon de Marseilles hand soaps and lotions, or one of the artfully curated wine-themed holiday gift boxes.
11. EatCCC x Side Project Jerky: Philly Chefs (and my great friends) Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle teamed up with Marcos Espinoza to create a new variation of the beloved “best jerky you will ever eat”, Berbere, an Ethiopian-inspired flavor that packs sweet heat and citrus into every delicious bite. It’s soooooo good! And so different than all the other jerky brands I’ve tasted. Be sure to check out the other Side Project Jerky flavors and merch for your meat lovers gifts, as well as EatCCC for their colorful JOY sweatshirts, hats, kitchen kits, and more.
12. MANNA: MANNA uses nutrition to improve health for people with serious illnesses who need nourishment to heal. With a food is medicine approach, MANNA provides medically tailored meals and nutrition education, and empowers people to improve their health and quality of life. MANNA's Made in Philly box is perfect way to celebrate Philadelphia’s small business and artisans for the holidays! Proceeds benefit MANNA directly.
13. Ayoka Apothecary: Named after her grandmother, Ayoka means “one who causes joy all around”, and Sola Onitiri’s new wellness shop fully embodies her grandmother’s spirit. Each product is joyfully crafted with an interactive spiritual or mindfulness practice, as Sola’s believes it is a beautiful, intricate pattern of rituals that heal the mind, body, and spirit, not products alone. Sola is all about the joy and love you give to yourself and your community, and why her gifts are the perfect parcels of joy for you and your loved ones.
14. Good Buy Supply: Philly’s first low waste storefront is truly paving the way to reducing waste and improving the environment in the city by offering environmentally friendly options for everyday life essentials. Located in South Philly, the shop also offers housewares, home goods, and alternatives to single-use plastic items like reusable coffee mugs, coffee filters, utensil sets, and toothpaste tabs. I love their mesh produce bags, dish and veggies brushes, and hand towels.
15. Riverwards Produce: Food and cooking shaped Vincent Finazzo and opened his eyes to how important they are to a balanced life style. He opened Riverwards Produce with the goal of creating community access to fresh food and the building blocks to a more sustainable lifestyle. What I love about the market is that it has all the essentials, but also carries unique foods that you wouldn’t normally see at conventional markets. Pop in and create a market basket of unique goods, some fun merch, or a gift card!
16. Giordano’s Garden Groceries: Markets have a big place in my heart. The Giordano’s family roots have a longstanding history in the Philadelphia community beginning in the early 1900’s in the historic Italian Market. You might think of them as just a restaurant purveyor, but they proudly partner with many local farmers and makers and stock their warehouse with so many goodies available to the general public, too. I pop over pretty often. They are also a huge force for good and have developed some very deep relationships with many of Philadelphia’s charitable organizations, like C-CAP and MANNA. Consider picking up one of their curated boxes of locally loved products or a gift card!
17. Kitchen Garden Textiles: Heidi Barr’s vision of building a healthy, vibrant future with products you’ll use and love every day started with a line of kitchen textiles made with natural and reclaimed materials meant to reduce reliance on single use and plastic disposables. Since then she’s expanded to include more kitchen and household essentials. I fell in love with her linen cross-back apron — it’s so comfy while cooking! An apron or any of the other products is a beautifully inspired holiday gift. A portion of the company’s proceeds also go towards regenerative farming to re-establish a U.S. based flax into linen supply.
18. New Liberty Distillery: Created from founder Rob Cassell’s love for spirits rooted in history, particularly that of the Philadelphia region, he’s hoping to introduce casual sippers and bourbon nerds alike to the rich history of New Liberty’s spirits. The Heritage Collection and New Liberty whiskeys, spirits-related gifts, and other locally sourced products can be purchased online or at their retail space. They also have a spirits club that would make a wonderful gift that offers access to the inside scoop, exclusive items, and discounts.
19. Flakely Gluten Free: After being diagnosed with Celiac disease, pastry chef Lila Colello made it her mission to create French Pastry that is 'taste-identical' to its wheat flour counterparts and is continually working to raise the bar on the perception of what gluten free should taste like. Pick up a gift box of cookies for you gluten-free loved ones! You can order Flakely online, at one of the stocked shops and markets throughout the city, or at a Pop Up Shop every Sunday at Pinwheel Provisions (121 N. Narberth Ave., Narberth). Lila also donates 3% of every single sale to organizations that help feed our community and those that fight for racial and social justice.
BONUS
20. Cook with ME!: Give the gift of a cooking class or 1:1 wellness coaching session and learn how to embrace food as a source of pleasure and nourishment and discover a whole new world of flavor, fun, and nourishment through the kitchen.
21. Restaurants: Of course, I highly recommend a gift card to your favorite restaurant, but there are so many I would recommend but I just can’t pick one, so you’ll have to do that yourself!
