Shop local this holiday season with these fantastic Seattle artisan brands.
Tis the season of giving! With Black Friday around the corner and the holiday season beginnings to come into full swing, now is the perfect time to start thinking about gifts to give to your friends and family. Seattle is home to some amazing craft and artisanal businesses, with products that perfectly deliver a sense of joy and love. From gourmet popcorn to cookbooks and more, these are some of our favorite items that are perfect for the foodie or home cook in your life.
MarketSpice Cookbook + Spice Kit
Did you know that MarketSpice, one of the oldest businesses in Pike Place Market, has its own cookbook? While the cookbook itself isn’t new, many of the recipes are timeless, using several of the spice blends that the business still offers today. For the holidays, the 100+ year old business is offering a special bonus kit with each cookbook purchase, complete with spice packets to some of their most popular recipes featured in the cookbook. This is the perfect gift to inspire home chefs everywhere. (Photo courtesy of MarketSpice).
Cobb’s Popcorn
A new business to join the Pike Place Market community, Cobb’s Popcorn is a gourmet popcorn shop located on Western Ave in Pike Place Market. Here, they pop and package only sixty gallons popcorn every day, using only the highest quality of ingredients available in the Pacific Northwest. You can choose between three different flavors (brown butter, caramel, or salt mix), or mix and match the perfect custom blend to your liking. A bag of popcorn from these guys are sure to please anyone’s appetite this holiday season. (Photo via Cobb’s Popcorn)
Anything from Chukar Cherries
For 30 years Chukar Cherries has been serving the best dried cherries and chocolate-covered confections in Pike Place Market, and is no stranger to holiday gifting. Using no sulfites or preservatives, these all-natural dried cherries and chocolate-dipped confections are always a delight for those who receive them. I don’t have a specific product to recommend – literally anything and everything from this business is amazing and would make a wonderful gift for the holidays.
Gift Certificate from Savor Seattle Food Tours
OK, yes we are plugging ourselves in here, but c’mon – who wouldn’t love a guided food tour where you eat and learn history? From our Signature Tour of Pike Place Market, to our Chocolate Indulgence Tour and Booze n’ Bites Tour – we have a guided tour perfect for anyone with an interest in Seattle’s culinary scene. Gift Certificates are available on our website, link HERE.
Cookware by Abbio
Having the best pots and pans in your kitchen can be expensive, and not having the best quality can lead to being uninspired to cook at home. That’s where Seattle-based Abbio comes in. Abbio’s cookware is designed to help more people cook at home with confidence, providing pots and pans using the highest quality of materials, while also not breaking the bank to purchase. Being based in a Farmer’s Market with some of the best ingredients one can find, we can’t imagine going home without a bag or two of local produce from our favorite vendors. Having the tools ready at home to cook ensures that your next meal will be your best meal. Any home cook would appreciate receiving Abbio this holiday season. (Photo via Abbio)
White Truffle Oil & Black Truffle Salt from Truffle Queen
Truffle Queen, located in historic Pike Place Market, is the number one place to find the best truffles and truffle-infused products in the Northwest. The Truffle Queen herself, Rae, designed her store for guests to be able to try before you buy, all while allowing her staff to educate on how truffles – a luxury gourmet food item – can be affordable and used in our everyday lives. The easiest way to do so is with her Truffle Trio Gift Package – Black and White truffle oils and their 10% concentration Truffle Salt. We love sprinkling the Truffle Salt on corn on the cob, popcorn, and French fries. Just 2-3 drops of White Truffle Oil is perfect for soups, mashed potatoes or even added to a sauce to enhance its flavor! Can’t make it into the shop? No problem – they ship anywhere in the United States. (Photo via Truffle Queen)
Seattle Cooks: Signature Recipes from the City’s Best Chefs and Bartenders by Julien Perry
Do you have a friend that loves collecting cookbooks? Seattle Cooks: Signature Recipes from Seattle’s Best Chefs and Bartenders by Julien Perry is essential reading. Perry is a food and drink writer with deep connections to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Her cookbook is half recipes, half biography, profiling some of the most seasoned chefs, bartenders and hospitality industry leaders in the region. Each section tells the stories of such people, followed by a few signature recipes from that chef or bartender. Some of our favorites chefs featured in the book include Seattle legend Tom Douglas, Kevin & Teresa Davis of Orfeo, and Amanda Reed of Heartwood Provisions (All of whom, you can learn more about on our Gourmet Seattle Tour). (Photo via Instagram)
Cooking Class with Hot Stove Society
Another fun activity to do with friends or family is cooking classes at Hot Stove Society, a very popular must-do activity in Seattle. Classes are group- based and are designed around themes, such as “I Love Crab Cakes” or “Korean BBQ Social”. Trained chef instructors guide you through the cooking process of different recipes at rotating stations, with the end culminating in a plated shareable feast for all to enjoy. Sometimes, even famed Seattle Chef Tom Douglas will join in on the fun – and even lead the class! Definitely one of the tastiest ways to spend a day, and a great experience to receive this holiday.
Eight-Pound Flagship from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Do you have a friend that really, really loves cheese? Make an impression this holiday with a serious hunk of love – An eight-pound colossal cut of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. Made locally in the heart of Pike Place Market, this cheese wedge made for giants is prepared with Cheddar and Gruyere cultures and aged from 15-18 months, developing a flavor profile that is mild in sharpness with an earthy undertone, this cheese pairs perfectly with crackers, bread and charcuterie. Watch your cheese loving friend’s eyes light up with delight when they unwrap this un-Brie-lievable gift. (Photo via Beecher’s)
Ultimate Charcuterie Collection from Made in Washington
If you are looking to gift someone a true taste of the Pacific Northwest, check out the Ultimate Charcuterie Collection by Made in Washington. This collection consists of seven iconic PNW artisan food brands, including traditional and BSB – Brown Sugar Bourbon Smoked Salmon from SeaBear Smokehouse, Signature Salmon Lox from Gerard & Dominique, Original and Mole Salami from Coro by Salumi, Flagship Cheese from Beechers, Shallot Mustard from Tom Douglas, Pink Bartlett Pear preserves from Girl Meets Dirt, and Truffle infused Almonds from Recipe 33. The whole collection can serve ten to twelve people, so it’s perfect for holiday parties and special occasions.
Bottle from Locus Wines
With all the food you’ll be eating this holiday season, make sure to wash it all down with some Washington State wine, particularly Locus Wines. Produced in Washington’s Yakima Valley, Locus Wines takes an Old-World approach to some of Washington’s favorite grapes – Syrah, Cinsault, Semilon, Sauvigon Blanc – to create wines that are approachable and easily paired with food. Gifting a bottle or two from Locus Wines will show your fondness for buying and gifting local, and really – wine not?
