ASHEVILLE – Holiday cheer comes with the stress of finding the perfect gift to wow and amaze the recipient.
The questions that go through the mind of a buyer can be: What do they need? What they want? What is appropriate? Already have this item? Will they accidentally end up giving away the gift I gave them next year? What will express every thought, feeling and appreciation of the entire year in a gift?
One solution to finding standout gifts with less hassle is to shop local, according to Heather Wright, owner of Provisions, a modern trading company that sells local, regional and conventional products at two locations in Asheville.
“There’s an element of buying local and buying local that feels special, that feels unique, that feels elevated and doesn’t mean expensive,” Wright said.
“When people come into our store and want to find something unique, they are also looking for feelings. They are looking for an emotional connection and that is easier to do locally. You are shopping in our community. You’re helping people in our community… There’s an emotional connection that buying local and shopping local has those big box retailers, you’re just not going to find it there.”
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Asheville’s food and beverage artisans offer a plethora of options that are sure to make an impression, whether it’s for a significant other, a parent, a boss, or that person whose name you got on Secret Santa.
Put a “Taste of Asheville” under the Christmas tree. Here are 12 gift ideas for others (or yourself):
East Fork ceramic dinnerware. Enhance the table with ceramic dinnerware handcrafted by one of Asheville’s pottery experts, East Fork Pottery. Two new custom colors added to the collection are Black Mountain and Blue Ridge. Gift a complete set or purchase individual pieces at eastfork.com.
Local cookbooks. Acquire new culinary skills while learning about regional food customs, culture, and community. Purchase a cookbook written by an Asheville chef that is filled with exclusive recipes, personal stories, and farm-to-table connections. Some titles to put in your cart: “Edible North Carolina: A Journey through a State of Flavor” edited by Marcie Cohen Ferris; “Cooking with Truffles: A Chef’s Guide” by Susi Gott Séguret; “Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen” by Katie Button; “Biscuit Head: New Southern Biscuits, Breakfasts and Brunch” by Jason Roy and Carolyn Roy. For more recommendations, visit Citizen-Times.com.
Spicewalla variety spice pack. Local spice company, Spicewalla, brings a dash of mystery and a dash of fun to the kitchen with their “What’s for Dinner?” equipment. Includes 18 exclusive mix-ins and seasonings, plus a “dinner spinner” game that randomly selects one of five dinner categories and asks the player to draw a corresponding recipe card. Spicewalla is a brand of James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Chai Pani Restaurant Group. $99.99 For more details, visit spicewallabrand.com.
South Slope Cheese Co. Gift Set The gourmet food and wine shop offers a “Taste of Asheville” gift set featuring locally crafted items. The collection contents rotate with brands such as Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn, Hickory Nut Gap Meats, Roots & Branch and the exclusive South Slope Cheese Co. collection, also available for individual sale. Shop the South Slope store or request delivery across the US by calling 828-575-2109. $79 For details, visit southslopecheeseco.com.
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French wide chocolate. Treat yourself and a friend to a variety of handmade, sustainably sourced, handmade chocolates, candies and more in Asheville. French Broad Chocolates offers holiday sets in a variety of flavors and styles to take the guesswork out of gift-giving. Collections range from artfully designed pralines with tons of flavor options, chocolate sipping jars, peppermint bark jars, and other treats to make the season extra sweet. For more details, visit frenchbroadchocolates.com
Biscuit Head Homemade Mixes. Put a smile on someone’s face on Christmas morning by giving them a basket of breakfast goodies. Biscuit Head Restaurant’s popular cathead style biscuits can be easily made at home using their Buttermilk Biscuit Mix, which won a Garden & Gun 2022 Made in the South Award, and Gluten-free & Vegan Biscuit Mix. Biscuit Head’s exclusive jams and chutneys, cookbooks and more are available for sale individually or in gift sets. The cookie mixes are $8.50 each. For more details, visit biscuitheads.com.
Asheville Adventure Co. Tours Give an unforgettable experience. Asheville Adventure Co. presents a series of action-packed trips to explore the city’s urban and natural landscapes. The eBike Brewery Crawl takes riders on a 4-hour (about eight to 12 miles) round-trip ride to historic landmarks, neighborhoods, and local breweries for the ultimate sip-and-roll ride. $74/ per guest; accommodates up to eight riders in a group. For more details, visit ashevilleadventurecompany.com.
Hoppy Ice Cream Yule Records. Skip the fruitcake and head straight for The Hop’s famous Christmas ice cream registry. The traditional style of holiday dessert is reimagined as a festively decorated, handmade rolled chocolate cake and a choice of salted caramel, mint or vanilla ice cream topped with signature chocolate ice cream. Traditional (10-12 servings) and mini (four-six servings) Christmas logs are available, as well as vegan and gluten-free varieties for $25.99-48.99, plus tax. Place orders before December 19. For more information, visit thehop.squarespace.com.
Asheville Tea Co. Gift Boxes A heartwarming gift to consider is Asheville Tea Co.’s collection of limited-edition festive tea blends, made with ingredients sourced from small, regional sustainable farms. Featured flavors in the Holiday Trio are Snow Day, Winter Wonderland and Spiced Apple Butter, each box includes 20 pyramid tea bags. And the company offers a personalized holiday card for $45. For additional gift sets and individual products, visit ashevilleteacompany.com.
Cúrate Sausage Tasting Experience. The James Beard Award-winning restaurant offers a tour of Spanish flavors in one cohesive take-home kit. Cúrate’s cured kit includes authentic traditional cured sausages and other shareable add-ons, such as the house blend of olives, Aceitunas Cúrate. Items can be purchased separately through the Cúrate at Home online store. $120 For more details, visit curateathome.com
Provisions subscription boxes. Provisions Mercantiles offers a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. The boutique’s inventory features gift-worthy local and regional products at its Asheville locations. Provisions’ monthly subscription boxes deliver a sample of these products and more right to the recipient’s doorstep. Select boxes vary in theme and content, from men’s shaving kits to gourmet food and cocktail making supplies and ingredients. Subscription is $65 per box. For more details, visit provisionsmercantile.com.
Seasonal box Darë Vegan Cheese. Show the plant-based person in your life how much you care with a high-quality, non-dairy, locally made cheese spread. Darë Vegan Cheese offers small batches of handmade cheese in a variety of styles and flavors that are sold individually or as sampler boxes. Products include Balsamic Fig Wedge, Asheville Chedda’ Wedge, Original and French Onion Cream Cheese, Spicy Cheese and Mocha Cookie Crunch Cheesecake. Darë is available at select supermarkets and local markets and order boxes at darevegancheese.com.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this kind of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.