With the holiday season upon us, we created a holiday gift guide including our favourite Montreal made products to take the guesswork out of shopping and make it local. With so many flourishing and established businesses in Montreal, the city has several unique homegrown goods that will inspire and impress everyone on your shopping list. Not only do we promise you will be nominated best gift-giver this year, you will also be supporting the community with every purchase. Now, that’s the holiday spirit!
For the Foodie
1. Mix It Gift Certificate ($20, $40 & $60): When it comes to snack mixes, we are all guilty of picking at our favourites and leaving the rest behind. With Mix It, you can create a unique mix of only your favourite noms! Choose from a bunch of organic, gluten-free, no sugar, natural, or simply delicious ingredients. Mix it yourself or purchase the lucky foodie a gift card to do it themselves. Available online.
2. Montreal Cooks ($37.95): A tasting menu from the City’s leading chefs written by Jonathon Cheung and Tays Spencer. Feast your eyes on recipes from fan-favourite restaurants in Montreal. Any foodie will enjoy discovering secret ingredients to acclaimed dishes. Test the foodie on your list and see if their eating skills measure up to their cooking skills. Available at Appetite for Books, 388 Avenue Victoria, Westmount.
3. Lufa Farms Gift Certificate ($50 & $100): Treat the foodie in your life to a gift certificate for Lufa Farms. This urban rooftop farm is feeding the city with fresh and sustainable food one basket at a time. Expect to find plenty of seasonal produce like baby Bartlett pears, Mirabel lettuce, cress, and much more! Available online or at Lufa Farms, 201-1400 rue Antonio-Barbeau, Montreal.
For the Fashion Guru
1. Ruined Rep Pins ($7.27): Ruined Rep is changing streetwear one pin at a time. For those who like to stand out and make a wardrobe statement, these covetable pins are bold and awesome. Great for stocking stuffers and can be used to embellish and customize hats, knapsacks, and jean jackets. Available online.
2. C Comme Ca Ursule Bag ($260): The handbag aficionado on your list will appreciate a trendy and smart creation by C Comme Ça; handmade from recycled materials in Montreal. The felt used is sustainable, durable, water-resistant, and absorbs shock. Available online or several retail stores in Montreal.
3. Ella Dugré Bracelets (Left $95, Right $45): Good things come in small packages, and this is especially true when gifted a piece from Ella Dugré. A jewelry brand that is handmade in Montreal for both men and women. Choose from a number of unique and versatile pieces for anyone on your list. Once they receive one, the stacking game begins! Available online or at several retail stores in Montreal.
For the Art Lover
1. Radix Lips by Cavallo Design ($30): The uber talented Montreal artist, Sandy Cavallo, is the mastermind behind several unique works of art that present clear lines, soft effects, and bold colours. Brighten up someone’s space with a digital print of these luscious Radix lips. Available online. Bonus: free shipping with coupon code RADIXMTLL.
2. Assorted Sticker Pack by Antoine TAVA ($10): Gift this covetable pack of stickers to the pop art junkie in your life. These epic stickers are created by Antoine Tavaglione aka TAVA, a contemporary pop artist, muralist, and illustrator based in Montreal. If you don’t know who TAVA is, you’ve been living under a rock! He’s one word: awesome. Available online.
3. MTL Typo Map by Ryan Labrosse at Station 16 ($60): This silkscreen print outlines each of Montreal’s neighbourhoods through simple typography. MTL Typo is one of the best sellers at Station 16, and frequently seen in establishments around the city. For those who love our vibrant city, this gift is a no-brainer. Available online or at Station 16 Gallery, 3523 blvd Saint-Laurent, Montreal.
For the Hostess
1. Les Délices Lafrenaie Holiday Logs (10 inch $30, 14 inch $40): Make a holiday dinner extra special (and sweet) with these divine holiday logs from Les Délices Lafrenaie. Voted best cakes in Montreal by Montrealers themselves on CTV News. This fun fact along with our word confirms that this is a gift any hostess will enjoy, and especially appreciated by guests who get to try it. Choose from numerous delicious flavours (we warn you, this will be a challenge). Available at Les Délices Lafrenaie; visit their website for different locations.
2. Luluthia Luxe Box ($45-$150): The city has a flower boss and his name is Manny Sgourakis, owner and creative director at Luluthia. He understands and incorporates fashion and art in all of his stunning arrangements. This Luxe Box boasts creativity and will make an impeccable touch to a holiday party. Available at Luluthia; visit website for different locations.
3. Miel Nature Imperial Fortified Honey Wine with Canadian Whisky ($26.37): Miel Nature specializes in cold-pressed honey and is one of the largest Meads Liquor Quebec providers. This fortified honey wine with Canadian Whisky blew our palates when we first tasted it at the Nutcracker market. Drink it straight on ice as an aperitif or digestif, or give it a twist by pairing it with ice cream, coffee, and soft drinks. Available at the SAQ.
Mood boards created by Jennifer Ruvo (@jennruvo). Featured image by Instagram user @aleksbud.
