Get Fresh Blog

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 1
Craving that Christmas stolen bread? See what treats local bakeries have in store for you this season to round out your festive meals. Tru Grain Bakery, Hillary’s Cheese Co., Fol Epi.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 2
Assemble your yummy party platters with local cheeses from Hilary’s Cheese Co., Salt Spring Island Cheese; and meats from Choux Choux on Fort Street, The Whole Beast in Oak Bay.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 3
Want the perfect gift for the hard-to-buy-for man in your life? Check out local island breweries Phillips, Hoyne, Swans or Driftwood. Phillips and Hoyne both do growlers, which are the gift that keeps on giving, refillable for many Fridays hereafter. Also check out local seasonal drinks like the Vancouver Island Brewery’s Gingerbread Stout and Hermannators Ice Block.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 4
Sweet tooth on your list? Get them some delightful delectables from Rogers Chocolates, Organic Fair, or Denman Island Chocolate. Caffeine addict? Pickup a pound of coffee from locally (and we mean right in the store) roasted 2% Jazz, or Salt Spring Coffee Co. For the slightly less caffeinated, try Teafarm or Silk Road Teas.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 5
Still doing some last minute gift shopping and want something meaningful? Handmade locally crafted gifts are available at popup boutiques like Lotus (infiltrating the Bay Centre downtown) and Boo Radley on Kings Road by Cafe Fantastico! Other wicked local shops are Spinny Ninny at Cowichan Bay and Adore Jewellery on the Pandora-side of Market Square.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 6
fairfield/niagara grocery both have lots of great foodie treats for gifts

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 7
Make a gift basket for an aspiring (or seasoned) gardener! Look for local seeds from Salt Spring Seeds or ALM Farm’s Full Circle Seeds (Sooke); local gardening books and calendars such as The Zero Mile Diet by Carolyn Herriot. And of course, to cook all that great food, local cookbooks are a hit! New this year are … and of course our old fave and staple in both our kitchens, the Rebar Cookbook.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 8
Give the gift of clean with locally made soaps, shampoos and skin care! Find Salt Spring Soapworks on Johnson Street; Seaflora skin care from local salons and online, made from coastal seaweed in Sooke, BC; and Solace Organic Spa skin care and shampoos, also made on Salt Spring Island.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 9
Chop, chop! Check out the Village Butcher for re-purposed soap made from by-product fat, plus happy turkeys and meat for Christmas.

10 DAYS til CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: DAY 10
Hit up local Christmas markets for nummy local foodie treats and handmade wares by island artisans. This weekend is the last winter Victoria Downtown Public Farmer’s Market before Christmas! Saturday, December 15th, from 11am to 3pm in Market Square. New to Victoria, The Makehouse is hosting a 10-day holiday market featuring 12 local artisans, Saturday, December 15th thru Christmas Eve.