These Vancouver restaurants and businesses are making incredible food gift boxes this holiday season

Here's one trend from 2020 I hope sticks around: Food gift boxes from local restaurants and businesses.

Packed with anything from packaged foods to complete ingredient sets to turn into meals, these thoughtfully curated bundles of delicious joy not only make fantastic gifts but also help support local businesses during these challenging times.

• Related: Festive holiday cookie boxes you can get in Vancouver this December

Some of these holiday gift boxes are tailored for specific tastes, like coffee lovers or pasta enthusiasts, while others showcase an array of locally-created foods and products that will delight just about anyone. 

And don't worry, we'll soon have you covered when it comes to more delicious seasonal eats, including sweet and savoury holiday treats, cocktail kits, festive meals to enjoy at home and in restaurants, and much much more. One way to never miss out is to sign up for my Forking Awesome food newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. 

If your favourite local restaurant isn't offering a holiday gift box, but they have an online shop or retail goods available for dine-in customers to purchase (like Como Taperia or Forage for example), you can also support these spots by putting together your own gift pack for giving or sharing with someone. It's a little extra effort but can be oh-so-worth it!

Here are some Vancouver restaurants and businesses offering holiday gift boxes right now. 

Legends Haul

When it comes to bringing together the best of the best of local food businesses, Legends Haul is legendary. They've been nailing the curated box since they got off the ground as a grocery delivery service a few months back, and they have dialled up big time to create some magnificent hauls for the holidays. Their line of Curated Gift Boxes are spectacular, packed with the ultimate Vancouver food and drink. There's a Charcuterie box, a Family box, and a Local Legends box, and several more. Packed up and delivered right to your door (or the door of whoever's on your gift list), this is one way to make the holidays merry, bright, and delicious - and it's a total breeze. 

Livia

Photo via Livia

The Holiday Shop at Commercial Drive's bakery-café Livia has all sorts of tempting goodies for the festive season, but they have a couple of gift boxes designed to make your celebrations more delicious. Settle in on the 24th (or drop it off to a loved one) with the Christmas Eve box ($165), which is full of all the essentials of a really good evening- charcuterie, Italian cheeses, pickles and preserves, crackers, and LambruscoLivia has a Christmas Morning Box ($148) with what you need to kick the big day off, including coffee beans, their housemade Citrus Pistachio Panettone, jam, prosecco, hot cocoa for the kiddos, and more in a wooden crate. 

St. Lawrence

Photo via St. Lawrence

Vancouver's award-winning Quebecois restaurant has a bundle of their custom spice blends and salts to boost the flavours of your holidays, perfect for a little treat-yourself moment or to give away to the home cook in your life. Get their Épices de Montréal - Montreal Spice, Herbes de Provence - Herbs of Provence Salt, Sel aux Agrumes - Citrus Salt, and Épices à BBQ - BBQ Spices packaged together for $39 (3oz jars) or $50 (7oz bags). Speaking of treating yourself, throw in an order for St. Lawrence's you-bake Tarte au Sucre (Sugar Pie), because it is insanely delicious. Just be sure not to wrap it and stick it under the tree - it goes in the fridge before it goes in the oven! 

Kokomo

Vancouver's plant-focused eatery Kokomo has a trio of inspired holiday boxes available for pre-order until Sunday, Dec. 6 (so don't delay!). Described as "Curated bundles for the plant-curious people in your life — or yourself!" the three options are as follows: The Kokomo Holiday box, featuring the favourite vegan pantry goods selected by Kokomo's founder ($125); Holiday Cheese Box, with five full-size vegan cheeses ($85); and the Holiday Feast for Two ($40).

Coho Market

The BIPOC-Led Local Foodie Box - Holiday Gift Box. Photo via Coho Market

An inspired online marketplace for those seeking to support small Vancouver-based artisanal brands, Coho has put together a pair of exciting gift bundles for the season. The BIPOC-Led Local Foodie Box - Holiday Gift Box ($90) features rich flavours and delicious products from some of our community's most exciting up-and-coming BIPOC-led brands. The Women-Led Local Foodie Box - Holiday Gift Box ($80) is filled with products from exceptional local women-led brands.

Giovane Café/Pastificio di Luigi

Photo via Giovane

Giovane Café is inspiring home chefs this season by offering unforgettable gourmet experiences with a new series of Holiday Gift Boxes now available from its downtown Vancouver location in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. An ideal holiday gift idea for friends, family, clients and colleagues alike, the new festive gift boxes are available to order online for pickup or in-store shopping and include a variety of gourmet products, kitchen equipment and recipes to create authentic, Italian-inspired food, wine and coffee experiences at home.  

Kafka's Coffee

Photo via Kafka's Coffee

Have a coffee lover on your gifting list? Kafka's Brew At-Home Coffee Kits ($65 or $90 with two classic Kafka’s mugs) come with a bag of freshly roasted single origin beans, and the new BLOOM Pour Over Coffee Brewer by ESPRO. The BLOOM is designed to release the true potential of every bean through a patented, micro-filter spiral pattern with over 1,500 precision cut holes. Now that's sure to impress!

Café Medina

Photo via Café Medina

Café Medina's holiday boxes offer truly unique gift ideas for coffee and waffle aficionados alike with the Coffee Lovers Gift Box (one pound of 49th Parallel Old School Espresso, a Medina Travel Tumbler, 8 oz. of housemade lavender syrup, Medina matches) and the Waffle Lovers Gift Box (a six-pack of Medina’s Liège-style waffles with salted caramel topping, 8 oz of housemade Lavender Syrup, Medina waffle-branded face mask, Medina matches). The boxes are available to order until Monday, December 21 with pickup available at the restaurant on December 23 and 24 and limited delivery also available within a 15-km radius of the restaurant for an additional fee.

Commissary Connect

Photo via Commissary Connect

These affordable gift boxes are the perfect way to support local food-makers and businesses who work out of Commissary Connect in Vancouver. There's a Holiday Gift box packed with cookies, snacks, drinks, and more, or a totally plant-based box for the food fans who are vegan. 

Caffe La Tana

Perfect for the Italian food fan, the mercato that is right next to Pepino's Spaghetti House on The Drive has several amazing gift boxes, including a pasta-making starter kit, a bundle for coffee lovers, a fully-loaded Italiophile Gourmet Basket, and more. 

Hawksworth, Nightingale and Bel Café

Photo via Hawksworth Restaurant Group

New for the season and perfect for holiday gifting are festive Holiday Gift Baskets ($129, valued at over $200) from Hawksworth Restaurant Group, featuring an assortment of Owner and Chef David Hawksworth’s favourite items from Hawksworth Restaurant, Nightingale and Bel Café. The bundle is packed with an array of items, including an autographed copy of Hawksworth Cookbook, Bel Cafe Hot Chocolate Mix, Nightingale Spiced Maple Syrup and much more. 

Granville Island Delivery Co.

There are several tantalizing bundles perfect for gift-giving available from Vancouver's own Granville Island. Give the gift of beer, chocolate and cheese, or delicious local foods and goods focused on wellness. The boxes come in a number of sizes and prices, all available for delivery or shipping.

Tourism Langley

Photo via Tourism Langley

Tourism Langley has put together a taste of the region, featuring local flavours and products like BC Buzz Honey's Clover Honey Cranberries Naturally's Traditional Cranberry Sauce, Republica Roasters Coffee's Christmas Blend and more edible (and non-edible) goodies. The cost of each box is $95, with $5 from every box going to the Langley Christmas Bureau. Tourism Langley will donate an additional $5 for every box sold. Gift Boxes must be ordered online. Pick-up is available at the Tourism Langley office: Unit 220 – 5385 216 Street, Langley.

JOEY

Photo via JOEY

Get into the spirit of the season with curated and themed gift boxes featuring wine or liquor from JOEY. They're offering combos like wine and popcorn for a night in front of the fire or Netflix, coffee and chocolate, or one showcasing all things coloured orange (i.e. Veuve Cliquot champagne). 

Naramata Inn

Okay, so this isn't in Vancouver, but you can get a taste of the Okanagan by way of well-known B.C. chef Ned Bell (he's among the new ownership team of the restored hotel and restaurant property in Naramata). For holiday gift-giving, they've got an online shop featuring individual goodies and curated gift boxes that you can have shipped to yourself or a lucky someone on your list.