{"id":4132,"date":"2014-12-06T02:54:03","date_gmt":"2014-12-06T07:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/meshell.ca\/blog\/?p=4132"},"modified":"2014-12-07T21:38:12","modified_gmt":"2014-12-08T02:38:12","slug":"toronto-vegan-gift-guide-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meshell.ca\/blog\/toronto-vegan-gift-guide-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Vegan Gift Guide 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year I really like putting together some of the fun or special things I see in December, there are also a lot of great general vegan gift idea lists that come out around this time, and I will link to them at the bottom of this post. Many vegan businesses and bakeries have special menus available, so you will also see those collected on this page as well as I find them. If you celebrate anything in December, I think it’s especially worth looking locally to find special thing for the special people in your life. We have this amazing community of creators and crafters, bakers and makers, and organizations that are worth supporting this time of year.<\/p>\n

So this year, yet again, is my totally biased, occasionally random, list of local\/GTA\/Vegan Gift ideas. You\u2019ll see some repeat names from last year<\/a>, because they\u2019re still still awesome, but you\u2019ll also see some new faces (because the vegan business community has grown further in 2014.) There are also a variety of holiday themed markets which I will attempt to collect if they have at least one or two vegan-friendly\/vegan- enthusiastic vendors.<\/p>\n

I welcome your suggestions for other local vegan friendly businesses and organizations to support, please add them in the comments (and I will update this post) or feel free to send me an email.<\/p>\n

\"MeShells<\/p>\n

And here we go.<\/p>\n

Jewellery\/Clothing<\/h2>\n

\"Herbivore<\/a><\/p>\n

I really like this stamped “herbivore” necklace<\/a> from Vegan is Beautiful<\/a>, a new vegan online store selling t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, jewelry, and underpants. They also have some lovely designs for t-shirts with the word “vegan” on them.<\/p>\n

Interested in seeing what else they come up with.<\/p>\n

\"TulsaNella Bella<\/a> is a vegan handbag and accessories company that uses solely vegan fabrics to create a wide variety of beautiful products. Available at various retailers in Toronto and beyond<\/a> including EcoExistence<\/a> (766 St. Clair Avenue W, Toronto) where you can find a variety of other interesting products. Especially into their style clutch<\/a> as a really simple fashion piece.<\/p>\n

Truth Belts<\/a> makes leather-look belts, without the death. They also have suspenders for youngsters, dog accessories, and bracelets.<\/p>\n

Food (non-delivery)<\/h2>\n

The Golden Apple Confectionary<\/h3>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

The Golden Apple Confectionary in Liberty Village has a variety of tasty vegan options (like their amazing vegan chocolate english toffee, which I’ve written about before<\/a>), but here is a nice quick gift: a box of 9 Vegan truffles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tori’s Bake Shop Cheese Box (and Gingerbread House kits)<\/h3>\n

\"Toris<\/a>\"Gingerbread<\/p>\n

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Tori’s Bakeshop has this awesome vegan cheese slab available for order. And it would make a great gift. I’ve already very excitedly ordered my own.<\/p>\n

For more info check out their posts on facebook: Cheese Slab box<\/a> ($45 with the marble board, $35 without) & Gingerbread house kit<\/a> ($25)<\/p>\n

Earth & City<\/h3>\n

One of my favourite vendors at farmers markets around the city is Earth & City<\/a>. They’re a great option for fresh foods, spreads, cookies, and treats.<\/p>\n

\"Earth<\/a><\/p>\n

They’ve got a bunch of great sounding options for available for order over the holiday, and you can just pick up some of their treats at one of the farmers markets they’re at, or you can email them and they’ll deliver to you. Contact them for more info<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Soup Girl<\/h3>\n

\"Soup<\/a>
\nI picked up one of these gift sets at the West End Food Coop Market, and I thought it was lovely – an easy and beautiful gift of soup. I really love the way the jars looked – we actually bought it for ourselves with a variety of really tasty looking soups premixed – but you can also put together your own (see the list here<\/a>). All of the soups are vegan by default, and they do look lovely and assempled on a natuarl, food-safe wooden base, and tied with ribbon. Find out more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Food\/Drink Delivery<\/h2>\n

Have you ever considered giving the gift of groceries or dinner? It\u2019s not a bad idea anytime of the year especially for busy families, or students. Some of these folks offer gift certificates, or are friendly enough to be easy to work with, and it’s so nice to make someones life a little easier.<\/p>\n

Green Zebra Meal Delivery<\/a> \u2013 Gourmet meals delivered
\nMama Earth Organics<\/a> \u2013 Organic grocery delivery service.
\nFront Door Organics<\/a> \u2013 Organic grocery delivery service.
\nLovemuffin Bakery<\/a> – Gourmet Meals, Muffins, other baked goods.<\/p>\n

There are more grocery delivery options in the city, but these are just the ones I’ve had positive experiences with.<\/p>\n

The Roasters Pack<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Roasters Pack has a holiday gift option<\/a>, and it’s especially fantastic for any coffee lover in your life. I wrote about receiving the box a few months ago<\/a>, and how much I enjoyed it. And if you have adventurous coffee friends in your life, it’s a great opportunity to get a trio of different coffees delivered to their door. They are based out of Toronto, but do include roasters from all around North America.<\/p>\n

Julie’s Baskets<\/h3>\n

\"Edited_Wellness_Vegan_107_1024x1024\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Julie from Julie’s Baskets<\/a> has a variety of vegan friendly baskets available, but I really liked this collection of Wellness Gift Items<\/a>, especially since it just happens to be over 50% full of Toronto and surrounding area creators like The Honest Leaf, Inspired Soap Works, Pretty Organic Cosmetics, Nud Food, & Made Good Food.<\/p>\n

Plus it comes with an Oh She Glows Cookbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Coffeecology<\/h3>\n

\"Coffeecology<\/p>\n

Coffeecology is a coffee delivery service that has fair trade organic and\/or bird friendly coffees. Again, if your friend is a coffee lover like me, they might appreciate the above giftbox trio of assorted coffees, or just a few weeks of coffee deliveries.Check them out here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Canadian Preserves Box from Bites Baskets<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Canadian_Preserves\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This box<\/a> contains so many wonderful preserves made in Canada.<\/p>\n