Delicious, consumable small business X of the Month gifts

November 14, 2020 5:33 PM

I’d like to give some small monthly X of the month style gifts to family for this holiday. I’d really like to support small businesses while I do it, and prefer consumable items (cookie of the month, interesting vinegar with an easy recipe, etc). I’d like to support artists and crafters and small businesses. I don’t really have room on my walls for more art/etc so would prefer ephemeral gifts. Would appreciate your suggestions!

FYI, I don’t really know how to definite small business but let’s say if they have more than 50 employees I’m not counting them as a small business for the purposes of this question. Thanks!

posted by arnicae to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

Cheryl’s Cookies is probably bigger than 50 employees, but still fairly small. They do a monthly cookie box.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:34 PM on November 14, 2020

(Cheryl's Cookies is an arm/brand of 1-800-Flowers... they are extremely not a small business)

The Explore Local box is a small business that makes boxes of... stuff from small businesses.

cratejoy is going to have a bunch of options that are just like... someone's side project. Here's their food section.
posted by brainmouse at 6:47 PM on November 14, 2020

My SIL gave us a Sfoglini pasta of the month subscription one year. It was good, with interesting things (squid ink pasta!) and I think it's a small company.

We once gave a friend a Finger Lakes Cider House cider of the month subscription, which was also quite good. Again, the org might have more than 50 people (it's a working farm, cider house, and restaurant, so I bet they have a lot of staff), but it's not a national corporation or anything.
posted by gideonfrog at 7:16 PM on November 14, 2020 [2 favorites]

We've enjoyed the curated snack boxes from around the world through Universal Yums!

The company was started by a young couple and has been reliable and enjoyable for years. I enjoy collected the descriptions of the treats with info about the countries or regions represented in the month's selection.
posted by Barnsie at 7:30 PM on November 14, 2020 [3 favorites]

For really small businesses, try doing a search on “subscription” on Etsy. I haven’t tried any personally but there seems to be a wide array of monthly boxes available.
posted by corey flood at 7:53 PM on November 14, 2020 [2 favorites]

Look up some local coffee roasteries and see if they do coffee-of-the-month subscriptions. For example, Little Waves Coffee Roasters in Durham, NC offers gift subscriptions, shipped biweekly for 3, 6, or 12 months.
posted by snowmentality at 9:13 PM on November 14, 2020 [3 favorites]

Chickens in the Road sells all sorts of deliciousness on Etsy, and I know it's a one-woman operation from West Virginia. I've been a fan of hers for a long time.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:03 PM on November 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

Piper and Leaf has a tea of the month subscription
posted by wowenthusiast at 10:25 PM on November 14, 2020

I bought my mom a monthly bouquet from a local florist to tide her through the gardenless winter.
posted by quaking fajita at 4:20 AM on November 15, 2020 [1 favorite]

I have not purchased this subscription, but the Cincinnati-area tea shop Churchill's does a tea of the month club. I can endorse their tea blends!
posted by mostly vowels at 5:50 AM on November 15, 2020

The Rancho Gordo Bean Club is on hiatus, but I'm throwing it in here for future reference. People I've given the beans to say it's changed the way they look at beans. And it is a super small company.
posted by BibiRose at 6:36 AM on November 15, 2020 [5 favorites]

Apologies for the self promotion, and it's a one-shot box not a subscription, but my very small Maine business Heritage Seaweed is offering a Seaweed Discovery Box this holiday season. Preorders are open now and it'll ship in early January (in the US).

The intent is to introduce folks to 5 of the most common North Atlantic seaweeds while everyone is (presumably) holed up this winter. Our belief is that seaweed is an incredibly versatile cooking ingredient, and you really don't need recipes, just a little guidance to get started experimenting.
posted by Text TK at 7:28 AM on November 15, 2020 [10 favorites]

The prices might mean this doesn’t meet the “small” part of your requirements, but Antonelli’s is a small, family owned business selling the most delicious, interesting cheeses. They have a Cheese Club that ships monthly gifts.
posted by erloteiel at 9:38 AM on November 15, 2020

I've been eyeing this candle subscription from a store in my former town. (I haven't tried them but have friends who rave about them.) And if you happen to have giftees in the Portland, OR area, a friend has a monthly fresh flowers club.
posted by gennessee at 3:47 PM on November 15, 2020