Brickstone Fine Foods

“For the passion of good taste” – dress up cheese platters, garnish a burger, pasta or pizza, enhance a roast and add zip to a plain sandwich with Brickstone’s award-winning sauces and marinades.

Tucked away in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Brickstone Fine Foods started in 1978 and is renowned for their innovative ideas, creative design and superior quality products. They’ve been providing gourmet food of impeccable quality and phenomenal taste ever since.

Looking for the ideal host gift or in need of treating yourself? Try some of their extensive selection of spreads, dips, glazes, condiments, toppings, jellies, BBQ sauces and salsas – and transform the simplest of meals into a gourmet delight.

Coca Mira Confections

Anna James spent many years making chocolates for family and friends. People began asking where they could buy her products…and a business was born.

Since 2003, Coca Mira has been making all-natural, gluten-free gourmet chocolates in their Toronto kitchens. Hazelnut Crunch, Espresso Crunch and Maple Crunch are still made using the recipe and ingredients Anna used for her friends and family – Ontario creamery butter, imported chocolate melted slowly, the finest nuts thoroughly roasted – Coca Mira uses no margarine, no hydrogenated oil, no trans fatty acids. The chocolate is spread by hand; the nuts roasted slowly in small batches to attain that decadently wonderful homemade taste.

Along with making irresistible chocolates, Anna and her company are giving back to the community. They are focusing their energies locally, in Toronto, by contributing to fundraisers that help social service agencies, pregnant and parenting young women and breast cancer support. Along with this, they are also giving back to communities where the majority of the world’s cocoa beans are grown, by adopting a foster child in Ghana.

Coca Mira is proud of their commitment to giving back to the community and of the care they take in making their chocolate. If Anna won’t serve it to her family, she won’t serve it to her customers.

Cedar Mountain Studios

Nestled on Salt Spring Island in B.C.’s Strait of Georgia, Cedar Mountain Studio is a family business committed to quality, innovation - and humour.

Salt Spring Island is a place renowned for its natural beauty and artisan community. There Don and Suzanne Zacharias find creative inspiration and a home to raise their family, while enjoying all that the island lifestyle has to offer: the great outdoors, local markets and a place where jeans and gumboots are appropriate attire for any occasion.

Away from the bustle of the city, the folks at Cedar Mountain continue to invent witty and fun products, which are all hand-crafted in the backyard of the family home. A few of their fun aprons include, ‘Too Many Wines Spoil The Cook’; ‘Beer Is Proof That God Loves Us and Wants Us To Be Happy’; ‘No Man Has Ever Been Shot While Doing Dishes’; ‘I’m Still Hot. Now It Just Comes in Flashes’.

Honeysuckle Cottage

A bit like the man who liked his new shaver so much, he bought the company, Penny Latham couldn’t find her favourite gifts, sachets, so she started her own company to manufacture them. And thus, in 1998 she started her then home-based business, Honeysuckle Cottage Sales. Now, over 20 years later, this Victoria, British Columbia company is thriving with 12 sewers working on a product line of over 30 items.

Honeysuckle’s line of tea cozies and French Press coffee covers come in a great array of fabrics to match any décor – contemporary or retro, elegant or earthy, in a size just right to fit your pot. If Asian is your style, Honeysuckle makes Oriental tea cozies as well. All are machine washable, satisfaction guaranteed.

Kool Wraps are another great little item they make. These scarves, about the size of a tie, have little space age pellets in their lining that, when soaked in cold water, work to cool you down. Worn as a headband or around your neck, they keep you cool in the summer heat…or if you’re having a hot flash.

Honeysuckle Cottage has built their business committed to excellence, consistency and quality.

Madoc Rocks

This family-owned Madoc, Ontario business evolved from Rick Butts’s interest in nature and rocks, and a background in artistic expression.

The unique patterns and colours in the rock are indications of the mineral diversity of the area, which is at the edge of the Canadian Shield. With beauty and art in the rocks, these original design coasters are finished with an epoxy coating to enhance the natural beauty of the marble. Designs include pine trees, wolves, loons, deer and great blue herons; plain coasters that display the beauty of the marble in many shades; and a custom collection featuring the Perth Town Hall clock tower.

Colour and pattern vary from piece to piece. These unique coasters are finished on the bottom with felt and make an interesting and practical gift.

Mmmetals

Looking at Maria Medina’s resume, you feel that she could take on any art form and be successful at it. After graduating from the Graphic Design course at Kootenay School of Art, in British Columbia, she moved on to Selkirk College to study Welding, then took Portrait Painting with Tony Ryder at the Andreeva Portrait Academy in Sante Fe, New Mexico and a Painting Workshop with Henry Stinson in Pullman Washington. Because she could, she spent a lot of her adult life dabbling in various art forms, from photo-realistic drawing to hat making.

For the last ten years, this award-winning owner/designer of Mmmetals has been focusing her artistic talents on sculptural metalwork and small object design. One of the ‘small object designs’ is Mmmetals line of pewter bottle stoppers. Not your standard bottle stoppers, these stoppers have a heavy pewter top and a tapered rubbery-like base, which seals most bottles perfectly. The base is made from a synthetic material that is food safe and FDA approved, and will not impart any smell or flavour. And what fun tops they are. Picture your bottle topped with a fish tail, moose antlers, big horn sheep antlers, a black bear or an orca whale tail.

Mmmetals bottle stoppers are a fun way to preserve an opened bottle of wine for a few days, or as a decorative top for bath oils and soaps or vinegar and oils. Beauty and whimsy making life a little easier and a bit more fun.

Saxon Chocolates

We all know the joke about women preferring chocolate over sex…and quality chocolate from Saxon Chocolates is probably why.

“In every box of Saxon Chocolates you will find a chocolate experience beyond compare, born of my passion for the pure, true elegance of luxury chocolate. I created Saxon Chocolates in the traditions that have made Belgium synonymous with gourmet chocolate. My passion for the finer things in life, especially wonderful food, led to the creation of a whole new level of luxury chocolate, paying homage to the past while embracing the modern day. Each Saxon creation is refined to my exacting standards – the purest ingredients, artful hand preparation and smooth, rich flavour. To me Saxon Chocolates are not just a product, they are a passion. Try them once and I know you’ll agree.” Johan De Greef, Owner.

Their extraordinary collection of quality chocolate includes roasted almonds in Belgian milk chocolate, chocolate maple pecan bark, Belgian dark chocolate with fruit and nuts, Australian ginger dipped in chocolate, chocolate coconut macaroons, along with a special line of Christmas delicacies that include black mission figs and Belgian chocolate fondue for two.

Saxon Chocolates are the perfect gourmet chocolate gift for friends or colleagues – or to treat yourself – because you’re worth it!

SeaChange Savouries

In 1996, Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk took SeaChange Smoked Sockeye Salmon on a space mission, to share with his fellow astronauts on Canada Day. Five years later, SeaChange got a ‘take out order’ call from space. American Astronaut Susan Helms was on an extended mission and had a craving for their smoked salmon. SeaChange sent complimentary salmon to her, in space, via a supply ship. In 2006, SeaChange appeared in New York’s world-class food magazine ‘Saveur’, listed in the ‘Top 100’, where their smoked salmon jerky was number 43.

So, we probably don’t need to say much more about the great taste and high quality of products from this small family business on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. Anne Millerd and Nicki Cameron, and their staff of about 20, have been bringing their mouthwatering food gifts to happy customers since 1985…smoked sockeye salmon, maple glazed or ice wine glazed wild smoked salmon, crab, and lobster pates.

Not only are their products getting rave reviews from high places, Anne and Nicki have received awards for their product packaging and from Chatelaine magazine as two of Canada’s ‘Top 100’ Canadian Women in Business. And 5% of SeaChange’s annual profits go to food banks and soup kitchen on Salt Spring and in the Vancouver area.

The Dazzling Gourmet

Fun, affordable and functional has made Dazzling Gourmet’s line of handcrafted giftware so popular. Owner, Tanja Pallard and the folks at this Burnaby, British Columbia, company present tastefully designed giftware and tableware that is Canadian made of the best quality stainless steel.

Their line of ‘Great Canadian’ pate knives, long-handled stir spoons, book clips, honey and jam spoons are beautifully decorated with beads and a pewter Maple Leaf – an ideal gift to give non-Canadian friends. Dazzling Gourmet’s Cake Servers are elegantly adorned with silver wire and pearl heart beads – very popular as shower and wedding gifts. When presentation is important their Salad Set fits the bill – top quality stainless steel, tastefully adorned with glass beads nestled in tarnish resistant wires. The ideal ‘guy gift’ is Dazzling Gourmet’s Shish Kebob Skewers on a Cedar BBQ Plank – tough enough for the BBQ or oven, yet dazzling enough to bring to the table. These skewers are BBQ tested and dishwasher safe – rectangular in design so your food does not roll when you turn the skewer. Bring a stylish touch to entertaining with deluxe stainless steel hors d’oeuvres utensils – knife, fork and spoon adorned with a coloured glass bead secured by a delicate silver wire.

Simply dazzling.

Time Out Products

When it comes to tea, it’s not the bag that matters, it’s all about what goes into it. With Time Out Products’ line of Martin and Stewart teas, whether bagged or loose, the finest ingredients are carefully blended for a perfect balance of aroma and taste. These teas are truly the finest tasting teas available. Their secret is very simple: they source exhaustively for only the best tasting ingredients, and they do not use any artificial flavourings, or preservatives.

Using green tea from China, black tea from India, and flavouring from around the world, this Montreal company grinds or mills virtually all of their ingredients in their own facilities to ensure that they are using only the freshest tasting spices and herbs. As proud members of TransFair Canada they are working with a growing range of Fair Trade certified ingredients. Time Out offers a wide variety of teas from standard blends to more exotic flavoured, spiced teas to suit every taste. And their teas are kosher.

Martin and Stewart tea customers come back time and again to buy tea as gifts, or as their tea of choice for use at home. There are times when nothing can take the place of a cuppa’.

Tracy’s Wine Jellies

Tracy Hanson started her business 12 years ago from her home in Niagara-on-the-Lake. However, it did not start out as Tracy’s Wine Jellies. Tracy began by supplying Niagara wineries with hand-painted wine glasses – with her home décor design background, this was a natural. Also being creative in the kitchen, she branched out into wine-flavoured jellies and founded Tracy’s Wine Jellies in 1998.

Flavoured with vidal icewine, merlot, chardonnay, cabernet…Tracy blends these wines with Niagara area fruit juices and spices to create the most tantalizing spreads you’d ever want to put on your croissants, ice cream, brie or cheesecake. Vidal Icewine Jelly, Cranberry Raspberry Merlot Jelly, Apple Cinnamon Chardonnay Jelly – using Tracy’s jellies with your favourite food creates flavours only limited by your imagination. Tracy’s jellies must be refrigerated after opening but the sugar and alcohol act as natural preservatives so there’s no need to consume them quickly…however, it’s not likely they’ll be around long once you and your guests have started to enjoy.

Tracy’s Wine Jellies has now branched out to include wine drizzles. When you see Tracy’s drizzles you can’t help comparing them to bottles of ice wine – a cluster of grapes on the label and the bottle sized similar to a small bottle of wine. That catches your attention but the irresistible flavour and high quality of Tracy’s drizzles will keep you coming back for more. Drizzle over chicken or pork, mix with balsamic vinegar to create your own salad dressing, or pour over waffles, crepes, cheesecake or ice cream.

Throughout Ontario, lovers of sensuous flavours are savouring Tracy’s Wine Jellies and Drizzles.

Verger Duhaime

A passion for apples and an enthusiasm for offering healthy fruit products are the inspiration for Martine Pinard and Jacques Duhaime. They have been living by the rhythm of their orchards and producing their gourmet fruit spreads for almost 10 years in their Saint-Germaine-de-Grantham, Quebec kitchen.

From their original apple jelly, Verger Duhaime has come to develop exclusive recipes in which fruit is the main ingredient. Their delectable spreads are sweetened with fruit juice, organic sugar and maple syrup, with no preservatives or artificial colouring permitted. Raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black currant, apricots, cherries, vanilla, champagne and cointreau skillfully blended to produce such a wonderful mouthwatering spread for any of your food delights – cheeses, scones, croissants…or use as an ingredient in your own recipes. The gourmets in the know also appreciate the superior quality and taste of Duhaime products…at the 2007 International Food Show in Montreal, Verger Duhaime took 3rd Prize in Innovation for their fruit spreads.

In the fall, when the orchards are producing their 23 varieties of apples, they organize school tours, hayrides and product sampling. Their passion for fruit continues to stimulate the Duhaime family, continually seeking novelties for enjoyment, discovery and astonishment.

To quote, “When we taste for the simple pleasure of senses, we taste Duhaimmmm…naturally”.

Wildly Delicious Fine Foods

What do an interior decorator and a mechanical engineer have in common? An entrepreneurial spirit and a knack for creating great food products…if you’re Michelle and Austin Muscat. In 1994 they created their first infused oils and vinegars in their East York, Ontario home and started selling them through local craft shows. The originality, superior quality and design of the products made them so popular that the Muscats soon moved their business to a larger facility.

Today, Wildly Delicious is a name that is recognized for quality, consistency and innovation in specialty food. Their bread dippers are the envy of their competitors…and savoured for their light tasting and mouth-watering favours….blue cheese and porcini mushroom, roasted garlic and parmesan, asiago and chardonnay, sundried tomato and basil…they taste even better than they sound.

Other Wildly Delicious originals now include dip mixes and spreads, mustards, tapenades, BBQ sauces, compotes, and warm dips and warming sets…warming brings out the rich complexity of flavours. Their line of Petite Maison products of tapenades, oil and vinegars, fruit compotes, and their pain rustique flatbread crisps bring the pure simplicity and charm of small French countryside cottage cooking. French country cuisine for your inner peasant.

Their products are made with sunflower oil – zero trans fat, no cholesterol, no preservatives, healthy white bean and chickpea bases.

Wildly Delicious continues to set the standard.