Where to Buy Local this Holiday Season - and the Goodies to Get

As the holiday season approaches, below are ways to support local businesses during this time of the year and also find unique goodies and gift ideas. From sourcing fresh food from local farmers and ranchers to learning about some of the most popular holiday markets, bookmark this blog for when you’re scrambling to find those last-minute gift ideas!

Meats

Looking for local, quality meat for the guests that are asking if it's “pasture raised”? Or wanting to impress the guests with fresh, juicy meat and showcase some of Arizona ranchers? Then check-out Heartquist Hollow Family Farm and place your turkey or holiday beef rib roast order today. Moon River Beef has heritage breed turkeys available for purchase online and at the downtown and uptown Phoenix farmers markets. The Meat Market of Cave Creek is also offering fresh pasture raised turkeys, dry aged heritage angus prime rib roasts, and tenderloin roasts for preorders this holiday season. Also, local butcher shops like Arcadia Meat Market and Underbelly Meat Co offer pasture raised turkeys for preorder and other fresh meat options from local ranchers– but don't make this a last minute food idea as orders fill up fast!

Reach out to Arizona’s local ranchers and visit Local First Arizona’s food teams’ favorite go-to places for local meats and see what holiday specials they have.

Sweets & Treats

For worthwhile indulges this holiday season, visit some local vendors and shops for hand-crafted, small-batch chocolate creations and tasty baked goods.

The Toffee Merchant is an award-winning, 15 awards and counting, confectioner unlike any other! Their toffee is slow cooked to maximize the nuance of flavors enhanced by using some of the finest spices, premium espresso, or long-aged bourbon.

BNaked Chocolates in Scottsdale offers artisan chocolates, macaroons, and fruit bars. All items are made without dairy, soy, gluten, or refined sugar. These chocolates are perfect for Paleo, vegan, diabetic, or raw food eaters.

Carolina’s Chocolates is located in Mesa, AZ; and In honor of her mentor, Carolina’s Chocolates are crafted from high-quality chocolate with a variety of chilis added, such as chipotle, cayenne, jalapeno, or ancho. The unique sweet yet spicy flavor is sure to surprise and please that Valentine’s day person on your list.

Stone Grindz Chocolate specializes in small batch single origin craft chocolate, which means taking beans from one farm or one central fermentary and bringing out the most outstanding flavor profile possible using only cacao beans, cane sugar, and cacao butter. Sometimes it takes upwards of 25 different roasting profiles to find the sweet spot for each bean. Stone Grindz Chocolate bars, truffles, and other artisan products can be found in local retailers, farmers markets, and online.

Monsoon Chocolate based in Tucson, AZ is an award-winning chocolate maker and confectionery that takes it from cacao bean to chocolate bar while drawing inspiration from local ingredients. They collaborate with farmers who grow, harvest, ferment, and dry the cacao and honor their hard work by processing the cacao as little as possible to reveal the inherent flavors in the beans. They then transform them into craft chocolate bars, bon bons, confections, deserts, and beverages.

Zak’s Chocolate starts with ethically-sourced cocoa beans that are transformed into small batches of dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan dark chocolate. Their other dairy-filled chocolates contain local ingredients, like Danzeisen Dairy cream, in their rotating offerings of truffles and caramel candies.

Gayle’s Chocolates store was initially started in the Detroit area in 1979, but has since moved to Cottonwood, AZ. She prides herself on creating handmade and hand-packaged delights available in her store or online. She even sells chocolate shoes!

Chocofin Chocolatier located in Fountain Hills starts with premium chocolates like Callebaut, Valrhona, or Scharffenberger and transforms them into decadent ganaches that become the center of numerous smooth and silky truffles.

Cerreta Candy Co in Glendale, AZ has been family-owned over four generations of the Cerreta family. They are sure to have something to delight everyone, and they even offer tours and chocolate tastings!

Chocolita in Sedona specializes in chocolates combined with botanicals creating uniquely flavored, plant-based chocolates. The bars and truffles are low-glycemic too, so there is no guilt in trying them all.

Untamed Confections is located in Tubac in Southern Arizona and is the dreamchild of owners Linda and Tom. They creatively use only honey as the sweetener in their unique caramel and chocolate confections.

Sonhab in Tempe, AZ carefully processes cacao beans into bars of chocolate: a process that takes an entire week! They then add adaptogenic herbs and other inclusions like mushrooms, bee pollen, and flowers into their beautiful creations.

Urban Cookies located in Phoenix offers something a little different from the standard chocolate gift. Check out their decadent cupcakes, assorted cookies, or even donuts for your loved ones this year. PLUS: they have gluten-free versions available, too,

Thedinersaur describes itself as a little bake shop with good treats. From cookies, pie slices, and small cakes, this lesser known jem of a bakery offers whole pies and cakes for preorder during the holiday season. Or grab a box of treats just because.

Wicked Mix Cookie Co. Adela Nevarez of Wicked Mix Cookie Company can whip up all of your holiday cookie dreams.

Charcuterie Board Fixings

We all know the power of the charcuterie board. This year, up the ante by featuring some local cheeses– or cheezes for the non-dairy eaters– from across the state!

Crow’s Dairy: If you’re looking for creamy, fresh Grade A farmstead goat milk cheese, Crow’s Dairy located in Buckeye, Arizona has got you covered. Crow’s Dairy is a fifth generation, family-owned and operated dairy farm. In 2008, after 30+ years of milking Holstein cows, the Crow family began milking their first herd of Nubian dairy goats and never looked back. Over their years with growing demand, their small herd of 25 goats has grown to over 300 goats, and their goat milk feta and chevre is served at some of the best local farm-to-table restaurants, resorts, and can be found at farmers markets across Phoenix!

Fiore di Capra: Looking for award-winning goat cheese, yogurt, and kefir? Fiore di Capra found in Pomerene, Arizona produces a variety of goat milk cheese, such as feta, chevre, and goat-cheese spreads – expertly made by farmer and cheesemaker Alethea Swift.

Arizona Farms Cheese: Arizona Farms Cheese located in Tempe, Arizona offers quality cheese that is made from local milk, which is why their cheesemaking team utilizes the highest possible standards of quality and safety while still creating cheese in small batches from fresh milk sourced from local Arizona dairies. Arizona Farms Cheese offers fresh, squeaky cheese curds, delicious cheddar and jack cheese, and other cheese every week that you can find in local supermarkets and artisan markets.

Hassayampa Cheese: An hour south of Prescott lies Hassayampa Vineyard and Farm, a small farm that not only grows produce but also creates wine and the most amazing, artisan-aged cheeses. Owners, Matt and Sarah Hyde, and their dozen cows work together to craft two varieties of artisan cheese. These artisan cheeses are in their own “hassiago” style, which are young and medium-aged cheese, and are the perfect addition for a charcuterie board or simple cheese board.

No Harm No Cow: This LGBTQ and Black-owned business from Phoenix, Arizona is all about giving consumers the power to create delicious, environmentally friendly, and plant-based meals at home, using their cashew-based condiments and cheese! Easy to prepare, these plant-based condiments, such as cheese blends and ranch dressing, use organic cashews and other ingredients.

Fluffy Vegan: Meet Kimberly and Casey, aka Fluffy Vegans! When they went plant-based a few years ago, they searched for tasty and flavorful vegan food and snacks. After an unsuccessful search, they decided to create their own, bringing satiating vegan snacks and “cheeze” to the Valley. Offering a variety of cashew cheese varieties, like “Notzarella,” “It's All Gouda,” and more, Fluffy Vegan has created quite a fan following. their “cheeze” products often sell out early when they’re at farmers markets.

Find more local cheeses and cheezes here!

Holiday Markets

Shopping for unique crafts and holiday gifts? Then explore the holiday markets that pop-up during the holiday season. Not only are you supporting locally-owned small businesses, but you can also meet the artisans and artists behind the gifts that you thoughtfully choose for your friends and family. Below are some of the hotspots for seasonal markets and local shops.

Make sure to follow your favorite local shops on their social media channels to see if they announce pop-up holiday markets. Also remember to visit Arizona’s many farmers markets for holiday gift ideas!

Want to skip the holiday crowds but still support your community and find some creative gifts? Visit Local First Arizona’s Shop Local First. The online shop has unique gifts and curated goods from the top-notch small businesses that make you proud to call Arizona home while supporting local, independent businesses. There is no place like Local for the holidays!