Whether you’re buying for a friend in the city or shipping a present out of town, Asheville has a countless number of local goods and products which make for great gifts.
We’ve crafted a list of five Asheville gift ideas perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to Father’s Day to Christmas gifts to white elephant exchanges. Head over to Asheville.com’s Shopping Guide for a listing of local stores and markets which carry these products.
Lusty Monk Mustard
Lusty Monk is a family-owned company devoted to the idea that condiments should never be boring. You can find their mustards at restaurants all across the region, from Sunny Point in Asheville to Vita Vite in Raleigh. Their gift box, which includes mini pretzels and all three of their Lusty Monk mustards, is $34.95 with shipping included. Lusty Monk Mustard is available in select stores and nationwide from their lustymonk.com.
Smoking J’s Fiery Foods
Many people get their first taste of Smoking J’s unique hot sauce while enjoying a delicious Carribean-centric dish at Nine Mile, and they’re completely hooked from that point forward. Smoking J’s Fiery Foods’s products, which include BBQ sauces, hot sauces, dried peppers, and salsa, are available throughout Asheville as well as on their smokingjsfieryfoods.com. Our favorites are the Jamaican Ginger Hot Sauce and the Smoky Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce.
Imladris Farm
People familiar with Asheville are undoubtedly intimate with Imladris Farm’s products. Their jams are featured at dozens of restaurants in the area, including Chestnut, Early Girl Eatery, and Laughing Seed Cafe. Their orchard sits atop high above the southeastern corner of Buncombe County. Not only are their jams inseparable from fresh biscuits, but they make wonderful gifts to ship across the country. You can purchase their products at Whole Foods Markets across the Southeast, several smaller grocery stores in the region, and online at their imladrisfarm.com.
High Noon Coffee Roasters
High Noon is a new micro-roaster of specialty coffee. They roast coffee the old-fashioned way and place the roast date on the bag so you know when your coffee was roasted. Order from from their website at highnooncoffee.com.
French Broad Chocolate
Handcrafted in the mountains of Asheville, French Broad Chocolate carefully sources specialty beans to create truffles, bars, and other sweets for in-store purchases as well as shipped orders. Visit www.frenchbroadchocolates.com to browse their products and for more information.