Gifting Award-Winning Flavor in Champaign County
The greater Champaign County area is known for many things. We're the Midwest's hub for technological innovation. We're home to a world-class university. We also happened to have many award-winning restaurants, makers, and chefs in our culinary scene that helped us earn the title of Best Midwest Food Town from Midwest Living.
This comes in handy when figuring out what to have for dinner or where to grab a coffee, but it's also handy come gift-giving season. If you're trying to figure out what to give someone this holiday season, then consider gifting award-winning flavors, foods, and more from the greater Champaign County area.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LOCAL FLAVOR!
First off, gifting local flavor can be as simple this year as utilizing our local restaurants for meals around the holidays. How about ordering out for your meals this holiday season instead of stressing out over busy days in the kitchen? Better yet, settle on a meal from a local restaurant with friends or family if you can't gather with them. This way, you can all Zoom and catch up over the same incredible flavors.
Likewise, gift certificates are offered at many local restaurants and make a wonderful gift. Who doesn't love receiving a free meal from one of our incredible establishments across the greater Champaign County area? Many restaurants are offering specials that include a small gift card bonus for purchases of $25 or more. It's sort of like getting a little gift for yourself while you knock out holiday errands. Explore all the different local restaurants you can support this holiday season here.
Between food, drink, and desserts, you have a wide variety of options when gifting local flavor; we are Midwest Living’s Greatest Midwest Food Town after all! Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery a leader in the local food scene, sell their award-winning goat cheeses as well as their gelato. They’ll also have other food options like their homemade jam, and local options from other area farmers. They're up for a national award for their cheeses in January, so you know you're gifting the best of the best with PFF! There’s a lot to love about our local makers, including the Center for Honeybee Research’s international choice for the World’s Best Honey at Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch! Plus, who can turn down their apple donuts, which are still available for a few more weeks! Their shop is still open with great gift items and delicious treats as well. It’s also easy to make a coffee-lover happy this time of year with a single origin roast from Page Roasting Company, served at Flying Machine Avionics. If you're a fan of the traditional tea ceremonies that take place at Japan House, then be sure to check out their Japan House Holiday Gift Guide. Since they can't host their traditional Mottainai bazaar this year, they've organized the guide to help support programming as well as provide a cultivated selection of cultural items. It's not just tea either - shop a wide variety of incredible items for any recipient!
Feel confident gifting adults who enjoy a good drink with the best beer and wine our area has to offer! Between our local breweries, there is a porter, stout, or ale for everyone, and each location offers packaged beer to gift and give this holiday season! Riggs Beer Company is now offering their delicious brews in a can that you can grab at local stores or curbside at their farm in Urbana. For the wine drinkers, Wyldewood Cellars is now making their Kansas-based wine right here in St. Joseph across from their storefront, so make sure to try their popular spiced Elderberry wine! Likewise, Art Mart has incredible lineups of the world's best wines to pick-up curbside and send off to friends and family.
If you’re looking for a tasty treat to gift, then how about offering to bring a beautiful dessert that looks as good as it tastes! Hopscotch Bakery+Market always has amazing pastries behind the glass and gorgeous cakes and pies in the cooler, plus great gift options as well! Grovestone is also a great place to gift the cook in your life with decadent staples like olive oil and spices to help really bring out the best in their culinary skills. Even something sweet for the special people in your life from CBPB Popcorn Shop can be kind gesture to remind loved ones you're thinking of them this year.
This holiday, our favorite foods and flavors will be a source of familiarity among the many changes we'll see in our traditions. Thankfully, gifting a taste of Champaign County is easy thanks to our small businesses. No matter who you're shopping for, we could all use something from our award-winning culinary scene this holiday season!
Be sure to explore all of our area food and drink establishments as well as the latest updates to business hours and operations as you plan your shopping!