12 Small Businesses to Shop this Holiday Season
Meet the Makers: Holiday Edition
This year, the 5th annual Holiday Gift Guide hosted by Excellence NB is proud to feature some of New Brunswick’s best local artisan businesses. Products that make unique, heartfelt gifts made with love and care will be the perfect present for your loved ones. Support your community by shopping locally. Check out our Holiday Gift Guide to Shop Small, Give Big this holiday season.
Browse Holiday Gift Guide“Shopping at local businesses in New Brunswick isn't just about quality products – it's about building stronger communities.” says Elissa and Matt Colpitts from Picadilly Coffee Roasters.The entrepreneurs we have featured in this article agree that shopping locally is vital for economies like New Brunswick to grow. Alyson Brown and Amy Carpenter Tonning from Legacy Lane Fibre Mill continue to say, “It helps preserve a dream, sustains families, bolsters agriculture, and the preservation of traditional crafts.”
New Brunswick artisans and producers are some of our beloved province's most creative and dedicated people. Meet the faces behind the scenes of their unique products and discover the fantastic success stories that brought these entrepreneurs to where they are today.
Atlantic Pewter is owned and operated by mother and daughter team, Dora Boudreau and Cynthia Ryder. Since 1996, they have shared a passion for the versatility of pewter and have dedicated themselves to bringing unique and captivating designs to life. Discover their handcrafted pewter jewellery and gift items cast with traditional and innovative techniques. From nature-inspired motifs to nautical themes and Celtic symbols to whimsical designs, Atlantic Pewter’s versatile jewellery collection, accessories, and gifts offer various options for every style and occasion.
Aura Terra Boutique sells embroidered jewellery, apparel, bookmarks, tote bags, and more that embrace the romantic and cottage core styles that are all the rage. Chelsey enjoys creating wearable art and products that make unique gifts, perfect for the women in your life. Her products are inspired by nature, with many designs including florals and earth tones. With her jewellery being handmade and her embroidery being customizable, her products are great for a personal present to someone special.
Originally from Hampton, being the daughter of a midwife and an artist, Clea grew up in Muskoka before settling her family back in New Brunswick. Clea creates each quality product with only the finest ingredients and love. Simple, effective ingredients are essential for Babartoo Skincare which provides an excellent choice for the individual or corporate client, offering custom options and free local delivery. With products ranging from body oils and face routines to bath salts and healing balms, you will find everything you need to feel like your best self.
Inspired by the love for the great outdoors and the simple pleasures of life, Adam created an e-commerce retail business. His brand includes a variety of custom-designed clothing for outdoor enthusiasts, from comfortable hoodies to sharp-looking t-shirts and iconic beers and bonfire hats, all designed to capture the essence of outdoor adventures and cherished memories. Cheers to good times, great style and endless memories.
Sari’s connection and passion for plants started over 25 years ago when she studied and worked with plant medicine and received her certification as an herbalist. She started Bueteaful teas because she wanted to share that knowledge and create teas that you can feel good about drinking. Bueteaful’s organic premium tea blends use only the highest quality organic teas and ingredients. A truly premium product with choice ingredients utilised in creative combinations.
Sheryl Crowley is a mosaicist and painter who has been having a wonderful time sharing her work through wearable art pieces. The whimsical and bursting colours of her clothing invite us to celebrate the small joys of life and to let our inner child out to play. "It is so fun to wear a piece of art. How many people get to do that? My paintings adorn my walls, and my art can adorn you!" New Brunswick is bursting with incredible artists just like Sheryl. Handmade objects hold memories and stories for both the giver and receiver. “I love every piece of art and craft I have collected.”
Scott is a 25-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy with tours in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Haiti. Spending much of his career in high-risk situations, safety products and procedures became essential skills for survival. This is why Scott leads GLOROPE with a passion for providing exceptional, frontline and innovative glow-in-the-dark products that will upgrade your experiences in the dark from dangerous to luminous. GLOROPE specialises in safety, recreational and boating products. Whether on a night hike with your pets, spending the weekend on the water, camping with your friends or working in poorly lit zones, GLOROPE products get you the most visibility out of dark conditions.
At Greig Pottery, Flo makes anything from buttons to bathroom sinks! This apple-growing region, located along the St. John River, Village of Gagetown, inspired her original Apple design pattern. Many changes have occurred over the past decades: new ideas, shapes and patterns all with the same standard of innovation and high quality. In the past 47 years, she has developed many more pottery patterns and designs and is fortunate to have built a loyal clientele who appreciate the warmth and value of handmade pieces.
A family-owned business operated by two sisters, Alyson and Amy, who carry four generations of farming experience in rural New Brunswick. Alyson brings expertise in weaving and textiles, while Amy contributes her business acumen. Their collaboration has diversified their family farm into yarn production and fiber processing. The mill offers complete custom fibre processing services locally and to producers across Canada, the United States, and internationally. Their products are high quality and amazing to the touch, ranging from hats, scarves, blankets and even rugs!
Moonshine Creek has been in operation for 5 years. The company is owned by several people in their small community. This micro-distillery focuses on craft spirits that are inspired by their local history and culture. They have made a name for themselves with moonshine and chocolate liqueurs. Still, they focus on barrel-aged spirits like whisky, rum, brandy, and several innovative spirits like their Canadiana, a rum-like spirit derived from maple sugar. Moonshine Creek’s dedicated team and New Brunswickers' support makes this small business successful.
What started as a hobby and small dream has quickly turned into a growing business, a true labour of love. Elissa and Matt are passionate about all things coffee, from bean to cup and everything in between. From sourcing high-quality specialty beans, to roasting in small batches to ensure freshness, they are immersed in the world of coffee. They showcase their products in their cafe and retail shop in Sussex, New Brunswick. We offer online ordering for those from away, as well as have many retailers and partners all around New Brunswick and beyond.
Spicy Boys started as a limited-drop Instagram company, selling out each product drop in less than an hour. In early 2021, they decided to become officially licensed to sell their hot sauce, and now they have over 50 retailers across the country and do 150+ markets and shows every year. With 5 flavours of hot sauce ready for you to try, they plan to keep growing from here into every flavour you can imagine. Dylan has built his business through community work, philanthropy, and their online presence, hoping to bring their products to your fridge.
