Whenever someone asks for gift ideas, my first question is “Have you checked out Olives & Grace yet?”
To say that Olives & Grace is a gift shop doesn’t do this place justice. Owned and run by the gorgeous and charismatic Sofi Madison, the small shop is filled with a well-curated collection of artisan goods and products (a lot of them are shelf-stable edibles).
Whether you’ve barely begun your shopping or need some last minute gift-additions, definitely check this place out. They even make fancy gift boxes, perfect for bringing to a host(ess)!
Some awesome things you will find at Olives & Grace:
– Apotheker’s: Sweetened goodies that you won’t feel bad indulging in (ie- no refined sugar, soy, dairy, or artificial anything). This husband-and-wife duo makes raw honey sweetened chocolate and marshmallows, using honey from third generation beekeepers- free of chemicals and antibiotics. Their flavors are really tasty: a spicy triple pepper dark chocolate bar; a cherry and almond chocolate bar; maple and toasted pecan mallows. Do you know that you can make hot chocolate with half a bar of their chocolate, stirred into a mug of hot milk or water? No more icky powered stuff!
– The Ripe Stuff: Cold press juices, perfect for starting off the year on a good note (especially after all of the holiday indulgences). They have seasonal cleanses, which use and highlight seasonal produce. As often as possible, they use local and/or organic produce. The Ripe Stuff delivers in the Boston area, and all of the juices are made the day it’s delivered.
– Ajiri Tea: Black tea, in a variety of flavors, and coffee. This is a super feel-good company that you can’t help but want to support. The tea is produced in Kenya, at Nyansiongo Tea Factory, a cooperative owned by local small-scale farmers. The boxes labels are handmade by Kenyan women, as well as paper beads on the inside of the box. Ajiri Tea also has its own foundation that is focused on supporting Kenyan children; using 100% of the net profits it receives from sales of tea, the foundation pays education-related costs for orphans in western Kenya. It’s clear that the founder of Ajiri Tea, Sara Holby, loves Kenya and is providing long-term, sustainable opportunities to the Kenyan community.
Some things you will NOT find at Olives & Grace: A lack of passion, creativity, or a deep knowledge of the product and makers.
If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll leave inspired and with a bag full of goodies.
Move your feet to Olives & Grace to finish (or to start!) your shopping.
623 Tremont Street, Boston, MA // Monday-Sunday 10:00-7:00 pm // http://www.olivesandgrace.com
(Embarrassingly, I had never been to the shop until this summer, when I was invited to a Meet the Makers event. Thanks for hosting me, Sofi!)
Images 1, 2, and 6 are c/o Olives & Grace