Looking for the best food gifts from Seattle? Great choice. Seattle is a foodie city full of makers who give a damn about where their ingredients come from…so much, in fact, that some farm their own raw materials!
Giving the gift of food is not only thoughtful, but it helps the local economy. So if you like supporting local chefs and artisans, here is a roundup of the best food gifts from Seattle for any occasion.
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16 Best Food Gifts from Seattle
1. Coffee
Seattle and coffee are pretty much synonymous. We have hundreds of independent coffee shops and tons of local roasters sourcing sustainable beans. I wrote a whole post on the best coffee roasters in Seattle, but two favorites include:
- NoirePack Black-Owned Coffee Roaster Sampler Box ($27)
- Caffe Vita Caffe del Sol Light-Medium Roast Coffee ($20)
2. Smoked salmon & fish jerky
Most people think of salmon being tossed at Pike Place Market when they think of Seattle. While I don’t recommend buying the overpriced fish at these stalls during your Pike Place Market tour, there’s no denying that Seattleites love their salmon. In fact, I wrote a whole article on where to buy the best seafood in Seattle because we have so many fishmongers here.
Some options for smoked salmon that travels well are:
- Northwest Native Gifts Smoked Sockeye Salmon ($40+)
- SeaBear Smokehouse Smoked Sockeye Salmon ($25)
- Ekone Smoked Coho Salmon ($14)
- Alaskan Smokehouse Salmon Spread ($6)
- Alaskan Smokehouse Smoked Salmon ($10)
You can also purchase some Tom Douglas Rub with Love Spices ($8+) to go with your salmon-themed Seattle food gift. It was created by Seattle chef Tom Douglas who owns multiple restaurants and also makes frequent appearances on Food Network.
Does your loved one prefer other types of fish? Check out Neptune, a local Seattle company that makes yummy rockfish jerky in exciting flavors.
3. Chocolate
I have a whole article dedicated to the best chocolate in Seattle because there are so many amazing chocolate makers in the city. Since it travels relatively well as long as temperatures are mild, chocolate makes one of the best food gifts from Seattle. Here are some of my favorites:
- Chukar Cherries ($14)
- Spinnaker Chocolate 58% Madagascar Chocolate Bar ($11)
- jcoco Mini Chocolate Bar Assortment ($18)
- Seattle Chocolate Candy Cane Chocolate Bar ($5)
4. Self-guided food tour
If you want to get a loved one the gift of experience, check out my self-guided Seattle food tours. It includes an itinerary and map for 8 stops at the best restaurants in neighborhoods most tourists don’t visit. They’ll love spending the day on a food crawl, especially if you two go together. You can also pair this with gift certificates to each of the restaurants included!
5. Caramels
Seattle loves its confections, especially caramels. We’re so lucky to have some hometown heroes who make excellent versions:
- Fran’s Signature Gray and Smoked Sea Salt Caramels ($20)
- Jonboy Boozy Caramels ($38 for 3 boxes)
Fran’s ships nationwide and is probably the OG caramel producer in the city. Jonboy is smaller and available both online or at the best farmers markets in Seattle.
6. Wine
Washington is the second largest wine producer in the US behind California. Lucky for us, some of the best wines in Washington are produced in Seattle or nearby Woodinville tasting rooms. So here are some of my favorites:
- 2019 Nine Hats Red Wine ($20)
- 2018 Saggi from Long Shadows ($70)
- Anything from Cloudlift Cellars
- Anything from Structure Cellars
- Anything from Rotie Cellars
If you want more ideas, check out my guides to the best Seattle wineries and independent Seattle wine shops.
7. Charcuterie
One of the best food gifts from Seattle is charcuterie because we really, really care about how animals are treated. That means you’re getting meats that not only taste great, but are great for the soul too.
Coro Agrumi Salami ($9-$14) is a great choice for a Seattle food gift. It’s a woman-owned charcuterie business that actually used to be owned by celebrity Chef Mario Batali’s dad before they sold it. They are hard salamis wrapped in the cutest paper, so they pack well and make an excellent gift.
8. Yogurt
You may be thinking, “Ummm, what? Yogurt?” But I’m here to tell you, yes. I honestly don’t even really like yogurt, but then I tried Elleno’s Greek Yogurt ($3+) and my life was changed. In fact, they make the creamiest, least tart yogurt I’ve ever had. Even the plain is phenomenal! But insiders know their best flavor is lemon curd.
9. Cheese
If Seattle cares about animals for their meat products, it goes without saying it’s also the same for dairy. In fact, we have a ton of dairy farmers around Washington that sell artisanal cheeses from goat, sheep, and cow’s milk.
Arguably the most famous Seattle cheese is Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheese ($20+). Beecher’s factory is right in the middle of historic Pike Place Market. In addition, you can watch them churn curds and stretch them into delectable cheesy goodness. They’ve gotten bigger over the years so they ship nationwide and are available in many grocery stores, meaning that if your loved on gets hooked on their cheese after you gift it, they can find it again!
10. Honey
One of the things I really love about Seattle is that everyone does their part to help the environment. It’s illegal not to compost and they outlawed plastic bags. You’ll also see a ton of urban gardens throughout the city doing their part to reduce waste. Many of them host beehives to help the dwindling bee population, and as a result many turn to making honey.
In fact, you’ll find a ton of super small Seattle based honey makers at farmers markets selling jars using hyper local hives. Shipwreck Apiaries Raw Blackberry Honey ($47.50 for 2 large jars) is one of those options.
11. Dessert sauces
Ask anyone where to get the best desserts in Seattle and chances are most people with say Hot Cakes. They’re best known for their molten chocolate cakes, but few people know they also sell their decadent sauces.
Grab a jar of their Dark Chocolate Sauce and Sea Sat Caramel Sauce so you or a loved one can make the ultimate ice cream sundae at home.
12. Homemade cookies
We have so many awesome Seattle desserts and lucky for you, some of the local bakeries that make cookies ship nationally. Here are some of my favorites:
- Lowrider Cookie Company (they’re featured in my Georgetown food tour!)
- Pinckney Cookies (one of the best Black-owned restaurants in Seattle)
- Treat Cookies (a mother-daughter cookie shop with the cutest interiors)
13. Spices
Since Seattle has so many restaurants, a ton of companies sell spices and rubs to meet the demand from chefs. In fact, some of them even grow their own plants to feature in their blends. So here are some of my favorites:
- The Kitchen Imp ($5.50+ – I love her dukkah!)
- Cyrus Saffron ($25 – they grow the saffron in WA and sell in Pike Place!)
- Mehdi Boujrada Shakshuka Kit with Harissa Paste and Kefta Rub ($42)
- Or buy their harissa paste by itself ($10)
14. Ginger beer & kombucha
I’ll be honest, I don’t love ginger beer or kombucha. However, I know I’m in the severe minority, because people love these fermented and fizzy drinks! If you or your loved one do too, here are ones that have a cult following:
- Rachel’s Ginger Beer ($78 for 4 pack)
- Seeking Kombucha ($27 fo 12 oz. variety pack)
15. Beer & cider
Seattle is a huge beer city. There are a ton of microbreweries serving craft beers all over the city, with many of my favorite in the Ballard breweries district. Most of them sell beer to go, but you can also order cans and ship nationwide from:
- Fair Isle Brewing ($11+)
- Yonder Cider ($39+)
Fair Isle focuses on farmhouse ales using wild yeasts while Yonder makes not-too-sweet ciders with Washington-grown apples. Both have beautiful branding so it’s one of the best food gifts from Seattle for the aesthete in your life!
16. Spirits
If your loved one prefers cocktails over wine, I got you. There are also a lot of distilleries in Seattle making award-winning spirits, so here are some of my favorites:
- Amaricano by Fast Penny Spirits ($52+ for amaro)
- Letterpress Distilling ($38+ for limoncello and amaro)
- Oola Distillery ($50+ for bourbon, gin, and vodka)
- Oola has Adventure Sampler Packs and a Whiskey Membership too!
Seattle food gift baskets
Want to get someone a few of the best food gifts from Seattle but aren’t sure where to start? Here are some Seattle food gift baskets and boxes that curate a lot of the items on this list into one. You can get them shipped directly to your recipient so they can experience the best of the Puget Sound in the comfort of their own home.
If you’d prefer to curate your own gift baskets, these two Seattle-based companies are my go-tos: Washington Local or Knack Shops (use FIRST10 for 10% off your first order!).
More gift ideas
I have so many gift guides! If you’re looking for more items made in the Pacific Northwest, check out my other roundups of holiday gifts.
- Pacific Northwest Food Gifts
- Best Seattle Gifts You Can Buy Online
- Gifts for Chefs and Home Cooks
- Unique Jewelry Made in Seattle
- Unforgettable Seattle Experience Gifts
- Most Unique Travel Gifts
- Best Gifts Made in Washington
- My Favorite Seattle Gift Shops
- Incredibly Talented Local Ceramic Artists
- Pacific Northwest Gift Ideas
