Saul Good visited Beta 5 chocolate to learn about their unique approach, phihlosophy, and attention to detail that has won them attention on an international stage.

We are excited to provide you with the opportunity to give chocolate gifts from Beta 5 (one of Vancouver’s most innovative confectionist creators). If you are feeling attached to the regular old box of chocolates routine...Let’s take a moment to compare scenarios and analyze your options.   Scenario #1   “Oh! It’s another box of chocolates.” says Sally in accounting.   The predictable box stares up at her with overwhelming dullness. Sally forces a smile and...

We think that you and your team deserve a treat! On August 30th, take a trip back in time to a fabulous 50’s dessert party featuring some of BC's best local artisans. Dress in vintage attire and indulge! The delicious locally-made treats will include: vintage cocktails, chocolate, donuts and french pastry. At the Saul Good Gift Co., we are thrilled to see this line-up of artisans coming together and we encourage you to share this experience with your colleagues (Book 5 tickets and get...

  1. Local Artisan BEER           Locally made BC artisan beer is a classy way to say that you care. We are proud to feature Phillips in our beer gift basket “Hard Days Night” . These delicious hand-crafted creations carry a story of hard work and Canadian entrepreneurship. Instead of a standard gift basket, this gift is presented in a solid reusable box made from beautiful BC pine beetle wood by a Vancouver social enterprise.  ...

  We recently caught up with Valerie Stride from The Demystified Vine and got some great advice on how to pair local BC wines with some of our favouriteVancouver artisan confections. Check out these clear, easy and helpful tips! Your indulgent epicurian moments are about to be upgraded and demystified!             Valerie Stride is the creator of the The Demystified Vine ( @DemystifiedVine ). She is a Vancouver-based WSET Certified Wine...

Saul Good recently had the pleasure of touring behind the scenes at the Estate of Vancouver's own, Domenica Fiore in Orvieto, Italy. We stopped by the estate to discover how Cesare Bianchini, Direttore, makes legendary olive oil and why it has been winning awards across the globe year after year.

To help those looking to get creative with a corporate gifting program, we’ve put together 5 unique ways we’ve seen our clients give.

Creating a corporate gift program can seem like a daunting task - but with a little planning and preparation, you can craft a gift experience that’s both memorable and meaningful for your recipients. As your partner in gifting, we’re giving you 5 tips to make this gifting season a breeze.

Business is about relationships - and gift giving is about nurturing those relationships that are most important to you. Here are our top 5 reasons to give corporate holiday gifts + build better business relationships.

Since we think moms deserve a day of pampering, we’ve put together a list of our best tips for making her day special, while enjoying the luxuries available to you in your home town.

Last month, at the International Chocolate Awards Canada in Toronto, a number of artisans we partner with came home with multiple awards in gold, silver, and bronze for the incredible work they do. Today, we’re celebrating our decorated artisans who continue to make our gifts great.

There’s no better way to take it easy at the end of the week than a home movie night. And, with more of us staying indoors than ever before, it’s the perfect opportunity to take your usual movie night up a notch. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite tips for how to make the most of your movie night at home — think lots of pillows and cozy blankets, a great movie, and, of course, plenty of amazing snacks and goodies.

Asking for your client's home address doesn't have to be an uncomfortable exchange. We're sharing our top tips for making this task as simple and friendly as possible.

With another year of remote work nearly behind us, showing appreciation for your talented team is now more important than ever – and what better time than the holiday season to really make it count. While your holiday party may only happen once a year, it remains a vital marker in the makings of your company culture. But with social distancing measures still in effect, how do you create a virtual holiday office party that delivers the warmth and fun of an in-person gathering? From...

How do you build deep and meaningful connections in the new world of remote work? Use our five practical tips to make a last impact.

It’s 10am and a new potential vendor comes into my office to present new local products for our gourmet gift baskets. The coffee is brewing and wafts through our space as a slight breeze comes through the open 2nd story garage door. Our new staff member settles into her desk, which had just been set up for her first day of work. This is a pivotal time, because this month marked our 5th anniversary as a business. The story of the Saul Good Gift Co. began in the summer of 2006. I...

It's officially Spring, and top chocolate artisans across the country have "sprung" into action - testing their creativity and crafting Easter treats that truly stand out from the crowd. We've scoured the nation for the the country's most imaginative Easter treats and are pleased to present our top picks. Feast your eyes on the top 11 hand made Easter treats in Canada.

Last year, we brought you “ 2012 Top 5 Local Gift Ideas for Guys ” and we decided to follow up with some fresh picks just in time for your last minute local father’s day shopping.   1. Heavy Shop Apron from The Window Community Art Shop           We are always excited to check out what’s new at this local social enterprise. You can always find fresh and unique products that are full of heart and hand-made goodness. We recommend this shop apron for all...

Indulge in Local Artisan Confections & Coffee!     As Vancouver's first " BUY LOCAL WEEK " comes to an end, we want to end on a high note and share some indulgent ideas for how you can enjoy delicious and festive local goodness! As a local Vancouver gift company, we have a lot of experience searching, sampling and selecting the best of BC's best local artisan creations. Here are some delicious ideas:   Kitchening with Carly   Our clients love Carly's...

Thousands of years of chocolate gifts The connection between love and chocolate is timeless. From Aztec emperors and Mayans in 1500 BC to Madame Pompadour and Louis XV in the 1700’s. The joy of chocolate gifts have been explored through mythology and science for ages. The original latin name for the cacao tree is Theobroma Cacao and means ‘Food of the Gods’. This name was chosen in the 18th century, around the same time that Valentine’s Day became popularized in Europe. Theobroma...

Connectivity and relationships build the foundation of thriving corporate cultures. In order to maintain strong relationships, it is essential to give the right gifts to the right people. Thoughtfulness is always more important than cost. If gift-giving is executed poorly, it can cause more harm than good. Over the last 5 years I’ve learned a lot about corporate gift baskets . The following tips are helpful insights that will allow you to express your appreciation to all of your...

We are excited to celebrate some of Alberta's best artisans with two newly-curated gifts: The Calgary confidential and Big sky Alberta.

It all began at the end of January 2012, when we received a call from Vichy Laboratoires. They wanted 500 unique corporate gifts for an International Women’s Day gift program.

A recent study indicated that over half of all employees intended to search for new jobs because they felt under-appreciated. Yikes! It's time for good old fashioned gratitude make a comeback. To help, here are 5 ways you can start appreciating your coworkers today. (Trust us, it's worth it!)

When David Chow makes delectable treats, he often finds inspiration from his community. “It is all about starting with the best local ingredients I can find and many of these ingredients are made by local artisans and food producers”, David explains as he mixes a giant pot of melting chocolate.

We’re thrilled to include LisaLou’s Chocolate Bar creations in our gift baskets. We asked founder Lisa Gardin what inspired her to open her amazing Vancouver shop.

Today we're talking to David Chow. David is one of Toronto's top pastry chefs and chocolatiers. A former engineer, he applies both his technical and artistic skills to produce unique hand-crafted products using the best local ingredients.

Roselle Desserts is a shop in Toronto that makes cakes, confections, and cookies. They make everything in-house and on-site. Their philosophy is to make desserts that they like to eat and share them with their customers. A simple and delicious approach.

Today we’re talking to Lisa Sanguedolce - Owner & Founder of Le Dolci, Culinary Classroom & Bakeshop in Toronto.

As the Saul Good Gift Co. continues to grow, we have to stay focused on minimizing our environmental impact. One of the most important ways that we reduce our environmental footprint involves transportation and gift delivery.   When we deliver local gifts in Vancouver, we love choosing one of our city’s unique delivery methods. Since we live in one of the greenest cities in the world, we have a wide range of options for local gift delivery in Vancouver. It can sometimes be...

The best coffee in BC originated in the Gulf Islands beyond the shore of our rainy west coast. It all began in a quaint coffee shop on Salt Spring Island that was so delightful, it began overflowing with customers. As this little shop began growing, it took on a larger personality. The founders functioned as diligent parents and relentlessly reinforced the core values of the original vision: "Great coffee that doesn't compromise the earth."     When Salt Spring Coffee hit the...

Our team at Saul Good Gift Co. had recently been searching for a jam to go into our gourmet gift baskets. This process has been extremely difficult. There are simply too many amazing options! In order to find the right jam, we asked local artisans to submit their jam for a contest. Read on to find out who came out on top!

Fraser Valley Gourmet knows that food is a powerful force that brings people together. We recently spoke with them to learn a little more about the team, as well as the joys and challenges of making candy for a living.

A spa gift experience is always a kind gesture. It indicates that you want the gift recipient to take time to indulge themselves with a relaxing experience. Unfortunately, many spa products contain chemicals and parabens. Wouldn't you rather give a spa gift basket that is pure, local and nourishing? At the Saul Good Gift Co., we were excited to discover a pure, locally-made line of indulgent artisan spa products. Belmondo is Italian for ‘beautiful world.’...

  When we find local, organic gifts that are meaningful and unique, it is our duty to report these findings to you. We recently discovered a great local gift that nourishes the gift recipient while healing Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.       Why are CSA shares from SOLEfood an awesome gift?       1) Nourishing your gift recipient with a weekly supply of fresh, local and organic produce:       The fresh delicious food...

In the Spring of 2011, I was at a LOCO BC party watching game 1 of the Stanley Cup in Vancouver. During the game, I was asked what I was going to do to shift my behaviour to purchasing local. As a locally owned and operated business, I have spent many years building community around local purchasing and featuring local products in our gifts. I have also been working to help establish LOCO BC since 2008. The only missing piece was our banking.   It became clear that the Saul Good...

We are excited to welcome Modo into the world of gifts with their new program "Modo Mojo"! At the Saul Good Gift Co., we think that Modo Mojo is a great gift, because Modo is part of how we deliver gifts and radiate happiness. When we are making local Vancouver gift deliveries, we are usually driving one of the many fine Modo vehicles. As a small local Vancouver business, we like to reduce excessive expenses and reduce our carbon footprint.   We are proud to promote car sharing as a great...

From seedlings to salads, Growing Chefs is getting Vancouver kids excited about creating food. This non-profit society brings the gift of window-sill gardening, cooking, urban agriculture and sustainability into Vancouver elementary school classrooms. These fun lessons are taught by volunteer chefs from some of your favourite local restaurants.   Last Saturday, The Saul Good Gift Co. enjoyed participating is the ultimate Vancouver foodie fundraiser event for Growing Chefs. The content of...

Missing Goat Organic Jam & Blueberry Farm is local organic goodness at it’s best. That's why we are proud to feature this jam in our Vancouver gift baskets. Although Heather and her family have customers and retailers begging them to grow, these humble folks are keeping their homemade creations small and handmade.             We were grateful to have the opportunity to vist the Missing Goat Organic Farm in person. In addition to receiving the gift of...

I'll admit, I've been a fair weather rider. After hurting my back a few years ago it's taken me a while to get back on my bike. I received an amazing birthday gift recently, a new commuter bike and I've been getting into the groove of riding into work. This was my first week back and today's ride blew my mind. It wasn't the rush or exhilaration of riding that did it. It was who I met, saw and talked with along the way. I ride from Kitsilano over the Burrard Bridge and along...

Corporate gifts can create a fun and meaningful touch point for businesses. We love coming up with gift programs to help our clients stay top of mind with their gift recipients. Why not go beyond ordinary formalities and give a memorable experience that creates a conversation?

Between rail yards and the clamor of the Downtown East Side, there lies an excess of concrete, industrial buildings, and bare walls. When art emerges here, it is a gift to the community of Strathcona and the city of Vancouver. The gift of public art sparks creativity and breeds innovation. Creativity and innovation nourish entrepreneurship. Therefore, murals do more than bring beauty to a neighbourhood...they also improve the socio-economic landscape of urban communities.

Written by Christabel Shaler - Saul Good Gift Co. Community Manager   The sun was setting over the shoreline of Cortes Island as I built sandcastles with children covered in face paint and blackberry stains. It was 2004 and I was working as a nanny to save up for my next semester at the University of British Columbia. During these long summer days, I was invited to participate in conversations with the family I worked for. They were involved in social ventures and taught me about how...

It is with amazement that I look back at all that’s happened in the last 12 months. Since Saul Good was launched in 2006, I often felt the tension and suspense of pushing upward towards possibility. 2012 was the year when we saw this possibility unfold into growth, momentum and recognition.

Since the early 1900s, Absinthe became a mythological character. It was said to be a hallucinogenic drug that was too dangerous to be legal. This outlawed libation has altered many great minds, including Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde.   The process of making absinthe is similar to gin production. It is traditionally made from flowers and leaves of grand wormwood. These ingredients are soaked in an alcoholic base and then the absinthe is redistilled. The wormwood contains thujone,...

  Back in the day, cleaning was as simple as a bar of soap and some warm water. After World War I, cleaning products became more complicated as we began using chemicals. Our homes and our bodies had never before encountered such complex ingredients. There was a period of time where we had a romantic view of this new way of life. However, this romance faded as we began to more carefully examine these new unpronounceable ingredients. The cleaning products industry has...

  Compassion and kindness transcends all religious denominations . The act of giving is a privilege and a universal human need. When you purchase a meal for UGM , you are providing an experience that is nourishing, dignified and served by our local community. The staff and volunteers of the UGM take great pride in every detail of their work. The UGM annual holiday meal program is just down the street from our Vancouver office.   Large event tents are assembled and...

Let's face it, gift baskets are kind of lame. When th ey arrive in a big basket with big a shinny bow, we may be impressed at first...but as we dig through the cellophane and filler it is hard to find value.   The whole point behind sending a corporate gift basket is to show appreciation for the important people that make our businesses great. What does it say when we send something wasteful? How does this show value for our business relationships? Saul Good Gift Co was...

Certified B Corporations are a refreshing international movement building momentum throughout the business world.

Did you know that our school budgets do not allow for one book per child? Our literary resources are depleted. What can we do to replenish the shelves of school libraries? Adopt a School is providing an innovative solution that allows any one of us to give the gift of reading as we purchase holiday gifts. Kiss that last box of chocolate almonds goodbye! There's no need to buy pizza coupons or boxes of cookies to support the school fundraiser any more. Fundraising for schools has...

Quietly, sometimes not so quietly, social enterprise and social innovation have been gaining momentum over the last decade in Vancouver. Last night I walked from our Strathcona office to District 319, a historic eastside theatre. As I walked over to the event, I thought about everything that has been accomplished by the The Potluck Café over the past decade. It has been 10 years of providing nourishing food, education and jobs to Vancouver Downtown Eastside residents. This social...

I'm always on the look out for amazing new products to add to our gift baskets . Checking out specialty shops, farmers markets , doing internet research to name a few, looking for the best delicious , locally sourced, organic and fair trade products. Gourmet foods, snacks, spa and body care products, coffee, tea, and of coursemany people's favorite, chocolate . There are days when something unexpected shows up, a package that wasn't ordered, someone sending me something to check...

Vancouver is buzzing with energy leading up the Canucks upcoming Stanley Cup appearance. It's been 17 years since their last trip to the finals and Vancouverites are restless. The vibe reminds me of what it was like in the city during the 2010 Olympics, vibrant and bustling with people connected to each other and place. According to a recent poll conducted by IPSOS, 8 of 10 British Columbians are excited, its not just die hard fans, it's most of the province! It's not just about hockey, its...

  Collaboration is key to building community. Two projects that I've been contributing too are coming together on Saturday December 4th at the Own Your Own Strathcona event. Hosted by The Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA) and Loco BC we’ll be showcasing the best holiday gift ideas in Vancouver at Chapel Arts .     From artists to local entrepreneurs there will be an assortment of unique gift ideas available. Besides our gift baskets we’ll have a...

Over the last month we've been working on a project that brought me back to my childhood, creating Chinese New Year gifts for some of our clients. We did our research and discovered a variety of traditional gift items which we sourced in Saul Good style, local, organic and recycled.

    Our business was born with the realization that 50 million gift baskets were going into landfills every year. Why should gift experiences generate waste that cannot be re-used or recycled? What does a wasteful gift wrapped in plastic say about your relationship with your friends, family and business associates?     From day one, we have been committed to locally sourced products and recyclable packaging. At the Saul Good Gift Co., we use 100% recycled and...

In our previous post, we discussed Climate Smart and how we focus on improving aspects of our business that have the greatest environmental impact: Shipping and Paper use. We are constantly trying to improve and we decided to share a glimpse of how fun this process can be!       In the video above, we are delivering new home gift baskets in Vancouver's downtown core for new home owners.       How Low Can Our Impact Go?       Our...

Sometimes we search far and wide for the best local products and sometimes our gift discoveries emerge through our network of client relationships. One of our most exciting discoveries has been Clos du Soleil Vineyard. These vintners have created some of BC’s best wines.     It all began last Christmas when a local Vancouver art gallery placed an order for our reclaimed cedar wine boxes. We engraved each box with their logo and sent it out to several gift recipients. One of...

Last night, Paul Hawken spoke at Vancouver's historic Orpheum Theatre. The room was packed with social entrepreneurs and inspired Vancouverites, who want to improve the world for our children, and our children’s children. I was happy to see some great local characters in the house! There were students and alumni from Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) , local business leaders, ( Salt Spring Coffee , Climate Smart , SHIFT Urban Cargo Delivery , Save on Meats , Recycling Alternative ),...

LOCO BC is a Vancouver organization that connects local businesses and entrepreneurs.

When a company is a B Corp, it provides certainty. It allows us to know the difference between “good” companies and good marketing .  I was first introduced to B Corp back in 2007. At the time, I was a wide-eyed MBA student...only a month away from completing my MBA program in sustainable business at BGI .   One of my classmates, Mary Rick ( @maryrick ) was organizing a Balle Conference in San Francisco and she encouraged our class to attend. I...

    The Olla Flower Project was created by Megan Branson and Dionne Finch. According to Megan, these two women wove together a true obsession for plants and flowers with a vision: A small business committed to community engagement and sustainable flower production.           Flowers are a great gift that activates a multi-sensory experience of beauty. Although flowers are a gift that rarely fail...Do you ever wonder how can we take this...

Eight years ago, Tyler Schramm walked alongside his brother through the potato fields of the Pemberton Valley. It was a fine summer day and Tyler was imagining his future. He envisioned farmers’ fields, wide valley vistas, gourmet foodies and the picturesque Mt. Currie. Tyler was determined to convert the abundant potato fields into local, organic potato vodka. After completing a Masters thesis in potato vodka distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tyler had created...

The people have spoken! Because of controversy around micro hydro run of river projects in BC our GPC (green power certificate) provider Bullfrog Power has moved towards 100% BC produced wind power. Bear Mountain Wind Park is a 102 MW renewable energy project near Dawson Creek, the first operational wind power project in BC. In total there are 34 turbines which cover approximately 25 hectares along the ridge of the mountain. The mainly forested ridge has been used for cattle grazing...

Living the Olympic dream. With 9 days to go before the world converges in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games we're in full swing to fulfill our commitments for 2010 Olympic partners. In November we were approached by our client Gameday Auction , an innovative sports memorabilia company based on Railway St in the Strathcona Green Zone , to help them design a sustainable packaging solution for a unique 2010 Olympic collectible, official replica jerseys (bibs), the same as the...

Local Living Economies build wealth and keep cash in the community Buying and eating food has become so impersonal in today's convenience based society. Walking down the aisle in any major supermarket is disheartening to say the least. There might be a picture of a farmer on the wall but the fact is that most of what we buy is grown in factory farms, thousands of kilometers from where this food is consumed, over 2,400 kms in fact according to Barker & Mander in their 1999...

What does local mean? Local means different things to different people. It's important to define what we mean, in order to clarify what we are talking about and to determine where value is created. It's important to have clear standards for things like organic certification , fair trade and sustainable wood products . Local is a classification that can easily lose meaning and be misinterpreted. At Saul Good Gift Co. we use local products in our corporate...

In putting together some corporate gifts last week we were asked by a client to include a vegetable scrub brush in their gift baskets for new homeowners . Not only did we find a great product that fit the bill but also a few others that are great for a clean, healthy and environmentally friendly home. Goodbye Detergent! , an LA based company manufacturing in Japan, uses recycled and reclaimed materials in their home cleaning products. Using them helps to reduce the amount of soap and...

Locavores watch out! Les Amis du Fromage, a Vancouver based artisan cheese retailer/wholesaler has found some innovative ways to source locally while building community. Below is an article I wrote that was recently published on GranvilleOnline.ca

Over the last few months we've been working closely with Rachel at CocoaNymph on a line of specialy artisan nuts. Delicious and original these are a fantastic corporate gift to send to an office or to take to a dinner party. Easy to share, unique flavours, and damb tasty the nuts are the kind of thing you probably wouldn't buy for yourself but would be happy to enjoy. Sustainable packaging Each selection of nuts is packaged in a PLA biodegradable tub. PLA is derived...

Green claims are easy to make. All a company needs to do is source some organic baby clothing and a BPA free sippy cup to claim they're a green gift basket business. How are consumers able to know who to trust? That's where B Corporation comes in.

Today, everyone says they're 'green'. It's meaning is washed out. All too often overlooked is the social side of sustainability , the people who make up our organizations, the communities in which we operate, social justice issues, and building diverse constituents in all our stakeholder groups. It's the people who I find interesting in the work that we do as they make me feel the rewards of our labour. In Vancouver's downtown eastside and inner city there's one organization that's...

It’s been over 3 years since I decided to move my business to Strathcona. It was a spring day in 2008 when I made my way down to Chapel Arts for Sustainability 1.0, an afternoon event hosted by Toby Barazzuol and the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA) to engage local businesses on the benefits of going green. I went down there with my late friend and mentor Ben Banky who had always shown support and interest in helping me to grow my social venture. The room was packed...

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and like things that are really good. Have you ever had one of those experience when you've tasted or experienced something that wasn't quite as good as you thought it could be? Have you ever thought you could make something better? Building a better mousetrap is one way to start a business and lots of successful entrepreneurs get their ideas and inspiration from having a bad taste in their mouth. From my experience this is how I started a...

Besides knowing what tastes good to me, it's always a great sign when I'm at a show sampling my wares that people see the Gone Crackers box in our gift baskets and say how much they LOVE these tasty artisan wheat crisps. Heather Nichol has developed a handful of tasty interesting flavours such as Blue Cheese and Cracked Pepper and Parmesan and Rosemary. Personally I like the plain savoury styles the best, the Undressed and the Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper, as they seem to be best for...

I just got back from what may have been the best business conference ever, the Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock on Cortes Island. Besides the breath taking land, mountains, ocean and forests, everything about it was all good. The sessions were first class and their format succinct and relevant. Learning from experts in the fields of branding, social enterprise, social media, strategy, business development, raising capital, basically all the things you need to have together to build...

Cooperation once again triumphs. Last week Saul Good along with Eclipse Awards hosted an open house and green roof mojito party for our clients, associates and friends down at our green office space in the Strathcona Green Zone in Vancouver, BC. We wanted the opportunity to show our clients what we've been up to this past year, developing corporate gifts, recognition items and promotional products that say more than 'thank you', using sustainable materials and fair labour practices to...

I love my job! I got this call yesterday from Russell at UrbanSweet Honey asking me if I was interested in high quality honey made by bees in Vancouver. He prefaced his offer, letting me know that he's only looking to work with retailers that have high end quality products that understand the value the local artisans. It was an easy answer, Russell found his guy. The product is 100% pure wildflower which is a blend of various plants, maple, dandelion, blueberry and clover. Basically...

Over the last few years, living the dream of a start up business and working out of my home, I’ve come up with some rules and mantras that seem to be working. Rule #1 – Don’t f*&# around If you tell someone that you can do something for them, you better be confident that you can pull it off. Provide solutions for people when problems come up and deliver on your promises. Your word is your biggest asset so don’t fcuk around. Rule #2 – If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it...

Signed, sealed and delivered - Saul Good is now Bullfrog Powered ! I just signed up my company to purchase Green Power Certificates (GPCs) from Bullfrog Power, this means that for the amount of electricity I use in my business Bullfrog supports renewable energy projects in BC & Alberta to generate that electricity. It's an easy way to show support for changing the energy industry and building awareness for low impact sources of power. EcoLogo certified EcoLogo is a...

GreenOne Ventures is an amazing local company with deep committments to sustainability. After meeting at Sustainability 2.0 and talking more with GreenOne founder Melissa Blyth I was quick to realize a great opportunity to work together. Not only are GreenOne bags super stylie, fashion forward, and practical but also locally manufactured while supporting the local arts community. Melissa is commited to having a positive impact on the world as seen by the depth of her consideration in...

Although competition plays a role in challenging ourselves to improve, cooperation is key to progress in a major way. By working together, people and companies are finding amazing ways to contribute value to each other and our organizations. While working on my MBA I was introduced to Elisabet Sahtouris , an evolutionary biologist giving us a lecture on how we can learn from nature to improve business & society. Over the past while I've noticed a few things that merge together in this...

Handfuel, a Toronto-based snack company, is run by Cole Richman - who happens to be second-cousin to Saul Good’s founder, Saul Brown. Both businesses carry on in their family’s tradition of entrepreneurship. Today, we’re telling Handfuel’s story.

It is my pleasure to officially welcome you to our new website. It means a lot that you are here to celebrate this important new chapter in the Saul Good story!  Whether you bought 1 gift or 1000 gifts, you are part of this story! This new website is designed to make it easier for you to find the gift that you are looking for. It is also designed to make it easier to connect with the delightful local stories that are connected to each gift.  Our new online...

At Saul Good, every day we make friends with supremely talented and passionate people who create the most delectable delicacies and confections in Canada. We’ve asked them to share their inspiring stories with us. Today we’re talking to Thomas Haas, owner of Thomas Haas.

Their family thought they were insane. Moving to Canada and starting a chocolate business? Abandoning their careers and uprooting their family for something completely unknown? 20 years later, Veve and Wim Tas, owners of ChocolaTas, wouldn't change a thing. Read the full story here.

While Christmas is considered the gift-givingest time of year, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to show the important people in your life how grateful you are to have them. Check out our top ideas for Thanksgiving gifts in 2019.

Check out the latest sweet treats from Langley bakery, Kitchening & Co.

Happy Friday - Saul Good has been featured on DobbernationLoves list of Top Gift Baskets in Toronto.

Last week in Toronto, our chocolate artisans from across Canada won BIG at the International Chocolate Awards Canadian Chocolatier Competition. Today we're sending a huge congratulations to the amazing artisans we worked with / have worked with that have been recognized last week on the international stage. Read on to see the winners.

Since the opening of her shop in 2009, Nadège Nourian has had a huge impact on Toronto’s pastry scene. Showered with numerous accolades from critics, the press, and the blogosphere, Nadège is clearly viewed as the Pioneer of French Pastry in Toronto. Today, we're telling her story.

Founded by Jacqueline Jacek, Jacek Chocolate Couture has grown from a basement operation to three retail locations across Alberta and a bustling online store. This beloved local business, founded in the Sherwood Park neighbourhood, has raised the bar for artisan confections in Alberta and received countless awards nationally and internationally for their handmade chocolate. We recently sat down with Jacek to talk about crafting couture chocolate. Read on to learn more about how she got started, where she sees her business going next, and how her team creates joy.

We recently caught up with Angela Roest, founder of Centre and Main chocolate, to learn more about her operation, her recent success at the International Chocolate Awards, and some of her favourite creations.

The ultimate staycation is only a few tips away. Say goodbye to stressful packing and long airport lines, and start planning your local getaway today.

She's your no.1 fan, your greatest confidant, and your best friend. And now it's time to show her just how much you care. Finding the perfect gift that's filled with meaning has never been easier thanks to our selection of carefully-curated mother's day gift baskets .  We know it’s hard to select the perfect gift for the mom who does it all. To help, we’ve put together a list of our top mother’s day gift baskets ideas for moms, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, aunts -...

Employee appreciation is a big buzzword these days but how does it impact your bottom line. Learn why it matters and grab our tips on how to do it well.

Vista D'oro seasonal artisan preserves have been one of the most popular products in our Vancouver gift baskets . Most of the ingredients come from their Langley BC farm, a beautiful property with a great farm gate shop filled with their products and other hard to find local artisan products. The handcrafted preserves are made in a traditional method using large copper pots   Top 3 things we love about Vista D'oro   1) Tastes awesome - we love the Turkish Fig with...

Denman Island Chocolate were one of the first organic chocolate businesses in Canada and helped to lead the natural and organic food movement here in BC. Their founder Daniel is a great guy who has always been helpful to me with my business. Not only a nice guy, Daniel is a great chocolatier who makes damb tastey chocolate bars. A couple years ago I hosted an organic chocolate tasting party with a bunch of my friends and collegues who hands down chose Denman Island Chocolate as their...

Everyone is good at something. As Saul Good grows I'm doing my best to build a team of inspired people who not only love what they do but also excel at what they do best. It's about contributing with excellence for the benefits of the whole and for me, letting go of doing everything. Understanding that there are people who are better than me at things is key to letting go and building empowered teams. Top 3 Learnings 1) Encourage contribution. Show interest in people's passions,...

Strathcona area businesses are finding ways to cooperate for bottom line benefts. Last week I was honored to meet with other local business owners at Sunrise Soya Foods, a Strathcona keystone business, for the purpose of exploring ways in which we can utilized each other's waste streams. I'm happy to report back on some of the progress we've made happen to date in addition to opportunities we're continuing toll explore. Reducing and eliminating waste pays directly into the bottom line...

Is sustainable business possible or just a load of garbage? TerraCycle is proving that it is not only possible but a competitive way to create value in lots of places. With a robust business model that pays organizations for their waste and turns organic waste into natural fertilizer products TerraCycle has a win win. A robust and simple business model 1) get paid to collect organic waste from restaurants, food manufacturers, produce distributors, etc 2) pay organizations...

I am super lucky to have a view like this on my way home from work! Riding my bike over the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver, BC hosts fantastic views of English Bay out to the Georgia Straight and the Coast Mountains. I've been riding my bike to and from our Strathcona office and warehouse a few times a week, it's been an easy and fun way to start and end my work day. The new bike lane over the Burrard Bridge has made cycling safer in Vancouver and is a big step by Mayor Gregor Robertson...

After looking at the reclaimed parallam beams in our warehouse for the last 7 months I finally got around to following through on the reclaimed wood work bench I envisioned when Saul Good moved into share space with Eclipse Awards . Parallam is a recycled wood building product that Eclipse used to reinforce the ceiling to add strength for the green roof top deck on top of the building. It looks really cool, layers upon layers of in line wood grains, now playing the role of table top in...

Artisan Edibles , from Vancouver Island, BC, is one of our newest suppliers and it's been great to add their amazing products to our line of gourmet corporate gift baskets . Their antipasto was their first product that caught our attention, using local seasonal vegetables to create a fresh and tasty spread. I really like it with crackers or artisan crisps for a snack or for hosting at an event or party. We've also added their artisan preserves to our mix to compliment Vista D'oro.

Last week I went to Las Vegas for the Awards Recognition Association (ARA) show along with my friends at Eclipse Awards . Recognition is a powerful way to build relationships, both in business and in pleasure, and going to the show was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the industry. Sustainability has all to do with recognition and appreciation, as I learned so deeply working on my MBA at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) , as it's really about taking care of people...

Yesterday afternoon I had the honor to hear and meet Favianna Rodriguez , an amazing artist living in Oakland, CA where she's been working to develop a vibrant arts community through a community center and social housing initiative. Art as social media, communicating a story about diversity and issues such as war, immigration, and globalization. Her prints are captivating and I couldn't resist taking home the Green is Not White one as seen above. As a white male coming from a place...

Saul Good is hiring and I'm looking for someone amazing that wants to be a part of building this business. As my business has grown I've been learning about how to best maximize the use of my time and get help from people to grow. My experience is limited in this space but this is how things are looking from my perspective. Top 3 things to consider when hiring 1) Cultural fit. Culture is king and drives how your business lives in the world, the kinds of clients you...

When asked to source bathroom tissue for one of my clients I thought it would be easy to find a great product made from 100% post consumer recycled content. I was wrong. Lots of products and leading brands have family pack sizes but for individually wrapped product the options are pretty much nil. Up to last fall there were a couple products on the market, Cascades , I believe Canada's largest recycled paper products companies, and Seventh Generation , our friends in Vermont who've...

When given the opportunity to move my business and share space with Eclipse Awards , a leading crystal and glass awards business in Vancouver, BC, I jumped at the chance. Eclipse has been active working on the Strathcona Green Zone , a hub of sustainable business in the Downtown Eastside, by building green roofs and doing green renos in one of Canada's poorest postal codes. It definately was a step up, having been running Saul Good out of my house for the last 2 years, and an exciting...

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a leading international organization that's developed comprehensive standards for sustainable forestry. They work with the entire supply chain in the forest products industry, from wood lots to product manufacturers, to ensure chain of custody assurance that the wood and fibre used in products came from a sustainabily managed forest. Working with Ecotrust Canada - FSC group Over the last year I've been working with Orrin Quinn at...

Last fall I was contacted by Omicron , a leading architectural firm in Vancouver that specializes in sustainable design. They were looking for client appreciation gifts to give out at Christmas and wanted something inline with their values, gifts that were locally sourced and filled with products that would be easy to share in an office environment. I put some gifts together with local artisan and organic gourmet products and made my way down to their office in Downtown Vancouver. As I sat in...

It was a week ago when I started thinking about what I was going to get for my mother for her 60th birthday. Living in Vancouver with all my family in Toronto it's inevitable that I miss a lot of events, birthdays,holidays, and special occasions. As I started to come up with ideas of what to send my mom(i do run a gift basket company) it hit me, the best gift I could really give was to buy a plane ticket, fly in and surprise her on her birthday. Surprise Visits On Thursday...

I was talking with my Dad recently about Saul Good's participation in the Climate Smart program. Our conversation turned from greener business practices to the choices we can all make as individuals. He said that small changes like deciding to bring a cloth bag to the store instead of using a throw away plastic bag have absolutely no measurable impact on the condition of our environment, but they are in fact the most important kind of actions we can take. That got me thinking .

When it comes to One Planet Catering the first thing that comes to mind is world class . Michael Kraus is best in class, not only as a phenominal caterer but also as someone who truely cares. His goal is to give people a quality dining experience, healthy nutrious and tasty meals to fuel you through the work day. I first met Michael about a year ago when he walked into Tradeworks Custom Products looking for handmade wooden presentation boxes for his locally delivered meals. His...

A month back I had an amazing experience. As Alex and I were delivering gifts into the new Woodward's building we met an amazing woman named Annie. As we rode the elevator together with a dolly full of gifts ready for the new homeowners, Annie asked us if the wooden boxes the gifts were packaged in were from Tradeworks. We confirmed and Annie went on to tell us that she had participated in training programs at Tradeworks and that it had helped her get her where she is today, gainfully...

All business is about building relationshps. Gifts are an opportunity to say more than 'thank you' for a job well done, a great contract, or employee appreciation. By building values into gifts and customizing them to tell your story, successful corporate gifts tell people what you're all about and why they do business with you. These types of memorable experiences build relationshps in a meaningful way and help you give more than 'stuff'. Top 5 things to remember about...

Sapadilla is a cool green cleaning product company based in Vancouver, BC that makes high quality all natural products that work and smells great. Jill and Steve are two of the friendliest people you’ll meet and I’ve really enjoyed working with and getting to know them over this past year. Premium locally made products are in demand and it’s been a pleasure getting these products into people’s homes. My favorite is their grapefruit & bergamot countertop cleanser as it smells really nice...

Helping women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside When I started working with Tradeworks just over a year ago I have to admit, it was purely strategic. Concepts are like that. They make sense in your head but it’s not until one lives and experiences that one really feels in the heart. Let me explain, it was the fall of 2007 and with 2 ½ years until the Vancouver 2010 Olympics I was thinking about how my business could be a vendor for gifts and promotions. With sustainability high on...

With the holidays fast approaching we've been busy these last weeks and months working with our clients on their corporate gift holiday programs . One of our new products this year are hand made holiday cookies by One Planet Catering , a fantastic Vancouver based sustainable catering company. Today I went by their kitchen for a tour and checked out their production line for the 12,000 cookies we've ordered for our gift baskets. As you can see each one is hand decorated . The cookies...

Tradition is one of those things that most people accept and few people question. The Christmas tree is one of those things that's made me wonder. Apparently the origin of the Christmas tree comes from pre Christian German heritage where its meaning was in bringing the beauty of nature into the home during the time of Yule. That's something that really rings true in me, in a world that moves so fast in manufactured urban landscapes, finding time to slow down and take in nature's beauty...

The Social Purchasing Portal (SPP) is a tool that's been designed by Building Opportunities with Business (BOB) to help companies source products and services that address social and environmental issues in Vancouver, BC. In concept its a great idea, with the growth in demand in sustainable purchasing programs in many companies and organizations, the SPP has the potential to link up purchasers with suppliers, creating connections that improve our economy while addressing sustainability...

Creativity is at the root of innovation and inspiration is the key to creation. I'm getting super excited about a new mobile I ordered from Schmitt Design , a funky eco chic bamboo mobile we're going to hang up in our office. Our office space is already pretty comfortable to work in, with great daylighting, open space and green roof deck for taking breaks. I am stoked though to add a bit of subtle movement and lightness above our desks with the new mobile. It's being custom made for us...

Over the last few months we've been working on a bunch of sustainable packaging projects for various clients leading up to the Olympics. Yesterday, Alex (Saul Good operations director) Andy Maier ( Courageous B , graphic designer) and I had the pleasure of touring the facility of one of our packaging manufacturers. While cardboard packaging is nothing new, we were encouraged to see how the industry is finally moving towards offering 100% recycled options. For Saul Good, our involvement...

It's no surprise that Eclipse Awards is leading the space in green sustainable recognition items and awards. Their values for community and the environment ring true through all my interactions with them, not only as my landlord but also as compatriots. Building a community of progressive and innovative businesses that see an opportunity to create social and environmental value, while making money, in the Strathcona Green Zone . This line of awards has been in the works for months and...

Saul Good gifts have always been designed to be thoughtful, enivronmentally friendly, and socially responsible. In order to maintain these standards, we've learned to be innovative and think critically about how our business operates. We're constantly searching for ways we can make Saul Good better. This means meeting local farmers in order to find BC's best organic products and enrolling in programs like Climate Smart to ensure that our business is running as efficiently as possible.

Listen to the people. Market research has been a tried, tested and true method for making educated business decisions since the beginning of consumerism. With an ever increasing number of people using the internet there are ways to engage with consumers and learn from them to make better business decisions. Web 2.0 is about listening to and engaging your target market It’s about conversation and dialogue. Engaging your audience helps you learn about the attitudes, beliefs and...

  Cocolico helped me to love chocolate. Before I met Wendy Boys, my appreciation for the delicate nature of this wonderful substance was superficial. Her story is great. Her training in a Parisian culinary school built a strong foundation before working under Rob Feenie for 10 years in Vancouver’s well renown Lumiere restaurant as his head pastry chef. After making chocolates gifts one holiday season her family and friends convinced her to go out on her own and Cocolico was born.

I originally wrote this article on GranvilleOnline.ca and thought readers would like to see it here too. Let me know what you think. Locally made AspenClean green cleaning products won't damage health or happiness Although they've been around for years it wasn't until last week that I had the opportunity to try AspenClean green cleaning products. Based in North Vancouver, Alicia and Chris Sokolowski have been on a mission to develop healthy cleaning products for the home that...

For one night, a collection of artists showcase their work to the community, and agree that everything displayed will be sold for one, accessible, price.

I love it when things land in your lap. When you're on a path, putting energy in a certain direction, I'm always amazed how things find you. Over the last 4 years I've been on a search for the freshest, best tasting food products made in British Columbia. I was recently approached by Dyana Biagi the creator of Aji Gourmet Food Products to learn more about her line of products to be included in our selection of our Vancouver gift baskets . First impression = Nice label!...

The Green Zebra guide - local savings for sustainable living , is a great corporate gift to give employees to encourage a culture for sustainability and green business within your organization. Culture is king and how people behave dictates if business strategy is executed or just talked about. The Green Zebra guide is the Entertainment book for green living, filled with coupons and offers for local, health and environmental products and services. Yoga classes, health food...

The Strathcona Business Improvement Association ( SBIA ) recently announced that thanks to a grant from Vancity it’s looking to hire a fulltime project manager whose duties will include weaving a robust materials exchange network between businesses in the Downtown Eastside. The goal of the project is to build connections between local business owners and identify innovative uses of discarded materials and by-products. By talking to business leaders you realize that a clothing...

Meet Starworks Packaging and Assembly, a fantastic social enterprise providing employment for adults with developmental disabilities in Vancouver, BC. Part of the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) Starworks generates much of its operating expenses from their pick and pack assembly and fulfillment business.

We're in planning mode for Sustainability 2.010 (fall 2010) at the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA) where I vollunteer on their sustainability committee . Looking back at the last year I found this footage of the 'Shades of Green' panal I sat on talking about sustainable business practices in the Strathcona Green Zone in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. It's been exciting at the SBIA with the announcement of $50,000 in funding from the Vancity enviroFUND for the...

Now that the Games have closed, the flame extinguished, most anyone you ask in Vancouver will probably start describing the past two weeks like this: "Wow...That. Was. Crazy ." And, judging from the delirious celebration in the streets after USA vs. Canada, I'm pretty sure everyone means that in a good way. At Saul Good, we certainly took some time to celebrate and enjoy the perks of having the Olympics in town. It was a ( very ) happy coincidence that the German Hospitality...

Early in February I was interviewed by Nick Brusatore about Saul Good Gift Co. , and showed him around our warehouse in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Nick's been on the lookout for innovative green businesses to invest in to help them grow. To date I've managed to grow the business through debt financing, originally utilizing my student line of credit while working on my MBA . I've been careful not to accept or raise money when I haven't needed it, instead I've gone for a bootstrap...

Browse our list of non-material gift ideas in BC for meaningful gift experiences that don't necessarily come in a box!

Over the last couple years we've been working with Bullfrog Power to purchase Green Power Certificates for our use of electricity.

Working together is at the root of the mandate behind the Strathcona Business improvement Association (BIA).

We've got you covered! Many gluten free foods leave me disappointed, wanting something that actually tastes good. Wendel's TrueFoods have it sorted. Their chocolate chip cookies taste like they should. Diane Morrison has a great story. Wendel’s has been her family’s business for three generations. What started as a general store kitty corner to the train station in historic Fort Langley has become a bustling community hub with her café and bookstore. Every kid deserves to eat cookies...

At 12:45pm, Vancouver City Councillor Andrea Reimer released information about all four winter shelters in Vancouver reaching capacity. Local politicians are inviting Vancouver citizens to contribute small items that can make a big difference!   3 easy ways to contribute:   1) Toys and food: All Vancouver fire halls are accepting non-perishable food items for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, and new, unwrapped toys for children for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.   2)...

You may have encountered Sole Food Farms in Vancouver's Downtown core or enjoyed their produce in meals at your favourite local restaurant. This innovative social enterprise demonstrates how we can address social, environmental and economic issues through thriving local business. Sole Food has been growing since we first met Seann Dory in 2009 on a rooftop in Stathcona. He was dreaming about transforming empty parking lots into vibrant urban farms. It has been inspiring to see how...

Our trip to Westham Island Herb Farm.

Appreciation is an art that creates tangible value for your business. It is an investment that strengthens team performance and continually enhances your professional relationships.

Today we're shining light on Catherine Anderson, founder of Hidden Garden and Trugs Gourmet. It's local entrepreneurs like Catherine that inspire innovation in our local economy and keep BC fresh and delicious.

Behind the scenes at Vista D'Oro farms.

As we approach Mother's Day, we want to acknowledge the unique brilliance of BC artisan mompreneurs. The awesome women we are featuring here are just three examples of many fantastic artisan momprenuers in BC.

Starworks provides accessible jobs for adults with barriers to employment and scalable business solutions that help local companies to grow. This self-sustaining enterprise thrives, because they do great work. Today we're showing you a behind the scenes look at Starworks.

The honey we feature in our local gourmet gift baskets is from Mellifera Bees. It is unprocessed and infused with organic and fair trade ingredients from independent BC businesses.

With the profound aromas of leek, brown butter, and sage, this dish has many of the warm, comforting qualities of an old-fashioned bread stuffing without the heaviness.

[caption id="attachment_1681" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Photo Credit: Photography By Leah [/caption]   Eating local is not all about produce and protein. Sometimes, the most pleasant surprise comes in the form of a locally produced dry good you may never have considered was locally available.    Here are two beautiful, Canadian products which not only boast lower carbon footprints than their imported counterparts, but they also give you a different look at some...

There is a growing community of chocolate makers across Canada committed to ethical sourcing of cacao and transparency throughout their sourcing, roasting, and crafting process. This is chocolate you can feel good about purchasing for yourself or as a gift. Read on to learn more.

Jasmine Lukuku's review of Michael Pollan' "Cooked" on Netflix.

We met up with chef, Annabelle Choi on a sunny Spring afternoon in the kitchen of Elysian Coffee to talk about her approach to cooking and her love of Canadian grown products by GRAIN.

Melissa’s love of honey began with a rainy day on Galiano Island when she decided to escape from a soggy west coast downpour. She went into a local book shop and became absorbed in a beekeeping book. From within the pages of this book, Melissa's destiny unfolded and she soon became an innovative artisan beekeeper in Vancouver B.C...and the queen of Mellifera Bees .     From Chinatown to Le Marché St.George, Mellifera Bees are creating an important addition to Vancouver’s...

At some point in your life, you have likely experienced the nourishing quality of being thanked for a job well-done. It is also likely that at some point, you have experienced the depleting experience of not being appreciated. Did you know that psychological research has verified that saying “thank-you” can help increase the quality and efficiency of employee performance?       This topic of work-place gratitude came to mind when I heard a recent discussion on CBC radio about...

When we design corporate gift baskets for Vancouver businesses, we strive to create unique artisan gift experiences that can be shared throughout an entire team. Some examples of shareable office gifts include: The Cubicle Party, The Department Party and the The Corner Office Party all found in our Holiday Gift Guide .     The new Heirloom Tomato Salsa from Vista D'oro is a great example of how a classic item can become extraordinary. This is not your...

Employees are a gift and in this light we want to welcome Jamie Bryant, a new addition to our team. Like any great local gift, Jamie carries a unique local story. The chapter of the story that brought her to Saul Good Gift Co. involves Jamie’s experience reclaiming her cultural roots and the Vancity event with Paul Hawken last fall.   Jamie’s care for people and planet took on a new meaning when she began the process of reconnecting with her First Nations heritage. Her grandmother was...

As you may realize, Vancouver is a unique city full of many unique local gifts. Sometimes the perfect local gift cannot be found at a market, a craft fair or a gift company. Sometimes the perfect gift is a helping hand.   Getting the right help from the right person is a timeless gift that will forever be classy and meaningful. At the Saul Good Gift Co., we are excited to help spread the word about Ayoudo Social Garden . This new innovative app has recently brought together two things...

Eating locally and in season is a Utopian dream. Who doesn’t want the freshest, tastiest and most nutritious food to eat? I love growing food in my yard and shopping at the local farmer's market down the road. Eating local is a great ethos to move towards...but in reality a hard thing to do 100% of the time.     At the Saul Good Gift Co., we love helping people discover easy ways to enjoy local organic goodness as much as possible. We’ve written about our friends at Vista...

At Saul Good Gift Co., we are spoiled by many opportunities to sample amazing local products in Vancouver and throughout BC. The complex process of selecting chocolates, toffee and confections requires thoughtful deliberation. When a product is featured in our gift baskets, it has been carefully selected as the absolute best in British Columbia.   Cocolico products are delicious, locally made organic chocolates by Wendy Boys. They are a culmination of world-class chocolatier skills and a...

Katie & Kyle Wilson's lives were forever changed by bean-to-bar chocolate they tasted while traveling in New Zealand. Now, they’re on a mission to shift the way people think about chocolate - one single origin bar at a time. Get the full story on Soul Chocolate of Toronto, ON.

What do you get when an elementary school teacher and a computer programmer start their own bakery? A dynamite mom-and-popreneur team creating a lineup of macarons, cookies and marshmallows in innovative flavour combinations - all while raising two children.

Gift baskets are a perfect thank you for family and friends, but did you know we also do corporate gift programs? What is a corporate gift program, you might ask? We've got the answer to this frequently asked question.

Naked Snacks founder Neil Thomson tells us how he went from potato chip enthusiast to running a national health food company (with delicious results). Read the full story here.

Saul Good has partnered with Corbrook - Awakening Abilities to assemble our Toronto gift baskets. For 68 years, Corbrook operated as a sheltered workshop, until an announcement from the government of Ontario would turn the organization on its head. Find out how Corbrook survived and is now stronger than ever.

“When someone tells us that our jam & scones tastes like something from their childhood it feels like magic.” - Sophie Kaftal, Founder, Kitten & the Bear This week on the Saul Good blog, we’re going behind the scenes at Kitten and the Bar to learn more about the duo behind Parkdale’s coziest tea room ☕

Christophe Bonzon and his wife, Jess, have built a community all their own around their cozy chocolate and pastry shop in Burnaby Heights.

We know it’s hard to select the perfect gift for the mom who does it all. To help, we’ve put together a list of our top mother’s day gift baskets for moms, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, aunts - really, anybody who deserves to feel special on this day.

Browse our list of 9 non-material gift ideas in Toronto for meaningful gift experiences that don't necessarily come in a box!

Learn how corporate gifting can be used as a growth tactic for your business + tips for increasing your gift's ROI

Learn more about the types of customization we offer for corporate gift programs

We’re celebrating the best bean-to-bar chocolatiers in Canada - including the bean-to-bar artisans we work with on our Vancouver gift baskets and Toronto gift baskets.

To celebrate Coast Capital’s one year anniversary as a B Corporation, we sat down with Roanne Weyermars, Senior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility & Engagement, to talk about what B Corp status means to Coast Capital, and to reflect on their first year as a B Corporation.

We recently sat down with Hoda Paripoush of Toronto tea maker, Sloane Tea, to talk about her transition from naturopathy to founding one of Canada’s leading tea companies and her mission to deliver incredible tea from “crop to cup.”

We are delighted to share Annabelle's incredible falafel recipe featuring sprouted Canadian chickpeas by GRAIN.

In the story below, we are highlighting three fabulous Toronto confectioners featured in our newly-curated Canada gift baskets. Please stay tuned for more stories about our artisans from Ontario and all across Canada.

An unassuming sandwich board peaks out past the edge of Vancouver’s Pigeon Park. At a glance, it appears to be an ordinary coffee shop. However, East Van Roasters is one of the most groundbreaking businesses to hit the streets of Vancouver BC.       In addition to being Vancouver’s first bean to bar chocolate factory, East Van Roasters is providing training and creating jobs for women residents of the Rainier Hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.

Over the past year, we have been meeting neighbours of all ages. Our garden makes many pedestrians pause with curiosity. It sparks some great conversations. We became friends with a 74 year old woman who has lived on our block for 53 years. She has been giving us tips and sharing the zucchinis, cucumbers, and chard that she has grown.    Sometimes they ask questions, share stories...or simply smile. It is amazing to think about the fact that growing food like this is illegal in...

Evelyn’s Crackers is a Toronto based micro-bakery, specializing in local wholegrain baked goods. Their team makes sourdough breads, crackers, baked goods and soups. They work directly with Ontario farmers to use certified organic grain and also identity preserved grains, such as Red Fife.

Fine chocolate is often associated with countries such as Belgium, France, and Switzerland but where does it really come from? How does the humble cacao bean become a fancy bon-bon?

Vancouver has many fine chocolate shops but East Van Roasters (EVR) is one-of-a-kind. Located in the Downtown Eastside, EVR is a business with social change baked right into the DNA.

Soft, chewy, handmade caramels are an old-fashioned treat made with simple ingredients. Traditional recipes have you combine a mixture of cream, butter and sugars over medium-high heat and voila — caramel!

At Saul Good Gift Co, we're proud to work with MEC to help them provide ongoing recognition to their employees. We talked to Anne Scott, MEC's HR Coordinator to get the inside scoop on how they use Saul Good Canada gift baskets for employee recognition.

Since 78% of real estate sellers and 63% of buyers still find their agent via recommendation from someone they know, the relationships you create with your clients will determine the success of your business.