It's hard to imagine heading into the holiday season without mingling and tasting delicious locally-made goodies to bring home or give as gifts, but in the era of COVID-19 restrictions, those events just aren't going to be possible in the way we know them. For vendors, this is a make-or-break time of year; for many of them, the holidays represent up to 80 per cent of their annual revenue.
Back in August, the folks at Vancouver's Got Craft? put on their first virtual market for "foodies," showcasing a couple dozen local chefs, bakers, and food-makers for shoppers to check out online. Organizers say the summer event garnered an overwhelmingly positive response, so they are doing it again, and this time they will have even more on offer.
Taking place from Thursday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Oct. 25, the Got Craft? Virtual Market – Foodie Edition will be open for clicking and buying.
Shoppers can choose from a carefully-curated selection of locally-sourced eats and bevs, including cookies from BAK’D, mochi buns from Baker & Table Café, vegan Mexican food from Lita’s Mexican Foods, kombucha from Oddity Kombucha, sourdough bread from Tall Shadow Breads, popped lotus seed snacks from Sacred Foods, coffee beans from Potter & Crow Craft Coffee Roasters, and more.
In addition, to create more of a virtual market atmosphere, Got Craft? will take to their Instagram account with special programming in an IGTV Virtual Market series. Look for fun and engaging topics like how bean to bar chocolate is made with Living Lotus Foods or go along virtually to visit a local apiary with EastVan Bees.
So how do you shop at a virtual market? Got Craft? has put together this easy breakdown:
1. Go to http://shop.gotcraft.com and browse goods from ALL of participating in one
place
2. Add your favourites to your cart
3. Check out in a single transaction
4. Choose flat fee shipping within Canada and free curbside pick up in Vancouver
5. Receive everything in your order in one package!
Got Craft? Virtual Market – Foodie Edition
When: Oct. 22-25, 2020
Where: Online
