Today I am providing details on a few holiday shopping possibilities at Companion Bakeshop. For more foodie gift suggestions, see Part 1 and Part 2.

A few weeks ago, beloved bakery Companion Bakeshop opened an expanded retail shop—Companion Market—which is connected to its 2341 Mission St. location in Santa Cruz (Companion also has a bakery in Aptos at 7486 Soquel Dr., 831-612-6655). This is a fabulous place to find holiday gifts for your foodie friends. There are some vintage items plus mugs, kitchen towels, aprons, cookbooks, baking supplies, wooden utensils, Chemex brewing items, coffee mills, and greeting cards. They have a variety of fun candles (like one with toast and a pat of butter) and carry Chanukah candles. Additional whimsical selections include food-themed post it notes (I’d personally love to find this in my stocking!).
Also, they have helpful signs highlighting local artisans if that’s important to you. For example, there are Big Sur Salts jars, Happy Girl Kitchen jam, Santa Cruz Bee Company honey, and Fifth Crow Farm heirloom beans just to name a few.
Want to purchase something yummy for your own holiday meal or as a hostess gift for wherever you’re headed for the holidays? Signs describing these two caught my eye during a recent visit: Holiday Cookie Tins (cookies, candies, and more, $48) and a giant Cranberry Blondie ($28). The blondie, filled with cranberries and chocolate chips, is topped with cream cheese icing, pistachios, chocolate palmiers, candied cocoa nibs, and candied orange peel. See picture above for what’s inside the tin. Happy Holidays!
Contact info for Mission St. bakery & retail shop: 831-471-8378. For both locations, visit companionbakeshop.com, Instagram @companionbakeshop.
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