Want an insider tip for attending the fourth annual North Shore Food + Gift Emporium on November 19?
“Come hungry, and bring your wallet,” says Lauren Guley, who founded the event with friend and partner Jessica Brand as a showcase for food and gifts crafted locally.
While it may sound a bit like a craft fair, Guley says there is nothing quite like this event, at least not north of Boston. From the setting in the historic Turner Mansion, dripping with Elizabethan charm, to a cheese table hosted by Doug Shube of Shubie’s Marketplace in Marblehead, the experience is intended to be a celebration of passionate makers, as well as a place to pick up treats for yourself and special people on your holiday shopping list.
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Shube will be offering tips for putting together a stellar cheese board for entertaining, as well as sharing some of his favorite cheeses.
That’s not the only edible—Guley says the emporium’s 50-plus vendors are about 70 percent food-related—everything from ParTea (infusers and herb blends intended for crafting your own spirits) to small batch preserves from Hacienda del Sol. The other 30 percent is made up of gifts, from the homemade pet accessories of Grannie’s Garments to kiln-fired enamel jewelry from Mona Enamel.
“We really curate and try not to duplicate offerings,” Guley says. In addition to skin care, handbags, and lots of food, Farmer Willie will be on hand sampling and selling craft ginger beer. Turner Mansion will also be selling mimosas, coffee, and other refreshments in the library, in front of a roaring fire.
The vendors will be spread throughout the mansion, so Guley advises visiting every room—and getting holiday shopping done early.
“If you are open-minded, you will find something for everyone on your list,” Guley says.
North Shore Food + Gift Emporium, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Turner Hill, 3 Manor House Lane, Ipswich, northshoreemporium.com