Ben’s Garden
At six years old, Long Island native Ben Busko découpaged his mother’s cocktail table. Her already budding gardener and artist obviously had an eye and, like many good Moms, she emboldened her little artistic entrepreneur. Ben’s Garden was born when Ben, himself, was nine. At age 11, he was already filling orders for Smith and Hawken. In 2004, when 20, he opened his first brick and mortar shop in Oyster Bay and, a shortly thereafter, another shop in Huntington. Accolades from the likes of Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey and InStyle Magazine followed. Ben’s découpage pieces, bowls, coasters, paperweights, platters, trays and so forth, can now be found in more than 800 shops worldwide. With hundreds of designs, it can be a near impossible task to pick just one — so why not buy a few? For this gift guide, we selected several of Ben’s handcrafted glass and antiqued copper coasters with plastic bumpers (to protect tabletops). At $42 for a set of four, they make a gracious, practical and exquisite gift. bensgarden.com
The New General Store
Designer Tricia Foley is known for her keen eye and unwavering sense of style. The New General Store, created by Foley and fellow designer Roy Hardin in 2009, features natural home furnishings, pantry provisions, garden supplies and gifts that are practical in their design and elegant in their simplicity. Foley hosts seasonal pop-up markets in her historic Yaphank barn, but all of her curated products can be bought directly from her website. We could literally redo our homes with every item! Their lead-free earthenware pitcher, $65, will hold 52 ounces of water, iced tea or flowers, and its clean lines will suit any decor. thenewgeneralstore.com
Long Island Livestock Company
While llama loofahs, from Long Island Livestock Company, are not edible, they are artisanally produced and local and that gets them in our gift guide. The llamas that provide the fiber are local — raised and sheared by Tabbethia Haubold-Magee at her 17-acre Yaphank farm. Tucked inside these fuzzy llama and alpaca packages are soaps that Haubold has handcrafted from herbs and essential oils. At only $12.50 each you can stuff some in holiday stockings and stash some away for yourself. lilivestockco.com
Miss Amy’s Preserves
A jar, or two, or three of Miss Amy’s Preserves would make a splendid hostess gift or stocking stuffer. Miss Amy, who was featured in our summer issue, churns out more than 28 different flavors of jams, tapenades, hot pepper spreads, honeys and mustards — surely there is a flavor for everyone on your gift list. Miss Amy has been producing jar after jar of her small-batch, handcrafted preserves since 1998. One taste and you will know she has the art of jam-making down pat. Miss Amy’s products can be bought at Blue Point Brewery, Bayport Flower House, American Cheese, Loaves and Fishes, Grey Horse Tavern or her online store. missamy.com
Barnaby Black
Inspired by nature, Mathew Sabatino created a line of soaps, hand salves, lip balms, candles, toiletries and bath products that are more than handcrafted — they are wildcrafted. Barnaby Black’s products are made in West Sayville in the historic Bluepoints Company building, a former shellfish farm and cannery. Many of the ingredients are sourced locally, in the wild: spruce, pine, cedar, juniper, bayberry, staghorn sumac, black walnuts, basil, mint, goldenrod, fennel and lemon balm. The potential ingredient list is as vast as Mother Nature herself. Barnaby Black products can be purchased at the Sayville General Store or online. barnabyblack.com
American Cheese Shop
Erin Nicosia’s American Cheese Shop in Sayville is a cheerful homage to American-made fromage. More than a just a cheese shop, Nicosia store stocks a large selection of preserves, tapenades, salamis, pepperoni, crackers, chips, cheese slicers, boards, slates and more. Why not let the experts put together a platter for your holiday entertaining or gift giving? Make sure you shop at American Cheese hungry; her small plates eatery will keep your belly full as you complete your holiday shopping rounds. americancheeseshop.com
For more gift ideas, check out Edible East End, Edible Brooklyn and Edible Manhattan.
