The holiday season is, without a doubt, my favourite time of year.
After summer, of course! I am a mermaid, after all.
I love welcoming family and friends to our home and adding a touch of Maritime magic to every gathering. From setting a cozy, coastal-inspired table to curating delicious, locally sourced menus, hosting is all about creating unforgettable experiences for family and friends.
Every year, I ensure that many local staples can be found in my fridge, pantry, cupboards, and liquor cabinet. I like to be prepared because you never know when someone may come in to visit over the holidays, and I pride myself on always being ready to host when the opportunity arises.
Whether I’m whipping up a last-minute bar clam dip, New Brunswick shrimp cocktail, or putting together a beautiful charcuterie or seacuterie board of local products – with this list of must-haves, I’m always prepared!
And this year, I’m sharing my must-have holiday hosting products from right here in New Brunswick with you!
Sparkling Apple Juice
This delicious beverage prepared by Verger Belliveau is a must for any celebration in our household. It’s an excellent non-alcoholic option to have on hand and serve. Pour it into a champagne glass; you’ll never know the difference! You can find Sparkling Apple Juice by Verger Belliveau at most grocery stores, including Sobeys and IGA.
Salted Caramel Fiddle Vodka
I first experienced Salted Caramel “Fiddle” on Grand Manan years ago, and it’s become a family go-to around the holidays. Produced by Big Fiddle Still in Harvey, New Brunswick, they have several flavoured vodkas, but this mermaid will take Salted Caramel anytime. I keep this on hand for après-dinner sipping or celebrating with a toast!
Magnetic Hill Winery
It’s not the holidays if my liquor cabinet doesn’t have a handful of bottles from Magnetic Hill Winery. This year, I plan to have bottles of their award-winning white wine, The OC Osceola by the Sea, and their sparkling wine, Terroir Generator 2020 Sparkling Osceola. It’s an excellent sparkling to pop on New Year’s Eve or to bring as a hostess gift!
Want to learn more about wines produced in New Brunswick? Check out NB Wines. This association is an excellent source for discovering all the wines produced in New Brunswick and a great guide for planning 2025 winery visits!
New Brunswick is known for its thriving distillery scene, offering an array of exceptional spirits, including vodka, gin, and liqueurs. Be sure to explore local favourites this holiday season, like Distillerie Fils du Roy, Moonshine Creek Distillery, Blue Roof Distillers, Crooked River Distillery, First Light Distillery, and Devil’s Keep Distillery, just to name a few.
They’re all fabulous. And let’s face it – holiday cocktails taste better when local!
I love putting together a fabulous, locally sourced charcuterie board any time of the year, but I especially love to do this around the holidays. It’s so easy and a great way to take anything from your fridge and turn it into a delicious appetizer spread. And guess what! Sourcing local meats and cheeses for your charcuterie board isn’t as hard as it may seem! You’d be surprised by what you can find at your local farmers’ market.
Local Charcuterie Meats
It’s not the holidays unless I have a variety of locally sourced smoked meats and sausages in our fridge, both for hosting family and friends but for adding to charcuterie boards or fueling myself with a quick sandwich on the go. We purchase all our charcuterie meats from La Ferme Du Diamant in Cap-Pele, New Brunswick. You can catch them at the Dieppe Market on Friday and Saturday. Their dry sausages, like their garlic-smoked sausages, are an excellent addition to a charcuterie board.
Pickled Vegetables
Our pantry is always home to jars of pickled vegetables, especially this time of year. Pickled beets, dill pickle spears, cowboy candy, and more are great additions to charcuterie boards or turkey dinners! We love to hit up Fundy Farms: Local Harvest or Codiac Organics, both are at the Dieppe Market. You can also visit local markets and farm stores like Kredl’s, The Green Pig, and Stirling’s Market in Moncton, open 7 days a week on Shediac Road.
Local Cheese & Dips
Much like finding local meats at your farmers’ market, it’s easy to find local cheese across New Brunswick. One of my favourites is Armadale Farm Cheese Shoppe, which produces fantastic cheese and offers a local option for Boursin – yes, Boursin! I’m a sucker for chips and dip over the holidays, and they also make delicious chip dips that are way better than those from the grocery store. Yes, this holiday season, even your chip dip can be local! You can find Armadale at the Dieppe Farmers’ Market and Fredericton Boyce Farmers’ Market, or visit their website to find a store or market near you that carries their products.
Local Chips, Baguettes, and Breads
You can’t have dips and charcuterie boards with some sort of product to dip and spread! Our pantry is always full of local potato chips, like Covered Bridge Chips, as well as fresh baguettes and breads from local bakeries. This season, I am loving the holiday cranberry and pumpkin seed sourdough bread from CoPain in Moncton – it pairs so well with a Boursin!
This wouldn’t be an article on East Coast Mermaid without a proper shoutout to all the seafood and shellfish you’ll find in our fridge over the holidays. Fun Fact: While the star of the show over the holidays has always been turkey with my family, we feast on a lot of seafood over the holidays, from seafood casserole, lobster rolls, seafood lasagne, and ALL the seafood appetizers. The holidays are the perfect reason to double down on local New Brunswick seafood.
New Brunswick Oysters
If you come to our home, there’s a high probability we have a box of fresh oysters in the fridge. They are a must any time of year, but when entertaining and hosting over the holidays, I love to bring out oysters and shuck them for guests. Want to take them to the next level? You can make a wild New Brunswick blueberry mignonette to serve them with from my New Brunswick Holiday Food and Drink Guide – recipe here.
New Brunswick Caviar
Let’s get EXTRA this year! Christmas and New Year’s Eve are excellent reasons to splurge and treat yourself to this delicacy – caviar, sourced right here in New Brunswick by Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar. You can find their products, including caviar and sturgeon pate, at Sobeys locations in New Brunswick or order online. All orders ship with FedEx and are shipped overnight with cold packs.
New Brunswick Smoked Salmon
Every Christmas morning, I always prepare a brunch feast of smoked salmon, bagels, cream cheese, fresh dill, and capers at my parent’s house after we’ve finished opening presents. It’s an excellent Christmas or New Year’s Day brunch item or addition to any charcuterie or seacuterie board. We’re big fans of Oven Head Salmon Smokers and Wolfhead Smokers, who distribute to fish markets.
New Brunswick Bar Clams
I always have bottled bar clams in our pantry for when the mood hits me to make the Richard family Bar Clam Dip, but over the holidays, I will add bar clams to more than just dips. I’ll put them out with cream cheese and crackers, add them to Seafood Casserole, Seafood Lasagna, or make a Bar Clam Chowder. They’re just great local seafood to have on hand. You can buy bar clams at your favourite fish market or in the seafood department of most grocery stores.
New Brunswick Coldwater Shrimp
Do you ever go to the grocery store and look at those frozen shrimp rings flown in from away and think there’s got to be a better way? Well, there is! Did you know that New Brunswick has a shrimp variety of its own? Cold water shrimp, fished in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, are smaller shrimp that make a delicious shrimp cocktail! You can find them at most fish markets and grocery stores in New Brunswick.
New Brunswick Redfish
I recently shared a quick and easy recipe to prepare a delicious pan-fried Redfish, a local fish sourced right here in New Brunswick. This dish takes less than 20 minutes to prep and cook and makes a fabulous dinner when paired with local potatoes and vegetables! Perfect for those evenings where you’ve had your fill of Christmas turkey or ham!
Bay of Fundy Scallops and Lobster
When it comes to Bay of Fundy scallops and lobster, freshness is key! So while I don’t always have a lobster ready to go in the fridge, it’s not the holidays without a trip to a local fishmarket to pick up some scallops, and of course – some beautiful Bay of Fundy lobsters. We often have both on New Year’s Eve and they’re a great idea for any dinner party you may be planning that includes seafood lovers!
New Brunswick Wagyu
We are in love with Bird’s Hill Wagyu, Atlantic Canada’s only commercial full-blood Wagyu producer, who just so happens to be in New Brunswick. You can be sure we’ll enjoy a Waygu steak over the holidays. We recently tried their ground beef for homemade hamburgers, which was delicious, too. You can find their products at several stores and markets around the province or order online!
Atlantic Salmon From New Brunswick
Are you looking for a delightful dinner idea once the turkey or ham leftovers are gone? Treat yourself to the fresh, flavourful Atlantic salmon we’re so fortunate to have here in New Brunswick! The holidays are the perfect time to indulge in this local treasure. May I suggest elevating your salmon filets with a luscious maple glaze made with New Brunswick’s own maple syrup? A dish that’s both festive and delicious!
It’s the holidays, so everyone should have some chocolates and treats in their home when guests arrive. In addition to my annual holiday baking (you can always count on me to have shortbread cookies, almond rocca, peanut butter balls and Nanaimo bars), here are the locally sourced sweets I turn to.
McGuire Chocolate Company Truffles
I’m a big fan of everything McGuire Chocolate Company, located in St. Andrews by the Sea, creates but over the holidays, having their truffles on hand for both hosting and for last minute hosting gifts is a must for me! I love to serve the Bay of Fundy Sea Salt Caramel Truffles, a milk chocolate shell filled with a Sea Salt Caramel Ganache. The best part? The sea salt used is harvested from the Bay of Fundy off Grand Manan Island. Mermaid approved!
Ganong Chicken Bones
It’s not a Maritime Christmas without a dish of Ganong Chicken Bones for guests on the coffee table. Crafted at Ganong Chocolatier in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, since 1885 (yes, 1885!), these delicious treats feature a crunchy, cinnamon-flavoured pink candy shell filled with a bittersweet chocolate center. They also make an excellent stocking stuffer!
Adorable Chocolat
If you’re in the Greater Moncton Area, pick up some chocolates from Adorable Chocolat, based in Shediac, New Brunswick. They are also at the Dieppe Market every Saturday. I love to add their Milk Chocolate Peaks and Dark Chocolate Almond Snaps to my charcuterie boards. And did I mention that they have lobster-shaped chocolates? Yes, they do! And they’re amazing.
LaRouère
An absolute gem in Moncton, New Brunswick is LaRouère fabrique de chocolat. I make sure always to have a few of their chocolate bars and salted caramels to tuck into stockings. Their Bladderwrack Sea Salt Chocolat is my favourite bar because it features Bay of Fundy sea salt. Visit their beautiful location at 150 Weldon St in Moncton or find their products at many stockists across the province.
I hope this guide has helped ensure your holiday season is not only magical and filled with cherished moments with family and friends but also delightfully delicious! Supporting local always brings something extra special to the table, and this year is no exception.
Wishing you a splashing holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year! Here’s to many more adventures to come —see you in 2025!
Disclaimer: This article was written in partnership with NB Food and Beverages; however, all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
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