The Ultimate Guide to a Charleston Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is, at its core, a feast day that celebrates the seasonal harvest. To honor that, we’re highlighting some local farmers, makers, and artisans to wish you and yours a very authentic Charleston Thanksgiving.
There are so many things to love about living in the Lowcountry, but something that truly sets our community apart is the people.
This seaside town is filled with dreamers, artists, doers, activists, and optimists, each of whom makes the Holy City just a little more interesting and delightful through the fruits of their labor.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating our unique part of the world and all the small businesses that work tirelessly to make the world a better place, one handcrafted product, sustainably grown food item, and purposefully created gift at a time. Cheers to you, Charleston!
For the Home Chef
Hey, you turkey, are you still throwing elbows over a Butterball in the oh-so-crowded poultry aisle? There’s a better way! Pre-order a turkey from Fili-West Farms for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner that also supports ethical farming and a local Charleston business.
Fili-West Farms cares deeply about animal welfare, the environment, and the nutritional value of our food, and all their birds enjoy long days of sunshine, fresh country air, plenty of exercise, and a natural sleep cycle.
You may recognize chicken farmers Ghie and Nathan Boggs from their debut on Netflix’s Rotten: “Big Bird”, where they share their ethical practices as an uplifting counter to factory farming.
photo credit: @ghienathan
Local Produce from the Charleston Farmer’s Market
Can we get a kale yeah for delicious farm-fresh produce? Lettuce not forget, celebrating the seasonal harvest is at the heart of Thanksgiving. Grab your Renewable Fiber Tote and head to the Charleston Farmer’s Market for fruits, veggies, specialty food items, and locally made gifts for the perfect Charleston Thanksgiving.
Ginger from Spade & Clover Gardens
Spice things up with fresh, locally grown ginger from Spade & Clover Gardens. The holidays are ginger’s time to shine, between gingerbread, ginger molasses cookies, pumpkin pie, and apple ginger desserts. Located on Johns Island, Spade & Clover Gardens specializes in sustainable farming methods and crops that naturally flourish in Charleston’s semi-tropical climate.
Look for tasty veggies ranging from tomatoes, cucumbers, and kale to more exotic produce such as turmeric, ginger, and galangal. You’ll regularly find Spade & Clover Gardens at the Sunday Brunch Farmer’s Market, or you can sign up for an upcoming CSA.
Sage Brown Butter from Rio Bertolini’s
It doesn’t get butter than breaking bread with loved ones, especially when that bread is fresh from the oven and slathered in Rio Bertolini’s Sage Brown Butter. Rio Bertolini’s pastas and raviolis are a Charleston favorite, but don’t sleep on their herb butters, friends! Their sage brown butter complements and enhances all your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, from rolls to mashed potatoes to stuffing. Find your Rio Bertolini’s fix at many local markets, which are detailed on their website.
Mulling Spices from Charleston Spice Company
Are you mulling over what festive beverage to serve this Thanksgiving? Look no further than Charleston Spice Company. This local business hand-blends their mulling spice for a perfectly balanced cup of cheer.
The 2-ounce bag contains a fine blend of all organic ingredients, including allspice, cloves, cardamom, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and a cider recipe. Will you be serving a crowd? Great news! One spice bag can make an entire gallon of mulled cider.
For the Grab-n-Go Hostess
Thanksgiving Pie from Mirabelle Bakery
Life is sweet when you let someone else make your Thanksgiving treats! Savor your quality time with loved ones outside the kitchen by picking up a delectable pie or cake from Mirabelle Bakery.
Baking goddess Kelly Kleisner whips up mouthwatering seasonal desserts like chocolate chess, apple streusel, and pumpkin pies that are a rich, decadent ending to any Charleston Thanksgiving.
photo credit: @lowcountryfoodphotography
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits and Thanksgiving are a batch made in heaven. These buttery biscuits have a huge cult following, and they’re available in a delicious selection of flavors ranging from traditional buttermilk (for the fam) to iced blueberry (for your personal stash). Pick up packages of premade biscuits for a grab-and-go Thanksgiving dish or pick up a biscuit mix if you want to spend just a little time in the kitchen (and still get all the credit).
photo credit: @CameronReynoldsPhotography
Indigo Reef Brewing Company Craft Beer
Don’t miss a hop-portunity to impress your guests with a tasty malted beverage this Thanksgiving.
Indigo Reef Brewing Company boasts a lovely variety of Charleston-made craft beers, ranging from their blueberry-forward wheat beer, Into the Blue, to the Royal Merchant, a Belgian Dubbel that’s perfect for fall weather. You’re sure to find something for everyone at your Thanksgiving table at this popular Daniel Island brewery.
photo credit: Reese Moore Photography
Thanksgiving Kit from Cru Catering
Too tired to cook? Feast your eyes on this: Cru Catering is offering a gourmet Thanksgiving Kit. Simply follow the reheating instructions for this delicious feast for four, and you can kick back and enjoy the holiday!
The Thanksgiving Kit includes a brown butter-basted half turkey, green peppercorn and herb gravy, Chambord cranberry compote, sweet baby kale and spinach salad, green bean casserole, roasted garlic whipped potatoes, Lowcountry corn pudding, buttermilk biscuit stuffing, pumpkin cheesecake, and a bottle of JCB Brut No. 21.
We’re just nuts about Molly & Me Pecans! These tasty pecans are a must-have for your Charleston Thanksgiving or any Southern feast.
Pour some Sneaky Hot Pecans into a bowl during cocktail hour, add some Roasted and Salted Pecans to a salad or roasted Brussels sprouts, or enjoy the Cinnamon Sugar Pecans with coffee or sprinkled over your favorite dessert.
For the Thanksgiving Table
Customized Gilded Oyster Napkin Rings from Grit & Grace Studio
Shell-ebrate a Charleston Thanksgiving by adding a touch Lowcountry elegance to your place settings. We lovingly make each Gilded Oyster Napkin Ring by hand in our Charleston Flagship store, and each one is a gift that gives back to our beloved city.
Grit & Grace Studio is proud to recycle 10 oyster shells from local restaurants back to Charleston oyster reef restoration projects along our coastline. To date, our small business is proud to have recycled more than 6,000 gallons of oyster shells!
Flowers from Salt + Stem
A proper Charleston Thanksgiving calls for a dazzling display of local color. Snag a floral arrangement (or three) from Salt + Stem for your Thanksgiving table. Salt + Stem is both a wandering flower truck and floral design studio that carefully creates stunning fresh and dried flower arrangements to inspire your life’s journey.
photo credit: Suzannah Reece
Add a pinch of Lowcountry style and a sprinkle of sophistication to your Charleston Thanksgiving with our Bloom Decoupage Salt & Pepper Cellars. Each oyster shell dish in this set is perfectly sized for salt, pepper, spices, or sugar cubes and comes with a sustainable bamboo serving spoon. Our handcrafted salt and pepper cellars are also available in our classic Gilded and Clam Shell variations.
Estelle Colored Glass Wine Glasses
Life is better looking through rose-colored glasses, especially when we’re talking stemless wine glasses. Estelle Colored Glass is a luxury brand of hand-blown glassware designed in Charleston, SC by Stephanie Summerson Hall.
Each brightly-hued glass, decanter, or cake stand is an heirloom work of art that adds sophistication and elegance to any Thanksgiving table.
photo credit: @hartmediagroup
Charleston Cotton Cocktail Napkins
The recipe for a jovial Thanksgiving meal? Two parts good company, one part cheer, and a smattering of adorable table linens from Charleston Cotton.
Charleston Cotton creates cute, quaint, and stately embroidered napkins, tea towels, and tote bags. We love this floral design for a Charleston Thanksgiving, but you should peruse their precious holiday designs, which include everything from mistletoe to holiday “party animals” to a playful nod to the Griswolds.
For the Ultimate Hostess
Bittermilk Gingerbread Old Fashioned
Raise a toast to your host with a Bittermilk cocktail mix. Bittermilk designs beverage mixes for the modern cocktail enthusiast, and each concoction is crafted with real ingredients and hand-bottled in Charleston, SC.
The Bittermilk Gingerbread Old Fashioned blends sweet sorghum molasses, fresh ginger juice, orange peel, spices, cinchona bark, cane sugar, and tartaric acid for a festive cocktail that’s a warm welcome at any holiday gathering!
Count your host or hostess as one of your blessings by giving them a strand of our handcrafted Decoupage Oyster Blessing Beads. This intentional gift invites you to approach life with gratitude and mindfulness of life’s simple pleasures, while simultaneously serving as a beautiful piece of Lowcountry home decor. Your loved one can display their blessing beads nestled in a sweetgrass basket, draped along a coffee table, or hung over a fireplace mantel.
Smithey Cast Iron
This Thanksgiving hostess gift is no flash in the pan! Smithey creates artisan cookware you’ll enjoy for a lifetime, and their line is made in the USA.
Their classic cast iron collection is a must-have in any Lowcountry kitchen, and the stylish carbon steel line results from an innovative partnership with renowned Charleston blacksmith Robert Thomas. Your host will delight in entertaining with their Smithey cookware for decades to come!
Ink Meets Paper Recipe Cards
Share the love by revealing that secret family recipe! Ink Meets Paper creates these adorable recipe cards on an antique letterpress in North Charleston’s Park Circle neighborhood. This local business is committed to fostering communication and connection by celebrating the joy of a handwritten note. Leave a recipe for your hostess, gift them a set of these gorgeous cards for their own record-keeping, or request one of their Thanksgiving recipes you can’t live without!
photo credit: Ink Meets Paper
Thank your hostess with an ocean of love! We’ve filled our Lowcountry Oyster Lover’s Gift Basket to the brim with charming beach-inspired presents that are the perfect token of gratitude for hosting a Charleston Thanksgiving. Let these gifts inspire your loved one to seas the day and remind them that the world is their oyster!
‘Tis the season to start your holiday shopping! We’ve got everything you need to stay merry and bright this holiday season. Shop our Gilded Oyster Wine Charms and Decoupage Oyster Christmas Ornaments for a go-to gift that’s both luxurious and crowd-pleasing.
Looking for a Christmas gift that’s sure to sleigh? You’ll love our Lowcountry Jewelry Collection. Pair the jewelry of your choice with a Customized Oyster Ring Dish for an elevated gifting experience, and let our in-house calligraphy team add a handwritten note or personalized inscription.
One Love & Blessings,