Typical Vendée Christmas gifts

Are you looking for gift ideas from the Vendée? This region offers you many options to please your loved ones: exceptional local crafts; renowned gastronomic products, between land and sea; and unusual activities, such as in the Parc du Puy du Fou. We offer you a selection of Christmas gifts, typical of the Vendée.

Photos of the article © Guide de la Vendée, unless otherwise stated

A piece of local craftsmanship

The Vendée is an authentic region which has a craft industry deeply rooted in the culture of this country of character. If you want to favor designer boutiques or local workshops, with ethical or ecological values, often using short-circuit raw materials, and based on traditional know-how, you will find your happiness on the Christmas markets or in the town center of the villages.

Here are some ideas!

• Go to l'Effet mer Shop in La Tranche-sur-mer. It's a craftsmen's shop, everyone exhibits their works, decorative pieces, lighting, unique pieces of jewelry, fashion accessories, for the whole family!
  
  
• The Guégn'Art workshop is located in Mouchamps, it is a place to discover very beautiful and inspiring sculptures. They are made with passion by the young Arnaud Guégnard, an artist who started working with metal at the age of 14, brimming with talent and imagination. The sculptures are perfect indoors or outdoors.
  
  
• Le Labo Chuchote in La Roche-sur-Yon invites you to discover local crafts in this pretty designer shop. You will find jewelry, ceramics, leather goods, engravings, everything you need to make Christmas gifts.
  
  
• Sandra offers you an innovative concept that will appeal to all people interested in personal development: jewelry that acts as a therapy to restore confidence, softness and serenity to the wearer. Create from recovered elements, they are pretty, intimate and above all unique. To discover at the shop Le murmure des étincelantes in Nieul-le-Dolent and on the Internet.

Handmade soaps

Soaps are gifts that always please. At a time of ecological and environmental concerns, more and more families are turning to artisanal soaps, produced with quality raw materials, butters and moisturizing oils that are really gentle on the skin and formulations made by real artisans. Here are some good addresses for artisanal soap factories:

• La Savonnerie Namitiis in Mouchamps: Come and discover the creations of Isabelle, who uses an ancestral method of cold saponification
• La Savonnerie Polka in La Roche-sur-Yon: These are pretty little soaps with pleasant scents. Composed and manufactured in Vendée of course!
• La Savonnerie des Collines in Les Epesses: It is Nicolas who presents his products to you in a welcoming workshop shop. The soaps are made with donkey or goat's milk, you will find several ranges for the whole family.

Photo © La Savonnerie des Collines

Local, seasonal and eco-responsible flowers

Nathalie and Cécile offer you creations of bouquets of flowers and other objects decorated with dried flowers, depending on the season. At Butine, the Floral Farm in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, they grow their flowers in their flower farm, they are real florist artisans who are committed to allowing their customers to finally offer responsible, local and ecological flowers. In winter, of course, there are fewer flowers, but the compositions of dried flowers and many decorated objects are ideal for Christmas! A nice gift that makes sense.

Salt from the salt marshes of the island of Noirmoutier

Salt is considered white gold. On the island of Noirmoutier, as on the “Côte de Lumière”, it is part of the ancestral custom of the Vendée region. The profession of salt worker is an ancient profession, which continues today and still has a bright future ahead of it. From the salt marshes, between land and sea, it delicately enhances any dish. In the form of coarse salt, fine salt or fleur de sel, spiced or plain, it is an exceptional product that you can include in a gift basket or gift box.

A bottle of typical Vendée aperitif or spirits

If you want to share original flavors with your friends, choose a few precious 100% Vendée bottles for them. Their recipes come from traditional know-how. Their scents are delicate and sometimes exotic. Troussepinette, Chouanette, Chouans liqueur, Kamok, there is something for everyone. You will not fail to surprise your loved ones with these authentic beverages.

A sweet treat

Vendée brioche, waste, fouasse, betchet, ass… there is no shortage of sweets and have something to satisfy sweet palates. The Christmas festivities are a good opportunity to introduce your guests to the gastronomy of the Vendée and the specialties of the Vendée.

For foodies, we recommend:

• La Boulangerie Brin in Chambretaud, bread pastries, traditional working methods for delicious products!
  
• La Lutine, which offers 4 shops across the Vendée where you can find delicious brioches with fresh butter, they even received a gold medal in a Vendée local produce competition!
  
• La Folies du Roi in Pouzauges to amaze your taste buds with good homemade brioche, fresh rolls, pastries, desserts, pies and cakes for all events.
  

We hope to have given you some good ideas to please your loved ones and we wish you happy holidays.

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