Moms and mother figures can be pretty darn great — a best friend, a shoulder to cry on, our own personal cheerleader. So we say their special day is well-deserved. Whether your mom likes cooking or not, a delicious foodie gift is sure to go down a treat. Here, we've got a list of the best Mother's Day ideas and gifts to celebrate her and show her how much she's appreciated.
Mother's Day, which falls on Sunday May 8 2022, is the perfect time to get her one of the best wines at LCBO, a cute cake or that new cookbook she's had her eye on. A delicious dinner from one of Toronto's best restaurants couldn't hurt either. And if you're lucky, you might just get to enjoy these treats too.
Whether your mom or mother figure is a cook or prefers to just eat, we've got some of the best Mother's Day gift ideas for food-lovers around. What's more, many of them support local businesses, and they sure as heck blow supermarket flowers out of the water. Now you've got no excuse...
11 delicious Mother's Day gift ideas that mom will love
1. Pick up a bottle of Grow Wild Ravishing Rosé
In collaboration with Mark Anthony Group
Inspired by the wildflowers that grow wild in healthy vineyards that are untouched by sprays and chemicals, a bottle of Grow Wild Ravishing Rosé is like gifting mom a bouquet of flowers, but tastier. Sink into the juicy, layered flavours of watermelon and wild strawberries with notes of brazen pink grapefruit. Fresh and flourishing, the finish will leave you wanting more with every sip. A quality rosé made in the Niagara Peninsula VQA, this gift is thoughtful in more ways than one. It's Sustainable Wine Making Ontario Certified so you can feel just as good about buying it as mom can about drinking it.
2. Send her a curated box from The Gift Refinery
We all want to support local, but sometimes it can be hard to find just the right local gift. That's why The Gift Refinery takes all the guesswork out of gifting. They carefully curate Canadian products from up-and-coming artisans, shining a spotlight on local creators, all the while giving back to the community with their Give Back Program.
Full of beautiful, thoughtfully-curated items, TGR's new Spring 2022 box is the perfect gift to pamper mom and show her how much you care. All of the items in this box come from Toronto-based brands. Give mom a spa day in a box with a luscious Voir Haircare hair mask, Aira multipurpose wash and a DermaTech Gold Sculpting Beauty Bar — a facial massage tool that will leave mom feeling reinvigorated and refreshed. All the while, she can dig into rich dark chocolates from Joyà and explore the rest of the items in this beautiful gift box. Purchase it as a one-time gift or as the start of a subscription that will remind mom how special she is all year round.
3. Brighten her day with Offshore Hang Ten Rosé
In collaboration with Mark Anthony Group
Inspired by the iconic “hang ten” surfing move, this top-tier rosé is all about living in the moment and in-tune with Mother Nature. It promotes a feeling of relaxed weightlessness — just what mom needs to unwind on her special day. Homegrown in the Niagara Peninsula, this VQA wine is made from a blend of gently pressed white and red grapes, including pinot noir, pinot gris, gamay, riesling and chardonnay. The result is a light and refreshing rosé with a juicy acidity and an elegant bouquet on the nose. Gift mom a bottle of Offshore Hang Ten Rosé or serve it with Mother's Day dinner. It pairs exceptionally well with seafood, especially oysters, so you may want to pick some up and start shucking. Pork and chicken dishes also make for great companions with this beautiful bottle.
4. Take her to tea
There's nothing more sophisticated than high tea with delicate sandwiches and fantastic finger foods piled high, while bottomless cups of that biscuit-coloured beverage are poured. But it's not just something the Brits do — Toronto is brimming over with options for afternoon tea. From Toronto hotels serving quintessential high tea to colourful confections inside Parisian patisseries, there are plenty of places to take mom for a beautiful and elegant afternoon.
See the best afternoon teas in Toronto
5. Enjoy Mother's Day Brunch at Joni
The Park Hyatt's recent renovation and restoration saw the addition of Joni, an elegant dining destination nestled against the hotel's lobby. For Mother's Day, the restaurant is offering a decadent family-style brunch menu. Dig into delicious culinary delights like challah french toast, a braised leek and aged gouda quiche, a citrus salad and more. We're drooling already.
6. Sweeten her day with Craig's Cookies
Long before he opened his eponymous cookie shop, Craig first learned how to bake with his mom. Now, he serves over 100 different cookie flavours, all stemming from the his mom's original recipe. So we couldn't think of a more fitting gift for those moms with a sweet tooth. Order a mixed box with delights like the Cinnamon Bun, Birthday or Gingerbread White Chocolate cookie flavours, then pick it up in store or have it delivered straight to mom.
7. Send her local treats from GoodGood
Curators of thoughtful local products, GoodGood has been opening new locations around the city (King West, St. Lawrence, St. Clair West). Shop their collection of local wine, beer and cocktails, plus specialty items, snacks and treats, and create the perfect bundle for your mom. They also stock sauces and frozen meals from Toronto restaurants if you're looking for an easy dinner win. Pick up your bundle at one of their cafés or have it delivered in 60 minutes or less. Use the code THANKSMOM at checkout for 10 per cent off their bundles of $40 or more when you order instant delivery.
8. Treat her to brunch or a Sunday roast at Marben
A Toronto mainstay, Marben has been dishing out farm-to-table fare since before it was cool. Take mom here for a beautiful brunch made with local ingredients. On the menu you'll find everything mom could want, from grilled pancakes and an English-style breakfast fry up to fried chicken and egg on a Japanese cabbage pancake. If dinner is more mom's thing, she'll have the pleasure of enjoying Marben's Sunday Roast dinner, complete with top sirloin black angus beef, potatoes, gravy and Yorkshire pudding. If you weren't already mom's favourite, you're about to be. And with a reservation on Mother's Day for brunch or dinner, mom will also get a complimentary mimosa or glass of bubbly.
9. Pop a bottle of bubbly from Segura Viudas
In collaboration with Segura Viudas
From one of the most renowned and prestigious cava houses in Spain, a bottle of Segura Viudas is sure to show mom just how special she is. The Segura Viudas Brut Rosé D.O. Cava pours a cheerful bright pink, while on the nose, you’ll get beautiful aromas of fresh strawberries, redcurrant and grenadine. Refreshing and balanced with light acidity, this is a wine that mom can sip all afternoon and well into the evening. Flavours of juicy cherries are followed by a soft finish, making this an incredibly approachable wine. If you're serving it with your Mother’s Day meal, Segura Viudas Brut Rosé D.O. Cava pairs excellently with most fish or vegetable dishes, but especially with seafood rice, salmon or grilled tuna.
Fruity, fresh and full of complexity, Segura Viudas Brut Reserva D.O. Cava is another bottle of bubbly that will wow mom on her special day. It opens with a bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits, mixed with light floral notes, followed by juicy flavours of lime and pineapple with a good acidity. A long, dry finish keeps you wanting more. Toast with this bottle at the start of a meal or pair it with a cheese board or seafood pasta.
10. Visit the Toronto Flower Market
Returning in-person this year, the Toronto Flower Market is celebrating its 10th anniversary since the first market. Mother's Day marks the first event in the series, running once a month until October at TD Commons Park, 1001 Queen Street West. Take mom for a lovely afternoon shopping through the wide selection of locally-grown flowers and plants — there are no imports allowed at the market — or simply buy her gift here. You'll find local venders selling artisanal honey and other treats, plus ceramists, macrame and more.
11. Gift her the ultimate knife set
If your mom loves to cook, upgrade her kitchen kit with Kilne’s Ultimate Knife Set. Launched just this spring, the new set includes the 6-Piece Knife Set that launched Kilne bundled with their popular Steak Knife Set. The range of knives included is enough to fully equip any kitchen and comes in at a reasonable $350. The full-tang blades are made with one piece of high-grade chromium German steel through the blade and handle for strength and balance. They're made to stay sharp for precision cutting and have an ergonomic grip. Made from acacia wood, all three knife blocks attach together using magnets for sleek, stylish storage.
