Love Local: Echidna Staff Recommendations

Local businesses give a community its flavour. When you personally know the people behind the business or are buying local products and services, you enjoy a connection and sometimes the convenience you would not otherwise have.

Echidna headquarters is downtown London, near the corner of York and Richmond Street. I am feeling a bit nostalgic today, remembering the times my colleagues and I spent at Covent Garden Market, browsing City Lights Bookstore, Attic Books, or Heroes on breaks, the team-building events at Ichabods Escape Room, and all the shopping 'realtime' at Jill's Table, UberCool Stuff,  or any one of the other thousands of places that make our downtown great.  

I asked my colleagues, now dispersed and working from their homes throughout London, St. Thomas, Port Stanley, Lambeth and Lucan, to share the names of some businesses that they've been able to support over the last six weeks. Maybe we can't share experiences together right now, but, "together apart", we can still share. 

 

Christina's Picks

• Pulp & Press Juice Company
• The Bag Lady Sandwich Shop

 

Tove's Picks

• Pizzeria Madre
• Storm Stayed Brewing Co

 

Ari's Picks

• Heemans is doing curbside pick up so I was able to get some new plants for the apartment 
• BoxCar Donuts - is there anyone who hasn't at this point?

 

Christine's Picks

• The Dawghouse Pub & Eatery (it's our go-to place)
• Paint-tastic by Ellie (she usually does pour paint nights but is offering kits to do it yourself at home)

 

Joy's Picks

• Whole Grain Hearth Bakery (bread ftw)
• softflirt (available on etsy, and was my Mother's Day win)

 

Tori's Picks

• I just bought these cute headbands that I love from @knot.sew.simple on Instagram.
• Coffee from Pilot Coffee which is local in terms of Ontario, but you can also get it through Locomotive Espresso, which is extra-local. 
• Caps Off Brewing Co and Railway City Brewing here in St. Thomas for some beers.

 

Gabrielle's Picks

• SOONIES!! Everyone is gonna need waffles and ice cream after this is all over, too. 

 

Jay's Picks 

• Imperio dos Frangos. We haven't done takeout much at all, but if I'm not cooking, Imperio's the way to go! 
• Kohn's Meat Market. One of the best butchers in town. Every once in a while you just need a quality rib eye.
• Hasbeans. I missed my chocolate raspberry. And home delivery by Joel is always a welcome experience.  
• Purely Wicked. I was running out of beard balm, placed an order & added a couple of extra items. (it's Blackbeard for myself).  

 

Jesslyn's Picks 

• Unwrapped Marketplace. It is a little store in Wortley village that focuses on eco-friendly, zero waste alternatives. 
• Chick Boss Cake - for the donuts.  

 

Martin's Picks

• The Welsh Baker. Delicious artisan baked goods.
• Bamyan Afghan Cuisine. Some of the tastiest meals around.
• London Brewing Co-Op. Tasty, locally brewed beer.

 

Thanks to my Echidna friends for participating.  

Readers, I invite you to take a scroll through Tourism London's much more inclusive list of businesses or try London Downtown Business Association's list to get more ideas of local businesses to try, or comment below and let us know what else we're missing.