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Gathering Place Trading

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Campbell River, BC
Gathering Place Trading

We’re a family business based in Campbell River, BC. We direct source the best organic spices & more! BC local business! Vancouver Island family owned.

We sell organic & fair trade spices, vanilla, artisan sea salt, & teas. Shop online and in stores. We source only the finest hand-harvested products. We connect face-to-face with other family farms around the world so we can deliver their bounty to you. Gather 'round beautiful products from a world of family farms at www.gatheringplacetrading.com

10/29/2026

Did You Know Why We’re Called Gathering Place?

Our name has a story behind it, and it goes back to long before we started selling spices!

When our children were young, we became increasingly curious about the food we were eating, where it came from, and how it was grown. That curiosity eventually led us to farming in D’Arcy, BC, where our little homestead, Gathering Place Organic Farm, became certified organic in 1999.

The name wasn’t just about the farm itself. Over the years, we welcomed young people who came to live and work with us, hosted farm volunteers, and shared countless meals, conversations, and gatherings. It was really a place that brought people together.

When we moved to Cortes Island and started the Gathering Place Trading company in 2003, we wanted to carry that same spirit forward.

Today, our Gathering Place Spirit reaches far beyond our little farm! We bring together spices, herbs, salt, vanilla, and teas from farmers around the world, sharing their flavours, stories, and traditions with people across Canada.

And that’s what Gathering Place has always meant to us: connecting people through food and bringing everyone together 💛

10/27/2026

🌿 Small Habits for a More Sustainable Spice Cabinet

A more sustainable kitchen doesn’t always require big changes. Sometimes, it’s the little everyday habits that make a difference! 🌎

♻️ Reuse & Refill
Small changes, like reusing containers and choosing refill options, can help reduce unnecessary packaging waste! Our Salt, Pepper, and BC Kelp refill pouches make it easy to keep using your grinders instead of buying new ones. The poches themselves are also refillable!

🌱 Buy What You’ll Actually Use
Buying in bulk can help reduce packaging waste, but only if you’ll actually use it! We recommend choosing quantities that suit your cooking habits (and the size of your family!)

🫙 Store Spices Properly
Keep spices in airtight containers, away from sunlight, heat, and moisture. Proper storage helps preserve their flavour and aroma for longer, reducing unnecessary waste.

🍲 Get Creative With What You Have
Before buying another spice blend, check what’s already in your cabinet! You might be surprised by the delicious combinations you can create.

🌿 Choose Ethically Sourced Spices
We believe where your spices come from matters. That’s why we work with trusted farmers, prioritize responsible sourcing, and care about the environment every step of the way. The result? Fresh, flavourful spices that stay fresh for longer.

At Gathering Place, sustainability is at the heart of what we do. From sourcing directly from farmers and cooperatives to using recyclable packaging and hand-packing our products on Vancouver Island, we’re committed to making thoughtful choices every step of the way.

10/24/2026

🍎 Spice Spotlight: Organic Apple Spice!

It’s the cozy season, and we have just the blend for all your fall baking!

Did you know our Apple Spice was created right here at Gathering Place to celebrate one of Canada's most abundant and beloved fruits?

Made with just four organic ingredients - True Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg, and Ginger - this blend brings warmth and natural sweetness to your favourite fall recipes.

And despite the name, it’s not just for apples! Try it in:
🥣 Oatmeal & granola - Add a little spice to your morning routine.
🥞 Pancakes & muffins - Perfect for cozy fall breakfasts.
☕ Apple c***r & warm drinks - Just a pinch adds a delicious warming flavour.
🍐 Baked pears & other fruits – Apples shouldntt get all the attention!

Our tip: Start with 1 teaspoon of Apple Spice per 2 cups of fruit and adjust to taste.

Our ingredients come from small-scale growers in Sri Lanka, Southern India, and Honduras, and every batch is hand-blended and packed right here on Vancouver Island 🍂 A little taste of fall, made with care!

10/22/2026

🌿 Single-Origin Spices: What’s the Story?

You might have heard the term “single-origin” when talking about coffee or chocolate, but did you know it applies to spices, too? Simply put, single-origin means a spice comes from one identifiable place, whether that’s a farm, region, or farming cooperative, rather than being mixed from different origins.

Just like coffee, where a spice grows affects how it tastes and smells!

🌱 Climate & Soil
Temperature, rainfall, altitude, and soil conditions all affect how plants grow. They influence the natural oils and compounds that give spices their flavours and aromas.

☀️ Harvesting & Processing
It's not just about where a spice grows, but also what happens after it’s harvested. When it’s picked, how it’s dried, and how it’s processed can all make a difference. Take smoked paprika, for example. The traditional oak-smoking process gives it that rich, smoky flavour we all love!

🌎 Growing Regions
Different parts of the world have their own growing conditions and farming traditions. Some regions are known for producing spices with particular flavour characteristics. For example, Ceylon (Sri Lankan) Cinnamon is delicate, sweet, and floral, while Vietnamese cinnamon is bolder and more pungent.

🤝 The People Behind the Spices
There's also a lot of knowledge and experience that goes into growing good spices. Many farmers have been working with the same crops for generations, learning the best times to harvest and process them.

So, what does this mean for Gathering Place?
We love knowing where our spices come from and who’s growing them! That’s why we work directly with farmers and farming communities whenever possible. Our Cardamom comes from a family farm in Honduras, our Paprika from Murcia, Spain, and our True Cinnamon from growers in South India.

These relationships help us better understand the ingredients we bring to your kitchen, while supporting the people and communities behind them.

Because to us, great spices aren’t just about flavour. They’re also about the people, places, and traditions that make them special 🌿

10/20/2026

🌿 Herbs That Love Slow Cooking

As soup and stew season settles in, let’s talk about some of our favourite herbs for slow cooking! Unlike fresh herbs, which are often added near the end of cooking, many dried herbs benefit from a longer simmer.

🌿 Bay Leaves - Subtle but mighty! Bay leaves bring a delicate, earthy, slightly floral aroma to soups, broths, beans, and stews. They don’t overpower a dish but help round out its overall flavour. Add one or two leaves at the beginning of cooking and remove them before serving.

🌿 Thyme - It has an earthy, slightly minty flavour that goes great with mushrooms, lentils, root vegetables, and slow-cooked meats. It holds up very well during long cooking times, making it a great addition to fall soups and stews.

🌿 Rosemary - With its bold, slightly piney flavour, rosemary brings a Mediterranean touch to your cooking. Add it to roasted potatoes, white beans, and slow-cooked meats. It's quite strong, so a little goes a long way!

🌿 Oregano - Earthy, peppery, and robust, oregano is a natural fit for tomato-based sauces, chilli, bean dishes, and slow-simmered soups. Give it time to mingle with the other ingredients for a rich, savoury flavour.

A few tips for cooking with dried herbs:

🍲 Add them early to give their flavours time to develop.
🌿 Gently crush dried herbs between your fingers before adding them to release their aroma.
🥄 Start with a little and adjust to taste, especially when cooking dishes that reduce over time.

From comforting lentil soups to hearty vegetable stews, a few thoughtfully chosen herbs can make all the difference!

Which herb is a must-have in your fall cooking? 🍂

10/17/2026

A little pumpkin pie to sweeten up cool fall days! 🥧🍂

Warmly spiced and made for sharing around the table, our homemade Pumpkin Pie recipe brings together pumpkin spice, coconut milk, a touch of molasses, and all those lovely fall flavours.

The best part? You can skip measuring out individual spices and simply use 2½–3 teaspoons of our Organic Pumpkin Spice, blended in small batches right here on Vancouver Island!

https://gatheringplacetrading.com/blogs/recipes/pumpkin-pie

And a little reminder: Pumpkin Spice and other seasonal blends are 15% OFF all October!

Try this recipe and let us know how it went! :)

10/15/2026

Best Before ≠ Bad After! 🌿

Did you know that your spices don’t automatically go bad once they reach their best-before date?

Unlike an expiry date, a best-before date is primarily about quality, not safety. Over time, dried herbs and spices might naturally lose some of their aroma, colour and flavour, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they belong in the compost!

Before saying goodbye to that jar of cinnamon or oregano, give it a quick sniff! If stored properly and free from moisture or signs of spoilage, your spices may still have plenty of flavour to share. Sometimes, all it takes is an extra pinch to bring a dish to life!

Here at Gathering Place, we’re all about making the most of what we have! We pack in small batches, share tips to help your spices last longer, and believe that a little less waste in the kitchen is always a good thing for our planet 🌎

A little tip: keep your spices tightly sealed, away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture to help preserve their natural oils and beautiful aromas for longer.

10/12/2026

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

For us, Thanksgiving is really about the simple things - gathering around the table, sharing a meal together, returning to all those recipes that come back year after year, and spending a little extra time with the people we love.

As a family-run business, family has always been at the heart of Gathering Place. And after more than 20 years, it’s pretty special knowing that our spices have found their way into so many other families’ kitchens, traditions, and favourite recipes along the way.

We’re also incredibly thankful for our own Gathering Place team, the farmers and producers we’ve built relationships with over the years, and all of you who continue to support what we do. We truly wouldn’t be here without this wonderful community around us.

We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good food, favourite traditions, and time with the people you love. From all of us at Gathering Place, Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁

10/10/2026

It’s officially Pumpkin Spice season! 🍂

Our Organic Pumpkin Spice is our signature in-house blend, created to pair beautifully with all kinds of fall baking, pumpkin, squash, and sooo much more!

So what is actually in Pumpkin Spice? Ours combines True Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Clove, and Nutmeg - all nicely balanced so you get that familiar warmth and spice without having to measure everything individually. And despite the name, there’s no pumpkin hiding in there! It gets its name from the blend traditionally used in pumpkin pie, but we think it deserves a spot in a lot more than that.

Around this time of year, Pumpkin Spice starts finding its way into just about everything - muffins, pancakes, oatmeal, cookies, and all kinds of fall baking. It’s also delicious with roasted squash or whisked into a warm drink for an easy homemade pumpkin spice latte, with no added sugar or artificial flavourings.

It’s the kind of blend that fills the kitchen with that familiar smell of fall. And as the mornings get cooler here on Vancouver Island - and across Canada, it feels like just the right time to bring it out again 🍂

Shop our Organic Pumpkin Spice 15% off until October 31st - along with all of our seasonal blends!

10/08/2026

September kept us BUSY 📦

A little behind-the-scenes number we’re pretty proud of: 28,142 packages packed in September alone!

From our smaller retail-sized spices and herbs to 500g and 1kg bulk bags, plus teas in all shapes and sizes - that’s a whole lot of weighing, filling, sealing, labelling, and packing!

Every single package was handled by our small but mighty team right here in Campbell River, BC. And with the busiest season of the year now in full swing, things aren’t slowing down anytime soon!

A big thank you to our wonderful processing room and warehouse crews for all their hard work, and to everyone who continues to support our proudly Canadian business ❤️

Address

1495 Baikie Road
Campbell River, BC
V9W4G9

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.gatheringplacetrading.com/

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