Advantage Valley’s Taste of Appalachia online store opens today for its second holiday season, offering curated gift sets that showcase West Virginia food products and support local food manufacturers. Building on a successful inaugural year, the program helps food producers reach new customers, increase sales and expand their markets. The regional economic development initiative is supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
This year, the program features six curated gift sets with products from 18 participating vendors, including 16 from the Advantage Valley region. The gift sets showcase products manufactured throughout the region, with the exception of the Veteran-Made Gift Set, which features veteran-owned businesses from across West Virginia. Participating food manufacturers are located in Cabell, Putnam, Kanawha, Jackson, Braxton, Berkeley and Lincoln counties.
Many participating businesses have also received support through Advantage Valley’s FASTER WV initiative, Fostering Advantages for Start-Ups & Entrepreneurial Resurgence in WV, which provides entrepreneurs with one-on-one business coaching, entrepreneurship training, technical assistance and access to capital. Taste of Appalachia builds on that work by connecting local producers with consumers and corporate buyers looking to support West Virginia businesses through their holiday gift giving.
The Taste of Appalachia online shopping portal, www.tasteofappalachia.com, opens today at 8:00 a.m. and will accept orders through 11:00 p.m. on November 23, 2026. Corporate bulk orders of 10 or more boxes can be placed through the order form available on the website and must be submitted by November 10th.
Online and corporate orders will be shipped or available for pickup during the first two weeks of December for holiday gift giving. Pickup will be available at Advantage Valley’s Charleston office from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on designated weekday pickup dates.
Advantage Valley will also host the 2026 Taste of Appalachia Showcase on Sunday, October 18th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Capitol Market in Charleston. Participating vendors will offer samples of products featured in this year’s gift sets, along with other products available for sampling and purchase. A limited number of Taste of Appalachia gift boxes will be available for in-person purchase during the showcase. The event is free and open to the public.
The 2026 Taste of Appalachia gift sets are:
- West Virginia Favorites – Featuring Meatball Mix by Dark Hollow Foods, Apple Cider Vinaigrette by Legacy Foods, Coal River Coffee Almost Heaven Roast, Tipsy Roo’s BUI BBQ Sauce, Sugar Bottom Farms Honey and J.Q. Dickinson Heirloom Salt.
- Breakfast Essentials – Featuring Biscuit Mix and More by Tasty Blend Foods, Ronk Family Maple Syrup, Coal River Coffee Almost Heaven Roast, Honey Do Produce Granola and Jam, and Cinnamon Apple Butter by Legacy Foods.
- Mountain State Snack Attack Gift Set – Featuring Sassy Gal’s Loaded Potato Dip Mix, Custard Stand Chili Seasoning, Baked Potato Popcorn by Angie’s What’s Poppin, We Be Fryin’ Pizza WheatOs, Goldilocks Grazing Dill Pickle Pub Snack Mix, Ronk’s Maple Mustard and Sassy Gal’s Bourbon Roasted Pecans.
- BBQ Essentials – Featuring Ronk Maple BBQ Sauce, Tipsy Roo’s New Drunken Johnny’s Whiskey BBQ Sauce, Chef Signature Hot and Spicy BBQ Sauce and J.Q. Dickinson Smoky Mountain Rub Spice Blend.
- Sweet & Salty Gift Set – Featuring J.Q. Dickinson Burnt Caramel Sauce and Heirloom Salt, Sassy Gal’s Bourbon Roasted Pecans, Oreo Popcorn by Angie’s What’s Poppin and We Be Fryin’ Cinna Locos Crunchy Wheat Twists.
- Veteran-Made Gift Set – Featuring Harvest Trails Freeze-Dried Pineapple, Legacy Foods Hot Pepper Jelly, Sugar Bottom Farms Raw Wildflower Honey and Tipsy Roo’s Plastered Peach BBQ Sauce.
In its inaugural year in 2025, Taste of Appalachia was highly successful in introducing local food producers to new customers and expanding their market reach. The program sold 1,145 gift boxes featuring more than 8,200 individual products and generated more than $60,000 in direct revenue for participating small businesses. Beyond the initial holiday sales, several vendors also reported increased exposure, repeat customers and additional orders throughout the year.
For questions about Taste of Appalachia, contact Rachel Coffman, Taste of Appalachia Program Coordinator, at rachel@coffmancollaborative.com or 304-549-8991.