TikTok Made Me Buy It—And Love It: Tiffy Chen Shares Top Gifts & 2025 Standouts

With holiday shopping officially underway, we’re tapping into the people, like Vancouver-based food creator, home-chef favourite and small-biz champion Tiffy Chen, who influence our carts the most—TikTok creators. From Canadian-made beauty and lifestyle finds to the restaurants and products that defined their year, this Q&A series spotlights the gifts they’re giving, the brands they’re backing, and the standout moments that earned a spot on their personal “2025 wrapped.” Consider this your shortcut to what’s actually worth buying right now. —Noa Nichol

@tiffycooks

1 year since I became a FT food blogger. Here is my journey from a 9-5 to a FT content creator #storytime #contentcreator

♬ original sound – TIFFY COOKS 🥟

Vancouver has such a rich local food scene. What makes LAST Candle Company, Cove Soda, Wakewater, and Dew Matcha standout holiday gifts in your eyes?

Vancouver is honestly blessed with one of the best food scenes in the world, and I feel so lucky to call this city home. Especially during the holiday season, I love highlighting local brands and small businesses that are putting so much heart into what they do,  there are truly so many incredible ones out there worth supporting.

Cove Soda, Wakewater, and Dew Matcha stand out to me because they’re products I genuinely reach for almost every single day in 2025. Dew Matcha is a non-negotiable for my mornings. I can’t start my day without matcha, and their powder is so high-quality that it honestly feels like I’m drinking a café-made matcha at home. It’s smooth and rich, making me look forward to my morning routine every day.

Cove Soda is my go-to with dinner. It’s not overly sweet and super refreshing. I love that it’s so easy to find at major grocery stores. Finding out they’re a Canadian-based small business made me love them even more.

Wakewater holds a really special place in my heart because it carried me through training for my first-ever half-marathon, and now continues to fuel me as I train for my full marathon. It’s my favorite electrolyte, and I love how they are packaged individually, making it easy to travel!

All 3 brands are part of my everyday routine, which is why they feel extra special to share.

Your audience loves practical, joyful food and lifestyle finds—what criteria does a product need to meet before it earns a place on your holiday picks list?

For my holiday picks, the biggest thing for me is that a product has to fit into real, everyday life. My audience loves practical, joyful finds because I do too, so before something makes it onto my list, it needs to be easy to use at home, easy to find, and something I can genuinely rely on day to day. I’m always looking for products where the quality is consistent, not just good once or twice, but something that shows up the same way every single time.

I also ask myself: Would I actually repurchase this with my own money? If it makes my daily routine easier, better, or more enjoyable, whether that’s my morning, my cooking, or my training,  then it’s a yes.

TikTok has definitely introduced me to some amazing brands, and Dew Matcha is a perfect example. I originally discovered them through TikTok and was immediately drawn to how the founder shared so openly about the behind-the-scenes of starting a small business. That transparency made me want to support them and try it for myself. I ended up visiting their cafés and loved the matcha, but what really sold me was knowing I could recreate that same café-quality matcha at home,  especially as someone who wants it first thing in the morning.

In your kitchen-focused world, what are the best edible or drinkable gifts that feel festive without being wasteful?

In my kitchen-focused world, the best edible or drinkable gifts are the ones that feel festive and actually get enjoyed, not something that sits in the fridge or pantry untouched. Anything homemade during the holidays instantly feels special to me. Whether it’s baked goods, a dish for a potluck, or even ingredients for customizable cocktails at a dinner party, those kinds of gifts create shared moments and memories rather than waste.

I love gifts that are meant to be eaten, shared, and finished together. By the end of the night, most of the food is gone, everyone’s happy and full, and the host doesn’t have to worry about leftovers going bad. I always keep to-go boxes on hand at my holiday dinners so guests can pack up extras to take home, especially during such a busy season. If someone is taking time out of their evening to come over, I want them to go home, shower, relax, and not have to think about lunch the next day.

To me, that’s what makes an edible or drinkable gift truly festive without being wasteful, it brings people together, gets fully enjoyed, and makes life just a little easier during the holidays.

Many fans gift your recipes during the holidays. What Canadian small-business products pair perfectly with your favourite dishes or hosting moments?

It honestly makes me so happy, and so grateful,  knowing that my recipes and cookbook are part of people’s holiday celebrations. That’s something I’ll never take for granted.

My answer might sound simple, but I truly believe some of the best pairings come from supporting Canadian small businesses right in your own neighborhood. I always encourage people to start at their local grocery stores and farmers markets. Fresh, high-quality ingredients can elevate any dish, no matter how simple it is. Whether it’s a beautiful cut of meat from your local butcher, farm-fresh eggs, or fresh herbs from a nearby vendor, those ingredients make such a big difference and instantly level up any hosting moment.

What I love most is that these aren’t just “holiday-only” purchases; they’re things you can incorporate into your everyday cooking long after the holidays are over.

What’s your personal favourite type of holiday gift to receive—something cozy, something delicious, or something handmade?

As I’ve gotten older, my favorite type of holiday gift has really shifted. More than anything, I value quality time together. In recent years, Dom and I have actually started skipping traditional gifts and instead put that budget toward shared experiences, whether it’s a mini staycation in Whistler, aka our favorite place in the world! Or simply going out for a really special dinner together!

I’ve started doing the same with friends, too. Instead of exchanging individual gifts, we’ll pool the budget together and plan a memorable meal or experience we can all enjoy. For me, those shared moments last forever,  from choosing the restaurant together, ordering exactly what we’re craving, to dressing up and making it a special occasion.

Top gift picks:

• LAST Candle Company: Their range of candles are cozy, minimal, and when lit, makes my whole home smell like a spa! The brand is also based in Vancouver, just like me!
• Cove Soda (@covesoda): My go-to sparkling drink lately – every flavour is delicious, and this Canadian brand uses clean ingredients!
• Wakewater Electrolytes (@wakewaterca): I love how refreshing these are after runs or filming days, my favourite electrolyte lately!
• Cowdog Matcha (@cowdog.coffee): Through the power of TikTok, this Vancouver-based cafe went viral this year, namely for their strawberry matcha! You can purchase their house brand matcha powder, which is smooth, vibrant, and makes the creamiest matcha lattes! I also love their hojicha!