Specializing in gluten free, Milton mom opens Quincy store after Food Network boost

QUINCY – Indulgent caramels, salty snacks, fragrant bath bombs and small-batch jewelry have come to Quincy Center with the opening of the first brick-and-mortar store for William James Gifts.

"I've always dreamed of having an actual gift store," owner Calli McPherson said. "I'm so excited to be in Quincy Center."

McPherson started William James Gifts – named for her 3- and 5-year-old sons – out of her Milton home last August. She started curating and selling gift baskets for all occasions online, and quickly found a hole in the market she said she felt she could fill.

"I really wanted all of the foods we offer to be gluten free," McPherson, who has celiac disease, said. "There just isn't anything available in this space for people who can't have gluten."

After a year of curating, she now has a wide variety of goodies that usually have gluten as a main ingredient, including pasta, cookies and bread and cake mixes. She also sells cookbooks that focus on gluten-free recipes.

For the first six months running her business, she sold gift baskets of only gluten-free snacks, mixes and ingredients to people across the country looking to send a loved one a pick-me-up. This spring, she expanded to other items including spa goods, tableware, jewelry and games.

In October, she opened a shop on Hancock Street that takes orders for gift baskets and personalized items and offers in-person shopping. Pre-assembled gift baskets with various themes are available in store and online, and in-person shoppers can customize and mail their own baskets from the store.

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"There is a lot that goes into gifting. So much is not easy these days, but we are simplifying that process," McPherson said. "It's truly a one-stop shop."

Baskets include Spice Up Your Life, made with a variety of hot sauces and spicy dips; Date Night Delivered with pasta, tomato sauce, chocolate and brownie cake mix; and Papa Bear's Treats – featured as a Father's Day favorite by the Food Network – with apple maple bacon jam, pretzels, scotch caramels and more. Most gift baskets range in price from $75 to $125, but can be customized to match a theme or price.

The shop itself is grouped by gift receiver. There is a table for fathers with beard care, multi-tools and hot sauces; one for mothers with bath bombs, candles and shower steamers; a hostess gift area for tableware, funny cocktail napkins and cookbooks; and a jewelry wall, food section and kids area with towels, blankets and other goods that can be customized with embroidery. William James Gifts also sells customized stationery.

All items stocked at William James Gifts are curated from other small businesses.

"My mom always having a small business raised me to know the power of small business, so when I went to start my own I thought about how great it would be to be able to support and lift others up in the process," McPherson said.

William James Gifts is at 1543 Hancock St. in Quincy and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

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From 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, William James Gifts will host a Friendsgiving-themed shopping market with several other local small businesses including Feather + Finn, Palm Prints Co., Canterbury Ink and Goldigram.

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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Milton mom opens Quincy store after Food Network features gift basket