What's In Your Bag? Our Approach to Goody Bags
Root Beer from Stillwater-based Lift Bridge Brewery was included in our well-stocked goody bag!
From our inaugural Story Feast Gathering at St. John's Abbey in Minnesota
Let's be honest: most event goody bags are forgettable. A few branded pens, some promotional flyers, maybe a granola bar. You toss it in the back of your car and forget about it by the time you get home.
That's not what we do.
A Celebration, Not a Promotion
At Story Feast, the goody bag is an extension of the gathering itself, a way to carry the evening home with you. Every item is chosen with care: things to eat, to drink, to savor long after the candles have burned down and the table has been cleared.
No junk. No logos on cheap plastic. No flyers for things you'll never read.
Just beautiful, high-quality products from the people and places that made the evening possible.
The St. John's Abbey Goody Bag
When guests left our inaugural gathering, they carried home:
A ceramic whiskey tumbler from Maine Prairie Studio — handmade especially for the event to accompany whiskey from Brother Justus Whiskey
TÖST — the nonalcoholic sparkling beverage served throughout the dinner
Lift Bridge Brewery Root Beer — a Minnesota classic. Lift Bridge was a Story Feast partner and we served their fantastic beer during dinner and then sent guests home with a nonalcoholic product from this must-visit brewery in Stillwater
Honey from St. John's Abbey — harvested on the monastery grounds and included in Chefs Mateo and Erin Mackbee’s dishes throughout the evening.
Baked goods from Flour & Flower Bakery — made by Chef Erin Mackbee
Housemade pickles from Krewe — made by Chef Mateo Mackbee and also served throughout dinner
Kombucha from Northstar Kombucha — in a variety of flavors and also served throughout dinner
And more!
The only problem? The bags were so stuffed that guests had to hold them from the bottom. We genuinely worried they might break.
That's the kind of problem we're happy to have!
Why It Matters
A Story Feast gathering isn't just a meal. It's an experience, one that we hope stays with you. The goody bag is our way of extending that feeling: a reminder of the place, the people, the flavors, and the stories you shared.
When you open a jar of those pickles a week later, or pour a glass of that kombucha on a quiet evening at home, we want you to remember the candlelight, the conversation, the moment you realized you were sitting next to someone who would become a friend.
Every future gathering will include a goody bag like this, a celebration of the place and the people who came together to create something unforgettable.
You'll leave happy. You'll leave content. And you'll leave with something worth keeping.
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