When Erica Pacey set off to create a new business, she knew she wanted it to be focused, first and foremost, on sustainability, ethical sourcing, and promoting the products and people of the city she now calls home.
In her native Brazil, Pacey was used to buying beautiful baskets, filled with breakfast items, as gifts for friends and family. But when she moved to Miami, where she has now been living for decades, these were hard to find. So the mother of two, who formerly ran a successful jewelry design company, created her own. Lime & Cocoa, the business she now runs with her husband, a University of Miami alumnus, was born.
Lime & Cocoa offers a range of gift baskets, all of which have one thing in common: the products included are ethically sourced, sustainable, handmade and fair trade. And, because it’s not just what’s inside that counts when it comes to gifts, Pacey makes sure that the packaging is both beautiful and reusable.
She carefully chooses the products included, focusing on items produced locally—from honey made by a local plant enthusiast, to jam produced in Coral Gables, to caramel sauce handcrafted in small batches from organic ingredients, and even award-winning, all-natural vegan chocolate. Spa baskets include items like body moisturizer and lavender linen spray, created by a couple in Miami, and natural soy candles handmade in Fort Lauderdale.
“I love being creative,” Pacey says. “I love designing. And, as a small business myself, I love being able to support other local businesses. We’re supporting each other, and we promote each other.”
Also included when available are Miami is Kind artisan coconut macaroons, handcrafted by autistic bakers, and Zaytouna baklava, made by Syrian refugee women in South Florida. “I always try to find something that has a story itself,” Pacey says.
And while most of her products are local, there is one thing Pacey does bring from abroad: crystals from Brazil, which she adds to large hanging raindrop terrariums that hold a low-maintenance air plant. “It brings different energies, like rose quartz for healing,” she says, “and a little touch of Brazil.”
Customers enjoy the baskets as personal gifts, corporate gifts, and even housewarming gifts introducing newcomers to a bit of the best of what Miami has to offer. “I love Miami,” Pacey says. “I love the diversity of the people. It feels like a second home.”
Lime & Cocoa baskets are available for local hand-delivery or shipping anywhere in the continental U.S. Follow them on Instagram @limeandcocoa or visit the website for more information: www.limeandcocoa.com.
