I am a huge fan of buying local. I shop at the farmer’s market when I can get there, we used to buy a share of a steer from a (as local as you can get to Washington, DC) farm, and I’d much rather eat at a local restaurant or brewpub than a chain. So, when The District Club reached out to me about reviewing their service, I was totally on board.
What’s The District Club?
The District Club is a subscription-based service that will allow members in D.C., Maryland and Virginia to sample a variety of treats from local, small businesses.
I love this idea in theory. I never know what new things have come out locally, unless it’s beer related. (What? My husband isn’t called Beer Geek for nothing.) And I’m often looking for ideas for gifts from the local area. So, being able to support two small local businesses (The District Club and the small company they choose that month), as well as find some hidden gems from the Washington DC area sounded awesome.
But how does it work in practice? Well, you sign up for a monthly, 3 month, or 6 month subscription and each month a small box of goodies shows up in the mail. That’s it. Boom!
What did I get from The District Club?
I loved the idea of The District Club, but I’m sure you are wondering what I got and if I liked it. Admittedly, I have a sample size of 1, but I LOVED this month’s shipment. I got sent a 6 sampler of bars from Kate Bakes Bars.
They are a no preservative, gluten free, vegan protein bar made in small batches in the DC area. OMG! These were so tasty! I say “were” because I gobbled them right down. I can’t decide if the Chocolate Coffee was better or the Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal was my favorite. Or maybe the French Toast. OK, they were all amazing and I want more.
Is The District Club worth the money?
The District Club costs $29/month if you do it on a single monthly basis. This is a tad on the pricey side, but if I had bought the bars straight from Kate, I only would have saved a couple of dollars. And I never would have even known about her bars to buy them! The 3 month and 6 month subscriptions are cheaper ($26 and $23 respectively), so I think those are actually a good deal. Add in the feel good you get from supporting small, local businesses and it’s absolutely worth it.
Want to give The District Club a try?
I’m giving away one monthly box, preferably to a Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia resident. I’m not going to officially limit it, but please be aware that if you live outside these locations, there will be a $7 shipping charge. Enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Not willing to wait to see if you won? Use code RUN10 to get 10% off any subscription (single month, 3 month or 6 month). Code expires 3/31/2016.
Disclaimer: I am being compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.
Sounds fun try out local eats and products. Those look yummy!
Ooooh, this a GREAT idea for a subscription box.
Thanks Chris! Glad you like the concept!
This is funny since my BF just last night asked me what the point of subscription services was if you didn’t know what you’d be getting. Sounds interesting, but I’d want to know what you got for several months before considering it for myself.
Hey Adrienne–
Great comment and it’s definitely one I considered when creating The District Club, now that we are on month 3 of being in business I do plan on having a page created on our website that shows past boxes so people can have an idea of what types of goodies they’ll receive. Members receive an email from us at the beginning of the month giving a sneak peek into their treats that month– but a little bit of surprise keeps it fun. 🙂
I subscribe to Jamberry StyleBox and BitsBox coding box for my son – nothing with food yet 😀
Fun! I hadn’t heard of this.
I belong to a monthly tea subscription right now, that I love! But local treats sound great too 🙂
At first glance I thought those said “Kale Bakes” and I was still on board. Then I actually read your post and, ummm, Chocolate Coffee?! That’s better!
I love the idea of introducing locally made items to people in the area! However, I find it odd that there is only one type of item in the box. I would think it would be a sampling of s few different items.
(perhaps I am reading this wrong though)
Hi Meranda! This is Whitney the Founder of The District Club. To answer your question, we feature *one* small business each month and a sampling of their products. KateBakes only makes this granola/protein bar, however last month’s box featured Fruitcycle and had Apple Chips, Kale Chips, Trail Mix and Strawberry Peach Butter. So it just depends if the vendor has a variety of products or not. Hope that answers your question! 🙂
Looks yummy! Such a great way to find local goodies.
I love the idea of a local subscription box! I’ll have to search them out in Chicago 🙂
Great idea! The only subscription service I’ve done is Stitch Fix, but only for a couple of months.
I don’t belong to any subscription or delivery services. I’d love to sign up for a CSA this summer. I’d also like to belong to a service that provides creative activities for kids.
Sounds like a great scheme!
I subscribed to Vegan Cuts for a few months but didn’t think it was worth the cost. I’m curious about this one though because it’s local! (I’m in Takoma.)
Pretty cool, they look great and I love that they are gluten free.
hmmmm.I am not sure if I would be willing to pay for any of these delivery box subscriptions. I keep thinking about it though.
I love to check out new local products!
Yep, runnersbox
I belong to Bulu box 🙂
I do not belong to any monthly delivery club. I’m with Groucho – I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.
I don’t belong to a monthly delivery club but I have received a few boxes in the past. I like beauty product boxes, it’s a great way to find new products.
Oh cool! I’ve never heard of this before!! Those bars look awesome!