Central & Gus
Hazel & Filbert Ensueno Puffin Portrait Study
Hazel & Filbert Ensueno Puffin Portrait Study
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Hazel and Filbert Ensueno Puffin craft artisanal hazelnut milk ice cream by the micro-batch. None are the same; all are highly coveted. Their business began most serendipitously: Several months back, Murray Maynooth Moose had foraged bushels full of Grade A hazelnuts. Fortunately, no one could figure out just what to do with so many; so the pair pressed the harvest into the creamiest hazelnut milk and set it in a snowbank, resulting in perfectly decadent ice cream.
One evening with friends over, the entire lot was hauled in for tasting. Needless to say, it was gone in a flash. In the following weeks, random ingredients appeared at their doorstep with notes of suggestion (and pleas for the resulting product). Creativity on overdrive, tastebuds at the ready, the couple churned out the first batches of their now-famous biodynamic, wildcrafted gelid ambrosia. As their “supplier” network grew, the flavour profiles became more complex and inventive: Penuche Cream, Rhubarb Custard, and Mantecado. Tostone & Blueberry, Bannock & Mast, Yucca Pone, and Guayaba-Rum Ripple. And rather than turn their growing company into a conglomerate, working ‘til they drop, Hazel and Filbert had another idea. They were going to create a balanced life; stay niche, keeping demand in their coveted treat high; and build their future retirement right into their current business. They would incorporate the joy they had been anticipating only in their later years: Travel.
Now, they hop on their trusty snowmobile (or jet ski, when heading south) and pick up raw materials themselves. And they hand deliver each and every pint the same way - in person - no matter the distance. Actually, to them the farther, the better. Already they have been to every coast with no desire to speed things up. Why, at this pace, they’ll never get to officially retire, but they'll also never want to.
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Portrait Study, 8x10”, 9x12”, or 11x14" in protective cello. Each Portrait Study is accompanied by a whimsical tale of the animal featured. Entirely collectible, the stories intertwine, creating a much-loved community of characters. We print on a luxurious 318 gsm, 100% cotton paper. Soft and durable, this paper showcases crisp detail and vibrant colour.
We donate a portion of gross sales to animal welfare.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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They are — and that's one of the things that makes Central & Gus so unique. Every character lives in the same universe. They know each other, reference each other, cross paths at the switchboard, in the woods, at the patisserie, on the road. Collecting them is a little like reading a novel one chapter at a time — except each chapter fits on your wall or popped in the post for a stamp to someone you love.
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We spent a long time on this. Every Central & Gus illustration is hand-drawn in pencil — and so we are eternally inspired by the classic #2, enrobed in that particular shade of yellow. For that, we call it Ticonderoga Harvest. Studies on colour and emotion find that people associate this shade with joy — which felt exactly right. It also nods, quietly, to our farm roots, everything that grows out of the land, and also to a less tangible but just as important creative harvest. The envelope is not an afterthought. It is part of the story.
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They are extraordinary gifts — and we say that not as a boast but as something we hear constantly from our retail partners and customers. A Central & Gus card is not a card you send and forget. It is a card the recipient reads, re-reads, frames, or keeps in a drawer to return to. The story on the back transforms it from a greeting into a small, meaningful object. We have heard from one customer who had special date-day trips with his young daughter, each time choosing one special card for her coveted collection. The goldenrod envelope alone tends to stop people in their tracks. Another, a fiance purchased the entire set for his partner, a reminder of a day they spotted them in a shop and giggled while reading the stories aloud. These are not cards. They are moments, saved.
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Wholeheartedly yes — and the characters seem to know instinctively which age they are speaking to. Children are drawn to the illustrations, the names, the animals. Adults read the stories and find themselves unexpectedly moved. We regularly hear from customers who frame them in nurseries and living rooms alike, who give them to grandparents and grandchildren in the same gesture. The world of Central & Gus does not have an age. It has a sensibility — and that sensibility tends to recognise itself across generations.
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Yes — and we love that you asked. We offer curated collections and themed bundles. Our Open Water & Coastal set, our Woodland & Hedgerow set, our Wetland & Waterway, or our Start Your Collection bundle are all wonderful entry points. And for those that just wantall of themat once, The Whole Gang brings every character home together at a saving. Bundles make particularly wonderful gifts — there is something about receiving a community of characters at once that feels genuinely special.
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We do — and this is at the heart of everything we do. A portion of every gross sale goes directly to animal welfare. The characters you collect are not just whimsical illustrations — they are advocates. Every purchase is a small act of care for the natural world and the creatures in it. We are deeply grateful for every order that makes this possible.