Who We Are
We’re chefs, makers, and community builders who believe food is more than fuel—it’s a force for connection, dignity, and change. Our team brings together experience from fine dining, frontline service, and social impact work to create something different: meals that nourish and matter. Whether we’re cooking, collaborating, or showing up for our neighbors, everything we do starts with care—and ends with impact.
History
Upward Kitchens was founded in 2011 on the traditional and unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations—also known as Vancouver, BC—by Mark Brand, with a clear intention: to feed people with dignity.
Since then, we’ve served over 5 million meals across the country, building food systems rooted in care, equity, and community.
In 2023, Upward Kitchens East opened on the unceded Mi’kmaw territories—Halifax, NS—in response to a growing need for food security in the region. In just over a year, we’ve served more than 500,000 meals—focused on supporting children and women fleeing violence—through trusted partnerships with schools and more than a dozen local impact organizations.
The Café was created as an extension of that work. A welcoming space designed to fill the gap in healthy, accessible, and affordable food for everyone in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
It’s a place where real food is made from scratch, served with care, and priced to include—not exclude. The atmosphere is warm, the team is passionate, and every meal is meant to nourish more than just hunger.
We’re here to serve. With respect, consistency, and community at the center.
And we’re just getting started.
The Team
Mission & Values
Our mission is simple: feed people with dignity, and build systems that do the same. We believe good food should be a right, not a luxury—and that how we serve is just as important as what we serve. Our values are rooted in equity, care, community, and impact. We lead with heart, work with purpose, and always show up. From our kitchens to our café to every meal shared in the community, we’re building a food system that includes everyone.
DIGNITY THROUGH WORK
We create opportunities for individuals to build careers, not just jobs.
Our Partners
We don’t do this work alone. Our partners are schools, shelters, grassroots organizations, funders, and fellow changemakers who believe, like we do, that food can be a catalyst for dignity and connection. Together, we’ve built meal programs, launched community fridges, supported women and children in crisis, and made real impact—one plate at a time. Every partnership is rooted in trust, aligned values, and a shared commitment to building a more equitable food system.
OPERATIONAL PARTNERS
A Better Life Foundation
A Better Life Foundation has been a core partner in our work since day one on the East Coast. Together, we’ve expanded access to dignified meals for those who need them most—especially women, children, and folks facing housing insecurity. Through shared infrastructure, funding, and a values-driven approach, ABLF helps power our daily meal programs and community initiatives, ensuring that no one is left behind. This partnership is rooted in a shared belief: food is a human right, and everyone deserves a better life.
East Coast Credit Union
East Coast Credit Union is a founding operational partner of our Halifax Kitchen & Café. Their five-year commitment has helped us build a strong foundation—funding staffing and meal delivery that directly supports thousands of community members. They’ve also championed key initiatives like Waste Not Want Not and our Token Program, among others—demonstrating a deep and ongoing investment in food security, dignity, and local resilience.