The Kindred Box started in the Okanagan Valley, in a kitchen, with that question.
We make keepsakes and shared experiences that bring people closer: things to make, stories to tell, and traditions to return to. We're so glad you're here.
Cody & Zanna
The recipe box in the kitchen drawer. The photo album. The letters tied with string. The things our families actually treasure were all made to be touched, written in, and handed down, and somewhere along the way they became apps. Easier, sure. But nothing you'd wrap in newspaper and carry to the new house.
So we're making the keepsakes again, starting in the kitchen, because that's where togetherness has always lived.
It takes time, a reason to reach out, and the little things we do together. We think those reasons belong in everyday life: a recipe we want to try with someone, a story we finally write down, an afternoon spent making something around the same table.
We started The Kindred Box to make room for more of those moments.
A standing date, a familiar ritual, a reason to call. We give small moments the care they deserve.
We leave room for the handwritten note, the family variation, and the story behind the stain. We want you to leave your mark on what we make.
We honor what's been handed down and help people start something of their own.
Family, chosen family, friends, and neighbors. There are many ways to find your people, and all of them are welcome here.
We make useful, thoughtful objects that can earn their place in your life.
We'll be here the whole way, cooking the recipes ourselves, reading every reply, and making a few messes of our own.
I grew up in a loud, busy house: a twin brother, two older sisters, and never a quiet dinner table. My favorite childhood memories are the family dinners at my Granny’s. My mom came from a huge family, so her house was always full, and I’d help Granny make her flapjacks while Julia Child talked us through something French from the TV in the living room.
In my teenage years, my parents often worked late and traveled a lot, so my siblings and I fed ourselves. I learned plenty in that kitchen, most importantly the exact method for a perfectly soft and crispy Cheemo perogy, but somewhere in there I also learned to love the craft of cooking for the people around your table.
I’ve been building things ever since: a string of businesses, including four restaurants, one of which earned a Michelin star and a place on North America’s 50 Best list. With a wife and two daughters of my own now, I’m the one putting dinner on the table most nights. It’s how I show my love, and I’m always first to volunteer for kitchen duty when we’re entertaining.
We recently moved to the Okanagan to give our girls a slower life and be closer to family. Mine is scattered from Vancouver Island to California, and staying close to them has never been easy. Coming here meant reconnecting with old friends, Zanna included, and that’s where Kindred was born: out of wanting to build something that helps people connect again and make memories worth keeping.
The rule in our house was simple: as soon as you could reach the counter, you could help with dinner. I grew up in the Okanagan, cooking and baking constantly with lots of freedom to experiment, and I’ve never really left the kitchen since.
I left the valley, though. I lived and worked in Whistler, London, and Australia, traveled to 27 countries, and somewhere in there married an Australian named Marty. I also spent 17 years as a makeup artist, and my favorite part was never the makeup. People open up when you’re a few inches from their face. Hearing their lives, their kids, their stories was a privilege, and it taught me that everyone is carrying something worth asking about.
After our kids came along, we moved home to Kelowna to put down roots. These days it’s three kids, two puppies named Bear and Goldie, soccer practices (Marty coaches), and a shiny black SUV with enough snacks buried in the seats to survive a week if I ever break down. I look like I have it together. My closest friends know better, and that’s exactly how they got to be my closest friends.
My best friend and I met in Grade 1, growing up on the same street, and 35 years later she’s family. My Australian girls have been mine for more than 20 years, across an ocean and every time zone. Staying close to the people you love takes a reason and a little effort. That’s the whole idea behind Kindred. Feeding people is just how I love them, and what I want this company to feel like is a hot coffee for the moms who never get to drink one while it’s hot.
We want to create things that become part of people's routines: used, added to, brought out again, and eventually passed along. We're building a family of experiences connected by one purpose, helping people make memories through cooking, storytelling, creativity, and whatever brings them together next.
