Mark Brand, the founder of Upward Kitchen, is seen in their kitchen in Halifax Tuesday. Photo by Tim Krochak /The Chronicle HeraldArticle contentThe air is fragrant with garlic, the sting of onions and the bright zip of peeled carrots at Upward Mobility Kitchen’s industrial space on Nora Bernard Street in Halifax’s north end. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentA dozen people are working away to make shepherd’s pies Tuesday morning. The cooks include Halifax’s member of Parliament, Shannon Miedema, and representatives from local community organizations. Article contentArticle contentArticle contentTogether, they are helping to launch Fill the Fridge, the latest of several of Upward Kitchen’s programs meant to address food insecurity in the community. This day’s efforts will yield 500 meals that will go to community fridges across Dartmouth and Halifax. Article content“We’ll finish and deliver these meals to the community fridges so they’re stocked. When it hits, the network calls and they’re gone,” Mark Brand, Upward’s founder, tells The Chronicle Herald. Article content“A lot of this problem is invisible, but by providing the resource it becomes visible.” Article contentBetween 100,000 to 120,000 meals a month Article contentBrand grew up in Dartmouth but moved away like so many Maritimers in their nascent years. He always stayed in touch, feeling a connection to the place and people of his home province. Article contentHowever, over the years, he saw the rise of poverty, homelessness and food insecurity in Halifax. Feed Nova Scotia estimates food insecurity affects almost a third of Nova Scotians. Article contentGiven his skills as a chef, not to mention his role with Upward Kitchens, which he founded in 2011 in Vancouver, Brand decided to open a chapter in Halifax due to a growing need for food security. Upward Kitchen’s footprint has quickly grown since 2023, with Nova Scotia’s school lunch program helping the organization grow from three to 33 staff members. Article contentArticle contentThey’ve also taken over the Nook Cafe on Gottingen Street, serving free meals through their token program, and have a 6,500-square-foot facility on Bayers Road and a 3.5-acre farm near Shearwater. Article contentArticle content“(The kitchen on Bayers Road) is doing 3,500 to 4,500 meals a day right now. It has the capacity to do five times that,” said Brand. Article content“We like to say that we are an organization that eases the pressures of other organizations by becoming their auxiliary kitchens and by providing a space for food sovereignty and security.” Article contentUpward Kitchen is currently serving between 100,000 to 120,000 meals a month across the Halifax Regional Municipality.Article content Mark Brand, the founder of Upward Kitchen, chats with Halifax MP Shannon Miedema in the organization’s kitchen facility in Halifax on Tuesday. They were making shepherd’s pies for Upward Kitchen’s new program, Fill the Fridge. Photo by Tim Krochak /The Chronicle HeraldArticle contentThinking outside of the box Article contentPart of Upward Kitchen’s growth can be attributed to Brand’s vision. Article contentA key component to the Fill the Fridge program includes organizations donating $5,000 to use the space to make the meals. That money covers the ingredients but it also helps fund other programs like Sharpen Up, which teaches students about food skills and jobs in the industry.
Halifaxs Upward Mobility Kitchen launches ‘Fill the Fridge’ to fight food insecurity
