Treating the destinations you travel to with the same care and respect as you would your own home is one of the core tenets of responsible tourism. Visitors and locals, including those operating tourism-related businesses, can work together to make tourism more sustainable. In this ongoing series, we'll highlight ways you can discover Kelowna's sustainable side as you travel responsibly.
Kelowna Eats and Sips
Eating sustainably as a traveller encompasses a variety of things—eating with the seasons, supporting local farmers, dining at restaurants that source locally, reducing food and packaging waste, introducing more plant-based meals…the list goes on. While you may not be able to cover all these things at each spot you dine, the hardworking farmers, dedicated chefs, and innovative business owners in and around Kelowna make it easy to focus on sustainability while you explore the region.
Savoury Eats
Cauliflower wings from Frankie We Salute You!
According to the United Nations, "switching to a plant-based diet can reduce an individual’s annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons with a vegan diet or up to 1.5 tons for vegetarians." For those who don't adhere to a plant-based diet full time, why not try out some of the amazing vegetarian and vegan cuisine available while you're travelling?
Most of the restaurants and cafes in and around Kelowna will have plant-based items on the menu, so it's easy to pick a sustainable option. Plus, the abundance of locally grown produce in the region means fresh, quality ingredients on your plate.
Frankie We Salute You!, launched by acclaimed Chef Brian Skinner and his business-partner wife, Christina, celebrates all things local with its plant-based menu. While much of the menu is available year-round, seasonal offerings are added to take advantage of what their network of local growers and farmers has available. You can pair your meal with BC wines, beers, and ciders, or try their made-from-scratch lemonades or sugar-free sodas sweetened with house-made monkfruit syrup. If you're dining at Frankie's on Wednesdays or Saturdays, be sure to also plan a stop at the Kelowna Farmers' & Crafters' Market, especially if you're looking to take any local produce or pre-made goods home with you.
One of Kelowna's newest brew spots, Buffalo Rouge Brewery, also offers a food menu full of vegetarian and vegan options—the brewery's owners were running a vegetarian food truck (The Wagon) before launching the brewery. The menu has small plates that are perfect for snacking or more substantial options if you're looking for a full meal. There are even a couple of kids' menu options for the little ones.
Nearby, Naked Café serves up its fully vegan menu for brunch, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week. Whether you’re craving something light, like soup and salad, or comfort food, like pasta or plant-based burgers and fries, they’ve got you covered. The Pink Fog tea latte, hot or iced, is a personal favourite from their unique drink menu.
Numerous cuisines from around the world—think Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Thai, Vietnamese, and so much more—have always had a focus on more vegetables and less meat, making them inherently sustainable. Here are some more spots to add to your list:
- Chantana's Thai Restaurant in Lake Country delivers dishes with the spicy and sour flavours Thai cuisine is well known for.
- Dosa Crepe Cafe serves up south Indian cuisine at its location downtown and in Rutland.
- Everest Indian Restaurant in West Kelowna offers an extensive selection of Indian and Nepalese dishes.
- Habibi Tapas Grill has an abundance of vegetarian and vegan options, with tapas-style dishes meant for sharing, which also helps cut down on waste by ordering for the group as you go.
- Tutt Street Tapas + Wine offers Mediterranean cuisine using the freshest, seasonal ingredients.
Sensational Sips
Flight at MotherLove Ferments kombucha and water kefir tasting bar.
While Kelowna is the birthplace of BC's wine industry, it is also home to an array of unique beverage producers who are crafting up some delicious boozy and non-alcoholic sips.
In southeast Kelowna, you'll find Meadow Vista Honey Wines, who won the Environmental Impact Award in the Kelowna Chamber's 2022 Business Excellence Awards and whose products were featured in a segment on The Social in June 2024. All of Meadow Vista's products, which include a variety of mead (a.k.a honey wine), are made in-house with ingredients sourced locally, including right from the farm. They have about 100 - 120 hives in total, some of which are set up at wineries and other locations in Kelowna. One of Meadow Vista's most recent products, Stinger, a line of canned sparkling mead made using fruit from the Okanagan.
Not far from Meadow Vista is Farming Karma Fruit Co., which builds on the Gill family's reputation as successful orchardists. At Farming Karma's vibrant tasting room you can sample their lineup of refreshing craft sodas and mocktails, which are made at their on-site production facility. Their products, made with fruit that the Okanagan is so well known for like apples, cherries, and peaches, have no added sugar and are not made from concentrate. Their Pear Soda, which is one of my favourites, took home Silver in the Product of the Year category at the 2022 BC Food & Beverage Awards.
For another unique tasting bar experience, head to MotherLove Ferments in the city's north-end brewery district. You can sip on their light and refreshing locally brewed kombucha and water kefir, which is made with all organic ingredients and contains no artificial additives or preservatives. On tap, you'll find their regular assortment of kombucha, as well as a rotating seasonal flavour. The Flamingo Room, located in the mezzanine of the tasting bar, is available to rent for meetings and events, and they have a small menu of food items if you need something to nibble on.
Discover more of Kelowna's craft beverage producers here or check out the other post in this series focused on wineries.
Helpful Extras
One way to be an extra-responsible foodie while travelling is to create your own zero-waste travel kit with items like reusable cutlery and napkins, a reusable water bottle, and cloth bags for produce and snacks—find all the recommendations you'll need on how to put your kit together here.
If you're adventuring outdoors or camping, collect all the items you'd normally compost at home and take advantage of Chickpeace Zero Waste's compost program; each 10L bag or pail will only cost you $1.50 to drop off and they will handle the rest. They also carry a variety of foodstuffs that can be put into reusable containers for camping or to use if your accommodation has a kitchen or kitchenette.
Visit the Kelowna Climate Coalition's Shop Local Directory for more sustainable food and drink options.
