Buy Canadian City Profile: Kelowna
This city profile highlights products made in Kelowna and the wider Central Okanagan, including West Kelowna and Lake Country.
What “local” means here: The company must identify the featured goods as made or produced in the Central Okanagan.
Sustainable and reusable products
1. Pela Case: Compostable phone cases
Shop: Pela Case
Pela grew from founder Jeremy Lang’s search for a useful alternative to disposable plastic. Drawing on his Saskatchewan agricultural roots, Lang developed Flaxstic, a material that combines plant-based biopolymer with flax shive left behind by flax production. The resulting Pela Case became an early compostable alternative to conventional plastic phone cases. Today, the company says more than 80% of its cases are made at its Kelowna Sustainability Studio, where it also develops and tests materials.
Favourite find: Pela’s compostable phone cases
2. The Market Bags: Reusable shopping and produce bags
Shop: The Market Bags
Founder Julia Mathers started The Market Bags after recognizing the need for a convenient alternative to single-use produce and grocery bags. Her background in early-childhood education and interest in holistic nutrition also shaped the company’s emphasis on environmental and community well-being. The bags are made in Canada using materials such as organic cotton and reclaimed or upcycled fabric.
Favourite find: Organic Cotton Bag Starter Set
Food and pantry products
3. Taste of the Okanagan: Sauces, jellies and condiments
Shop: Taste of the Okanagan
Taste of the Okanagan was founded in 1995 by mother-and-daughter team Linda Murray and Kelly Hale. The family business was built around preserving the flavours of Okanagan-grown fruit, berries and vegetables in small batches. Its range has expanded to include barbecue sauces, salad dressings, jellies, salsas, chutneys and savoury spreads, but the company continues to emphasize seasonal local ingredients and hand production.
Favourite find: Peach Chipotle BBQ Sauce
4. Karat Chocolate: Award-winning chocolate and pastries
Shop: Karat Chocolate
Chef and chocolatier Julian Helman founded Karat in 2016 after developing the idea in the basement kitchen at Mission Hill Winery. His culinary upbringing, French training and experience in Michelin-starred kitchens helped shape a highly technical approach to chocolate and pastry. Karat has since earned numerous international chocolate awards while continuing to incorporate ingredients and flavours connected to the Okanagan.
Favourite find: PB & J Bar
5. Okanagan Pasta Company: Fresh and dried artisan pasta
Shop: Okanagan Pasta Company
Okanagan Pasta Company grew from Cansu Kolburan’s love of pasta and the food discoveries she and Emirhan Kolburan made while travelling. The couple later settled in the Okanagan and opened their West Kelowna shop in 2023. The company makes fresh, machine-extruded, dried and filled pasta, including products made with Canadian durum wheat and organic Canadian flour.
Favourite find: Radiatori dry pasta
Home and gift products
6. Okanagan Candle Co.: Hand-poured soy candles
Shop: Okanagan Candle Co.
The company began in 2015 and was taken over by Julie Watson in 2019. What started with candles poured in a garage developed into a Kelowna storefront in September 2021. Julie now works with her daughter Paige, and the mother-daughter team blends, pours, packages and ships its soy-wax candles from its local workshop.
Favourite find: Lakeshore candle
7. MK Wood Design: Handcrafted wooden housewares
Shop: MK Wood Design
MK Wood Design is a small Kelowna maker specializing in charcuterie boards, cutting boards, cribbage boards and other wood housewares. Many pieces preserve the distinctive grain and live edge of the wood, while others incorporate resin, pressed flowers or wood-burned artwork. The company does not publish a detailed founding timeline, but it clearly identifies its boards as handcrafted in Kelowna and emphasizes locally sourced materials.
Favourite find: Okanagan Maple Charcuterie Board
Looking for more Canadian-made products?
Browse products made in Canada on True North Finds.
Editor’s note: These favourites are editorial selections based on regional connection and product distinctiveness, not hands-on product testing. Product availability and manufacturing details can change, so confirm current information with the maker before publication.