We are excited to have Kettle & Brine back for another FELIZ! It's already been a year of change for Kettle & Brine. You recently closed the doors on your brick-and-mortar location to make way for an exciting new project. Can you share a bit about your decision to close your brick-and-mortar store and what's ahead for Kettle & Brine?
Yes! The whole process was so bittersweet for me as you could imagine. With Kettle & Brine's space we had cultivated such a strong community around it through events and meeting our customers face to face. But like all great things, it was time to grow beyond those walls. We felt strongly that there was a way to continue to cultivate this very same dynamic through a combination of online and offline events and also had an opportunity to create our very own product line that we have currently been working on.
We'd love to know more about the upcoming project, Kinn. Can you tell us a bit about it and what inspired this new venture?
We were looking for ways to truly connect with our customers, and the only way we could do that was to design something ourselves from the ground up. My background is in interior architecture and design, and I spent 15 years working in residential and hospitality projects both overseas and locally, so I saw the power of good food and great design to transform how people live on a daily basis. Design is a very visceral thing for me. I knew I wanted to create that kind of impact and reach more people by offering a more attainable price point on luxury items. I also sought out a partnership with UN Foundation's World Food Program to start donating school meals to underprivileged kids around the world when a purchase is made through Kinn. This is something I've dreamt of for a very long time and I think conscious consumerism will become more of a standard in the future.
I spent the past year visiting with our factory partners overseas to make sure they upheld the very same earth friendly and intentional values that we believe in. Most of these ended up being small batch family run producers and we just knew it was the right fit. We'll continue to work with our favorite independent makers to create exclusive collaborations in limited edition runs and eventually we'll open up another brick and mortar once we get this new baby out into the world.
When can we expect the launch of Kinn?
I'm aiming for an early release in late fall of this year. We plan on selecting a handful of people to test out our early products for feedback so if anyone is interested they can sign up here.
What can FELIZ goers expect to see from you at the Spring sale?
We'll be pulling together some of our collaborations with Len Carella, some gorgeous Judy Jackson pieces along with some of my favorite handmade Spanish knives and other accessories.
Anyone that has been following Kettle & Brine knows that you are a beautiful cook. Can you share your go-to dishes for you and your family? and maybe one for a dinner party?
Interestingly, we eat very much the same whether it's for family meals or dinner parties. For somewhat selfish reasons, I taught my kids very early on to eat what we eat so that I would never have to cook separate meals for them! They are 4 and 6 and for several years now have sat with us at the table eating off the same handmade plates and sharing the same meals which usually consists of a protein, some leafy greens, crunchy sulfur rich veggies, and a hearty root veggie. Here are two of my favorite mains because they are so easy to make. I like the tenderloin for dinner parties because it's easy to throw in two at a time and serve with a side of roasted veggies to feed plenty of people. The braised chicken is great for family meals because I can make this early in the week, then save up the bones to make soup broth on the weekend. I usually serve the chicken with a side of pureed parsnips and a simple salad.
Proscuitto-wrapped pork tenderloin
Braised chicken in tomato