Catching Up on Two Years of Heirloom Collaborative

Two years ago, Zoë François — the baker, author, and all-around beloved voice behind ZoëBakes — sat down with me for a Q&A about preserving family recipes. This month, Zoë invited me back to her newsletter to share an update, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the chance to reconnect with her community.

If you missed it, you can read the full feature here.

Why This Feature Means So Much

Zoë opened the piece with a reflection on her own move after 33 years in Minneapolis, and how much nostalgia can live inside a recipe — the smell of bread baking on a Sunday, a grandmother’s biscuits, an aunt’s granola. That’s exactly the feeling Heirloom Collaborative exists to capture and protect. Recipes aren’t just instructions; they’re the stories, the people, and the moments we don’t want to lose.

Getting to be part of Zoë’s world — even in a small way — is a full-circle moment. She’s someone who has spent decades turning food into story through her own cookbooks, so having her vouch for this work means everything.

What’s Changed Since Our First Interview

A lot has happened at Heirloom Collaborative in the past two years, and Zoë’s newsletter was the perfect excuse to reflect on it:

1. A more polished look. I partnered with a talented graphic designer to build out new template styles, so every cookbook feels even more beautiful and true to each family’s story.
2. A new offering for businesses. In 2025, I expanded into corporate cookbooks — a project that’s become one of my favorites. Watching coworkers bond over shared recipes and the cultures behind them has been such a special surprise.
3. A refreshed home base. This very website got a relaunch, with a much better view into the range of work I do and the families I’ve gotten to work with.

Through all of it, the mission hasn’t moved an inch: helping families preserve their stories through food.

Thinking About the Holidays?

Zoë made a great point in her post — cookbooks take time to create, so if you’ve been dreaming of a custom family cookbook as a holiday gift, now is the moment to get started. There’s still time to make it happen for this year, but the earlier we begin, the more room we have to make it exactly right.

Let’s Preserve Your Family’s Story

If you’ve been circling the idea of turning your family’s recipes into something lasting, I’d love to help. Get in touch to start the conversation, and thank you again to Zoë and the entire ZoëBakes community for the continued support — it truly means the world.