Welcome to the latest (and perhaps most bittersweet) edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda. As always, it’s packed with food, travel, and shopping chatter—plus one big personal update about what’s next for Amanda and the future of Food52.
Sixteen years ago, nearly to the day, Merrill and I posted this video to Vimeo, introducing the company and laying out our proof of concept. We planned to build a company that served all the needs of people who loved cooking and home. There would be high-quality recipes, home content, and an assortment of products handpicked by us. It would feel edited yet welcoming, with beautiful photography and a strong sensibility. And, most importantly, our readers would be vital to it all.
Food52, which launched in September of 2009, quickly became known for its community and its sense of fun. Our community has since added 60,000+ recipes, answered thousands of Hotline questions, showed up to our events, helped us design products, and even wrote a couple of our cookbooks.
We leaned hard into April Fool's Day (Food1852; a pitch to our sponsors). We hosted Holiday Markets and Holiday Swaps. We got people like Stanley Tucci and Lena Dunham to review cookbooks for a bracketed cookbook tournament called The Piglet. Winners got this extremely high-quality pig-topped trophy. We brought you Mugs52 every fall, and a steady stream of other thoughtfully sourced and curated products year round. We added Dansk and Schoolhouse to our family of brands.
After 16 years, it’s time for me to take up new challenges and adventures. I’m going to miss all of you, and all the goofing off. Thank you for being careful and caring readers—hearing from many of you, meeting you in person, cooking your recipes, and getting to know you over the years has enriched my life in countless ways!
Here’s where to find me:
• Subscribe to my Substack, Homeward, where I’m chronicling my home renovation in Ojai, along with weekly design picks, recipes, and travel insights. It’s also where I’ll post—finally!—my pizza-oven findings.
• Follow me on Instagram
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
Going forward, I’ll be alongside you, happily watching as Food52’s gang of cooks and creators continue to delight us with new recipes, cleaning hacks, and organization ideas; as Schoolhouse launches sconces and rugs; and as Dansk reissues its beloved designs.
Here’s just some of what we have coming up in the near future:
• The Pastry Box, a new show featuring Chef Tiara
• A cleaner, more streamlined Food52 site will be launching in the coming weeks
• We are expanding Hotline to Schoolhouse, so we can answer your customer questions—everything from how to install a mirror to how to care for your Stillwater Quilt!
• Mugs52 will make its return with a special summer edition
• We love a little Christmas in July, so the team will be hosting a holiday preview event this summer
• The Hotline is becoming a podcast
From Brooklyn to Ojai, I’ll be rooting for the home team.
With deep love and gratitude,
Amanda
P.S. For anyone who requested a bookplate, not to worry—I’ll be sending those out shortly!
English (US) · 