Ellen King

Ellen King (FAN ’18) is the co-owner and director of baking operations at Hewn Bakery, with locations in Evanston, Libertyville, and Winnetka, IL.  After attending culinary school at the Seattle Culinary Academy, she worked on the line at several Seattle restaurants before moving to Chicago. While staying home with her young son, King filled the air of her Evanston condo with the smell of freshly baked bread made with heritage grains. Word got out in the neighborhood, which prompted her to start the Underground Bread Club. King would bake all morning, strap her son on the back of her bike, and ride around town dropping off loaves to members. It was through the Underground Bread Club that King met her partner, Julie Matthei, and the pair opened Hewn in Evanston in June of 2013.

Recognized in The New York Times, Saveur, Chicago magazine, Forbes, InStyle, and other notable publications, Hewn has also been featured as the Best Bakery in the Midwest by Midwest Living and as one of the 10 Best Bakeries in the United States by Food & Wine. King is a frequent speaker and educator on the benefits and beauty of heritage wheat and small-scale milling.

King has a BA in History from St. Norbert College and an MA in History from the University of Maine, Orono. King’s first cookbook, Heritage Baking, was published by Chronicle Books in October, 2018.