Zoe Kanan

Zoë Kanan grew up in Houston, Texas and is the by-product of a Pitmaster father and vegetarian mother. She discovered baking as a familial neutral territory and her passion was born. After pursuing formal studies at the International Culinary Center, Zoë joined the team at Milk Bar as a pastry cook, eventually managing the Weddings and Special Orders Department. She flew the coop to do stints at Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Mile End Delicatessen, Sadelle’s, and Vaucluse, and discovered a love of bread and natural fermentation along the way. Zoë went on to open the flagship location of The Freehand Hotel as Head Baker at Simon & The Whale and Studio, eventually expanding into the role of Pastry Chef. Her creations have been praised by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Bon Appetit, and The New Yorker, and include a spotlight in Vogue as one of three women “changing the way we think about bread”. Zoë is a member of Eater’s Young Guns Class of 2019, Plate Magazine’s Chefs to Watch 2019, and a two-time James Beard Awards nominee in Outstanding Pastry Chef and Rising Star categories. She lives in New York’s East Village with her partner Kyle and dog Moog and currently works as a freelance recipe developer and pastry consultant.

Awards & Accolades:
-JBF Rising Star Nominee
-JBF Pastry Chef Nominee
-Eater Young Guns class of 2019
-Plate Magazine Chefs to Watch 2019