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Baking Change: Kim Holloway on the Little Free Bakery Movement

By The GreenPan Kitchen Team

Often, the simplest gesture—like handing someone a homemade cookie—can create a ripple effect. Kim Holloway discovered this firsthand when she started her own Free Little Bakery as part of a community-oriented movement born out of the pandemic. In this post, Kim opens up about how she got started, the impact it’s had on her personal life and community, and gives tips on how to start your own Little Free Bakery.

Baking Change: Kim Holloway on the Little Free Bakery Movement

 

 

1. We’re lucky to have you as one of our incredible writers here at GreenPan, but for those who don't know you, could you share a bit about yourself? 

Happy to! I live in Seattle and have been a professional writer for more than 20 years, from feature stories for a small-town newspaper to copywriting for advertising agencies. For the last decade or so, I’ve mainly focused on writing about food and cookware as a freelance writer, first for Sur La Table and now for GreenPan. I write blog posts, do a little product copy, and develop recipes.

When I’m not working, I enjoy solo travel in Europe, cross-country road trips in my MINI Cooper, treasure hunting at estate sales, and participating in book clubs (three at the moment).

 

2. What is a Little Free Bakery? 

 

It’s sort of like the Little Free Libraries you see in many neighborhoods, except it’s for baked treats. The first one was started by Lanne Stauffer here in Seattle during the Pandemic. They’ve since spread all across Seattle and are now popping up in other places like Nashville, Austin, Cincinnati, New Jersey, and North Carolina.


3. What made you decide to start your own Little Free Bakery? Was there an “aha” moment of inspiration? 

I love to bake (and eat!) sweets, but my partner and I both work from home so there was no place to share all the extras. Friends have told me I should start a bakery, but I’ve always thought, “No, no, no! That would take the joy out of it for me (and cut WAY into my traveling time!).” So when I heard about Little Free Bakeries, it was a natural fit.

 

4. What is the most meaningful or surprising encounter you’ve had while running your Little Free Bakery?

I love the transition moment when people go from skeptical: “Hmm…free cookie??” to LFB fans: “Wow! Free cookie! And it’s delicious!” It’s always so touching when someone tells me they’ve had a hard day at work, their girlfriend just broke up with them, or they’ve had a family crisis and my treats have lifted their spirits.

One of the most meaningful things for me is seeing the community we’re building around cookies. We have so many regulars now, and folks will take time to stand around and chat with neighbors. I feel like if I needed to borrow a cup of sugar, I now know where to go!

 

5. What’s the one baked good you’ve made for your Little Free Bakery that people can’t seem to get enough of? 

Hands down, it’s macarons. They definitely draw the biggest crowds! Chocolate chip cookies are always popular. And kids seem to really enjoy the cupcakes (diving nose first into the frosting). I didn’t know till last week how many people LOVE lemon bars. I’ll have to do those again soon!

Since I’m a writer as well as a baker, I create a new haiku each week and print them on bookmarks that we hand out. Lots of folks look forward to getting those and even tell me they save them! I’m blushing…

 

6. Are there any specific GreenPan products that have become essential in your baking process? Which ones do you find yourself reaching for the most? 

Definitely my Premiere Ovenware Ceramic Nonstick Bakeware. The baking pans are great for everything from snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies to brownies, blondies, or bar cookies. They bake evenly and come clean easily—no soaking required!

My Reserve Ceramic Nonstick Cookware performs brilliantly, whether I’m stirring choux pastry, warming cream for ganache, or making lemon curd. Plus, the white interior makes it ideal for browning butter!

I’d also like to give a shout out to my GreenLife Ceramic Nonstick Muffin Pans because the pink color makes baking even more fun. And while I haven’t made yeasted pastries for LFB yet, I’ll definitely be using my Elite Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven to proof the dough.

 

7. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own Little Free Bakery? 

 

I’d pass along the best advice I got from other Little Free Bakers: This is your own thing—do it however it works for you. All the bakers I know do theirs a little differently. Some have custom-built boxes by the sidewalk that hold packaged baked treats. Others just use a cooler to stash sweets. Some greet folks who come for treats. Some just let the sweets do the talking!

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to keep it going, and you don’t have to chat with strangers if that’s not your thing. But whatever way you make it happen, know that your neighbors will greatly appreciate it. And it doesn’t have to be baking! Whatever you’re into—knitting, stamp collecting, gardening—if you can find a way to share your passion with neighbors, your community will become so much healthier!


8. How has running the Little Free Bakery been transformative for you? Has your personal life or routine changed since starting your bakery? 

 

This has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Seeing the smiles on folks’ faces as they sample my sweets fills me with joy I couldn’t have imagined. I love snapping photos of “customers” and putting together a reel for Instagram to try and convey the feeling, but you kind of have to be there to experience it.

When I started, I figured I would get to know some of my neighbors, but I’ve made actual friends—which isn’t always easy to do as an adult! I look forward to Friday all week long, then I run around like a headless chicken trying to get everything ready to go by 3:00. After everyone’s gone, I’m exhausted and have to lie on the couch and recharge. But I’m thinking, “What will I bake next week?”

 

9. As a woman who’s creating such a positive ripple in the community, who are the women who’ve inspired and supported you along the way? 

Kathleen Dickenson—my “non-profit business partner” has been part of LFB from the start. She’s a product manager, not a baker, but having someone alongside me through this adventure has been invaluable. She’s the greatest carnival barker: “It’s Free Bakery Friday!!!” Though my poor cat has to run and hide upstairs when she hears Kathleen coming.

I’ve been inspired by all my fellow Little Free Bakers, by the writers of my favorite cookbooks—Nigella Lawson, Stella Parks, Sarah Kieffer, Camila Hurst, and Mindy Segal, to name a few—and by the oodles of fabulous bakers I follow on Instagram.

My sister Jenna and so many of my women friends have supported and encouraged me (and endured too much baking talk!) along the way. Plus, six women—from friends to friends-of-friends to acquaintances and even strangers (!)—stepped in to help me keep my Little Free Bakery going during my recovery from surgery this year.

My mother was my style icon and always inspired me to follow my heart and do what I love. I know she (and Dad) would be so proud of me!

 

10. Where can readers follow along with your journey? 

You can follow my Little Free Bakery adventures on Instagram @littlefreebakeryphinneywood, and I’ll soon start posting baking videos @howdykimbakes.

 

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