Thoughtfully Made
Our Story
An ancient craft that relies on the hands of the baker. Flour, water, salt, and time only become bread through touch.
At Hewn, every loaf is mixed, shaped, and scored by hand, guided by instinct and experience, and baked with the kind of patience that turns simple ingredients into something worth sharing.
How Hewn Got Its Name
Several years ago, Ellen was studying Historic Preservation through the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. One project involved dating an 18th-century house by examining its building techniques.
She made an exciting discovery, a hand-hewn beam hidden inside the walls and shaped by a craftsman’s axe. That beam and the word hewn stayed with her as she shifted from preservation to her true passion, food.
What “Hewn” Means
The word hewn means “to give form or shape by hand with heavy cuts.” At Hewn, it’s a connection between past and future. Everything we make is crafted in-house, from scratch, every day at our Evanston bakehouse.
Our Values
In a world of big chains, Hewn is a return to something smaller and local. We’re proud to be independently owned and operated, and we value our team of bakers, pastry chefs, and front-of-house staff. Being part of the Evanston, Libertyville, and Winnetka communities is at the heart of what we do.
WHO WE ARE
Ellen King
Ellen King is the co-owner and Director of Baking Operations at Hewn. She is a classically trained chef and worked in various restaurants in Seattle with a specialty in French, Mediterranean and Vegetarian foods. She also served as the artisan cheese buyer for Whole Foods in Bellevue, WA. Ellen spent time at Quillisascut Farm School, a sustainable farm school in Rice, WA, where she first learned to bake bread in a wood fired oven. Ellen attended the Seattle Culinary Academy where she was awarded the Les Dames d’Escoffier 2003 scholarship. She holds an MA in American History from the University of Maine, and a BA in History from St. Norbert College. She was chair of the Evanston Backyard Chicken Committee, served on the Evanston Environment Board and is a member of Chefs Collaborative, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs and the Bread Bakers Guild of America. Ellen oversees all of the Back of House and baking operations at Hewn. Ellen’s first book, Heritage Baking, was published by Chronicle Books in 2018.
WHO WE ARE
Julie Matthei
Julie Matthei is the co-owner and Director of Business Operations at Hewn. Julie’s belief in the product and Hewn’s mission led her to partner with Ellen in this endeavor. Julie has a BA from Fairfield University and a MEd from Loyola University Chicago. She worked in college admissions and was the Director of Guidance at a large Jesuit high school for several years. Julie’s experience with several construction projects, both residential and commercial, helped guide the creative remodeling of Hewn’s space in both Evanston and Libertyville with repurposed materials. Julie handles all of the Front of House operations, marketing, and social media outreach at Hewn.
A Unique Experience
The Walls
The Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse salvaged and created the lathe on the front of our counters and the wood on the wall behind the counters in Evanston. The wood used on the face of our coffee area in Libertyville was also sourced from the Warehouse.
The Shelves and Counters
All of the shelves and counters in Evanston are from an old White Oak tree that had to be cut down in Wilmette. The shelves in Libertyville were created from fallen trees in the Lake County area. We worked with Horrigan Urban Forest Products to obtain this re-purposed wood, which would otherwise be turned into mulch. The bread shelves in Winnetka are also sourced from Horrigan.
The Lights
The exterior lights were reclaimed from the Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse. The red barn lights in all three locations were sourced from Barn Light Electric in Titusville, Florida.
The Wood Panels & Doors to the Kitchen in Evanston
This wood is from old Michigan cypress pickle barrels.
The Windows to the Evanston Kitchen
All of the reclaimed windows behind our counters were also sourced from the Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse.
MIDDLE CHILD
Kitchen staples that play their own way.
Middle Child is a line of pantry goods from Hewn, made for the ones who never quite followed the rules. Built on simple ingredients and bold flavor, it’s everyday food that’s proud to go against the grain.
Middle Child celebrates the trailblazers, the risk takers, and the ones who learned early how to make their own way. Middle kids don’t wait to be noticed. They stir things up, find beauty in the simple stuff, and somehow turn a little chaos into something great. That same spirit lives in everything we make.
We’re starting with two pantry staples that deserve better: pancake mix and granola. Honest ingredients, big flavor, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting. Simple goods, done right. Problematically delicious.
Visit US
We’re Local
Looking for lunch, a quick coffee break or simply enjoy the smell of freshly baked bread.
Evanston
Libertyville
Winnetka
Hewn News
St. Patrick’s Day
March 10, 2026 | Newsletter Order Deadline is this Thursday at 8pm! Don’t forget to place your pre-order by 8:00 PM on…
Hewn Included in Food & Wine Magazine’s List of The Best Bread in Every State
American bread-baking is the best its ever been. By David Landsel Read more at Food and Wine
Hewn Listed as One of the 100 Best Bakeries in America by Food & Wine Magazine
“While life for many has been put on pause, bakers have baked on — most of the places on this list are open for…