Recipe website Food52 — created by food writers Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs — announced today that it has raised $6 million in a round of funding. According to a blog post on the site, lead investor 14W — plus other investors including Scripps Networks (which owns Food Network) and Walden Venture Capital will help the site expand. Food52 notes that it plans to grow its team and to build out a new office and kitchen.
"Right now we're focused on building a lifestyle brand — we want to be your one source for everything you might need in your cooking life," a spokesperson confirmed via email. Video content, books, and a new mobile app are all on the docket. The site also promises to use the money to design more products for the site's e-commerce store Provisions. The team would like to expand into the event area as well, with partnerships and pop-ups.
It has been big year for the recipe site: In April the company joined forces with publisher Ten Speed to create a cookbook imprint.
Lifestyle branding is a trend among media types today. With Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP and Blake Lively's Preserve, Food52 has some competition in the food-focused farm-to-feature department.