Real Life. Real Kitchen. was founded by Zoe Willis, a home-educating mother of five with a talent for turning humble ingredients into nourishing family meals, and a passion for restoring homemaking skills that many modern mothers feel they have lost. What began as a gluten-free recipe blog has grown into offering coaching services, online courses and a supportive community, helping mothers navigate the daily challenges of cooking and home life with greater calm, connection and confidence. She supports mums to create bespoke rhythms that actually work for their families: tiny homemaking habits, prepped‑ahead meals and evening routines that stop the spiral into burnout. Here Zoe talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Real Life. Real Kitchen., her biggest breakthrough, the pros and cons of running a business, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
To begin with, an unexpected combination of a talent for home cooking like a World War II granny and a whole heap of chums, acquaintances and sometimes complete strangers asking me, “How do you do it?!”.
Give me a couple of slightly odd-looking veggies and a the rummagings of a fridge’s innards and I’ll whip you up a feast for five-thousand.
Apparently, this is no longer normal.
I’m also a home-educating mother of five so I’ve honed (through many a sticky, messy and occasionally burnt trial and error) the homemaking skills and systems that many other mums have lost. Not through their own choice or fault; we’ve sort of drifted into it, listened to the demands of the modern world to go for a career and buy all the stuff, without realising what we would be losing.
And yet those who have started to realise something is off kilter, that something needs to change, are looking for the guidance and support that I can offer.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Originally as a gluten-free recipe blog! And then I started to write on the topic of and speak on podcasts about homemaking, home cooking and family life. The name of Real Life. Real Kitchen. has been fundamental to this transition, bringing together the realities of a busy life for mums with the deep desire for connection, community and family around the kitchen table.
These little media forays began to get some traction and interest from other mums. From this point, I started coaching a handful of mamas who needed help in their kitchens: from the practicalities of transitioning to a gluten-free diet to setting up systems at home for busy working mums so they and the family could enjoy more time and connection together.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
It was the discovery that – although food and good food and food cooked from scratch is important to families, arguably even entire civilisations – what mums with a few kids aged 11 and under really struggle with is that awful time between 4pm and 8pm on a weekday evening.
You know? That “crispy” time, when everyone is about to snap after a busy day at school and work, there’s mess everywhere and no food on the table. Even newborn babies have a tricky time of it then!
And I’m yet to hear of a mum who enjoys this chaos; instead, they’re longing for peace and connection with their children… ideally with a decent meal at the centre of it all and slightly fewer toy dinosaurs underfoot.
My coaching services now include The 4-8pm Motherhood Reset, a 1:1 self-care road map for modern mothers journeying from chaos to calm and connection. It’s a holistic programme that transforms daily rhythms, cooking habits, the state of the home, as well as relationships in families… for those mums ready for change. I’m there every step of the way.
I’m also currently working on an online course for those who are self-led learners and a few other products to help mums get their souls, homes and families back on track. It’s about a restoration of motherhood and the home, one meal, one cuddle, one small plastic toy dinosaur at a time.
I’ve also created a free Facebook community, Real Talk for Real Mamas: Bump, Birth & Beyond where mums can have honest chats to find solutions and support for modern motherhood and the modern home. There’s a weekly Zoom with a space for Q&As and conversations. Do join if you’re liking the cut of my jib so far.
