The future's so bright: Colleen Sommers of Pie Fixes Everything

Colleen Sommers hasn’t always been a pie fanatic. But since starting her pie-making company Pie Fixes Everything  5 1/2  years ago, she’s fallen in love with everything about them.

I asked Colleen to tell us a little about herself.

Deciding on a career in food wasn’t too big of a stretch for me as  I come from a big family and grew up working on a farm.

We all learned to cook, and food has always been an important part of our family. My parents owned a neighborhood Meat Market for several years where all 7 of us kids worked on and off, filtering through as they needed help or we needed work.

My first job during the winter when the farm was snowed under was in a restaurant kitchen and it was the beginning of many long nights in many kitchens.

When I first arrived in Austin in 1982 I worked as a prep cook at Chez Nous and a line cook at Alana’s. During the late 80′s I was back and forth between Michigan and Austin and also spent a year in Europe. During this time I worked as an artist, most often painting, selling at local and national art fairs, galleries, museum shops and high end gift stores.

As 1992 came to an end I found myself back in Austin getting married & starting a family. I continued to keep a foot in the art world doing shows but as my son grew older I co-founded The Austin Woman’s Art Project and initiated many collaborative art projects.

I also began teaching classes from the studio behind our house. Eventually though as the food world was being revolutionized here, in Austin and across the nation art gave way to food and Pie Fixes Everything was born.

We started out as a Home Delivery Food Service and we still offer home delivery but for a little over a year now we have been focusing on selling pies at the Farmers Markets, supporting and participating in the local food movement. We make sweet & savory pies. We use local and organic ingredients, buying what we can from the farmers we sell with first. We specialize in local & seasonal pies but have a well honed list that includes fruit and non-fruit pies too, that are available year round.

I live in East Austin, where I’ve lived for 19 years. I have a handful of animals. My son has gone off to school at UTSA. I love food, thinking about food, I love reading recipes, but not necessarily following them. When I’m not making pie, I am outside. I love to garden, hike, camp, ride my bike, run, play soccer, I love making and eating good food with friends…I still paint and wish I had more time for it. (I miss being in the studio every day).

One of the things I love about what’s happening, here in Austin now, is the over lap between Art & Food!