01 Oct 2025
In September 2025, Maison Balzac and Sonoma unveiled a collaboration that redefines the meaning of gathering at the table. The French-born homewares label, known for turning everyday objects into poetic art, has partnered with Australia’s pioneering sourdough bakery to create a pair of exquisite handwoven bread baskets — transforming the simple act of sharing bread into a moment of ceremony.
Crafted exclusively for Sonoma, each basket takes five hours to weave by hand, using Iraca palm fibres dyed and shaped by Colombian artisans. Their forms — oval for the Bellata loaf and round for the Miche — echo both French weaving traditions and Sonoma’s most iconic breads. Designed to cradle loaves with elegance, they are more than vessels; they are objects of memory and conviviality, destined to elevate any table they grace.
For Elise Pioch Balzac, founder of Maison Balzac, the project was inspired by her childhood memories of French meals where bread held pride of place. Those moments are now translated into design through artisanal craft, blending French refinement with global handwork. For Sonoma, which has defined Australia’s sourdough culture since 1998, the collaboration extends its philosophy of “simple things, done well” into a new dimension: breadmaking meets bread sharing.
Now available in Sonoma bakeries and Maison Balzac boutiques, these baskets capture the spirit of slowing down, savouring togetherness, and cherishing the handmade. They are as much about artistry as they are about nourishment — the essence of luxury in everyday life.
