Helene Henderson

Helene Henderson is the founder of Malibu Farm, a homegrown restaurant concept that began in 2008 with cooking classes and backyard farm dinners at her home in Malibu. In 2013, she opened the first Malibu Farm café at the end of the Malibu Pier, followed by a full-service restaurant at the pier’s entrance in 2015. Since then, Malibu Farm has grown to include locations in Lido Marina Village, Tiburon, San Diego, Lanai (Hawaii), New York City, and Japan.

Despite its expansion, Malibu Farm remains a small, locally owned business focused on simply prepared, fresh food made from whole ingredients—no processed substitutes or artificial products. Many recipes still reflect those taught in Helene’s early cooking classes, often using produce from her own garden and eggs from her chickens.

A lifelong advocate for sustainability, Helene emphasizes seasonal, local sourcing and works with small farmers and markets, including her longtime partners at Malibu Family Farms, Maggie’s Farm, and the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Her approach to food is straightforward: real ingredients, minimal processing, and lots of vegetables—especially arugula and lemon.

Helene is the author of two cookbooks, Malibu Farm Cookbook and Sunrise to Sunset. She lives in Malibu, where she continues to raise chickens, goats, and the occasional pig—while inspiring a global audience to eat simply, sustainably, and joyfully.