Our Story

For over 30 years, Willa’s Shortbread has produced the finest Shortbread cookies and Cheese Biscuits using traditional southern recipes and with family guarded attention to detail and quality.From her home in the Highlands of North Carolina, Willa Allen began baking traditional shortbread for special events at the local country club. So well received was her shortbread, she began offering it at local markets eventually having to add a second oven in her kitchen to keep up with demand. When Willa adapted her shortbread recipe to produce cookies, the Classic Shortbread was created and remains an all time favorite to this day with it’s rich, buttery goodness. Willa adapted her mother’s famous cheese straw recipe to create our delicious Cheese Biscuits. Customer’s loved the deep cheddar flavor and spicy bite of these crisp delights and soon, Willa began offering them along with her Classic Shortbread cookies.

Willa’s Classic Shortbread cookies and Cheese Biscuits soon became legendary in the Carolinas and across the south. As demand grew Willa began shipping her products by mail and orders began coming in from loyal customers across the country. (Many of our customers have been ordering from Willa’s for over 20 years. From her bakery in Flat Rock, NC, Willa offered her traditional favorites and added delicious new varieties. Gourmet stores and markets began to carry Willa’s products and soon they became staples at bed and breakfast inns and fine hotels across the south.

In 2006, Willa decided to retire and began the search for a buyer. Recognizing the opportunity, her son Clark and partners the Rion family acquired the company and relocated the bakery to the rolling hills of middle Tennessee where Willa’s famous shortbread was soon being produced with the same care and attention Willa was known for.

Today, Willa’s Shortbread is owned and operated by the Rion family who carry on the tradition of high quality and delicious products. All our products are made by hand in small batches to insure freshness and quality. We use only the finest, all natural ingredients and never add preservatives or artificial flavorings in any of our recipes.

From our humble beginnings in the Carolina Highlands to our family bakery in the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee, Willa’s Shortbread continues to be a southern tradition we’re sure you’ll enjoy.