The Globe Pequot Publishing Group has acquired Lake Isle Press, an independent publisher specializing in publishing cookbooks. The company was founded in 1990 by Hiroko Kiiffner and Jane Ross with the slogan of publishing books “for adventurous cooks.”
After scoring an early hit with the paperback edition of Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book, by the James Beard Award–winning cookbook author, Lake Isle published nine books by Rachael Ray, including the bestselling 30-Minute Meals in 1998 and Comfort Foods in 2000. After Ray was picked up by larger publishers when her popularity soared from her Food Network show, Lake Isle moved more aggressively into publishing cookbooks with a global perspective.
“Lake Isle’s acclaimed cookbooks—known for showcasing diverse culinary traditions—are a natural complement to the strong food and cooking list we’ve built at Lyons Press and Globe Pequot,” said Bob Marsh, president of Globe Pequot, in a statement.
For most of its history, Lake Isle titles were distributed by Globe Pequot’s sister company, NBN, before the distributor closed in 2025. As part of Globe Pequot, Lake Isle titles will now be distributed by Globe Pequot’s new distributor, Simon & Schuster.
“I’m delighted that Lake Isle has found a home with Globe Pequot,” said Kiiffner, president of Lake Isle. “I’ve known Globe Pequot owner Jed Lyons for more 30 years, ever since we became a client of NBN. Our long-standing partnership through distribution and back-office collaboration makes this a natural fit.”
The Lake Isle purchase continues Globe Pequot’s aggressive program of acquiring indie presses. In 2025, the company made four acquisitions.
