Regular and Guest Chef's rotate through the kitchen, check back often.
Yes!!! The New Kitchen & St. Joseph Cottage Bakery are now Open!
We've Expanded to 606 Ship St.
downtown St. Joseph, Mi
Gift Certificates Available Electronically Only.
Winter Classes Available!
The Culinary Cottage fosters community through food,
offering hands- on cooking classes, themed culinary experiences,
and memorable parties for all ages.
Our mission is to inspire confidence in the kitchen,
cultivate lasting connections, and create memories
through the shared experience of cooking and eating together.
Private Party?
December Private Party Schedule is full!
E-mail info@culinarycottage.net to book your
2024/2025 event!
269-449-0867
The Culinary Cottage: Where Community and Cooking Meet
Nestled in the heart of downtown St. Joseph, The Culinary Cottage is more than just a cooking school—it’s a gathering place for food lovers of all ages.
Led by owner and chef, Tara Newman, The Culinary Cottage has grown into to a thriving hub for hands-on cooking experiences, bringing together a community through the art of food.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the culinary world, starting from Catering, Personal Cheffing and crafting recipes for KitchenAid, Tara has always been dedicated to creating memorable food experiences. During the challenges of the pandemic, The Culinary Cottage was born, offering a unique blend of cooking classes, themed dinner parties, and now a community bakery that celebrates local cottage bakers.
“We’re passionate about more than just teaching cooking skills,” Tara shares. “We’re here to foster connections and create a welcoming space for everyone, from novice cooks to seasoned foodies.” The Culinary Cottage’s offerings include not only adult classes but also a strong focus on children’s health and cooking education, nurturing a love for healthy food from a young age.
As The Culinary Cottage continues to grow, it has found a new home on Ship Street, expanding its vision to include community-minded events.
Now, with a beautiful new location, The Culinary Cottage is poised to continue its mission of building community through food.
In addition to classes, The Culinary Cottage hosts a new community bakery, offering a storefront for cottage bakers to sell their artisan creations. From porch pickups to farmers markets, these bakers are now able to share their craft in a dedicated space, creating a unique experience for the local community.
Whether you’re looking to perfect a recipe, attend a themed dinner, or pick up a fresh-baked treat, The Culinary Cottage invites everyone to come, learn, and be part of a thriving food community. Check out the new Cottage Bakery inside The Culinary Cottage.
OUR CHEFS
Tara Newman
Owner of the Culinary Cottage, Tara's experience first comes as a trained kitchen Sous Chef, while obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Business. During her career in finance, Tara continued her education in food science and attended Culinary School through the Loretta Paganini ICASI. For the past 17 + years, Tara's been a Personal Chef, Cater and subcontractor for KitchenAid, where she's written recipes, assisted in product development and testing. Her ultimate passion is teaching. Tara's taught over 1,200 area classes, started hands on teaching dinner clubs and now brings it all together at The Culinary Cottage.
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Becky Atkinson
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Becky's bread making journey started long before she made her first loaf of artisan sourdough bread. Over the years, she has desired to bake healthy fresh bread for her family, which was a struggle until she found sourdough. It worked for her! She loved baking so much, she wanted to share it with others! Therefore, in 2024 Sourdough House was launched. A previous homeschooling momma, Becky understands the value and benefits of passing on knowledge, combined with hands-on-experience.
As a micro baker, she's able to share her love for handmade sourdough artisan breads through Sourdough House and can't wait to share the knowledge and skills of sourdough with others.
Kiah Eloi
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I'm a wife and mom of twin toddlers, with a passion for all things food! I'm a New York Native and former licensed veterinary nurse. I'm currently in school working to be a licensed massage therapist. I started my own business Frosted by Kiah in 2020 and have loved getting to know, and bake for our community. Although Frosted by Kiah is fully plant based, most of my clients are not actually plant based/vegan. Many of them say, my desserts are as good, or even better than traditional desserts! This has inspired me to share my talents with more people!
Emily Onken
Emily Onken is the owner of Bake Effect, a local cottage food business.
After learning how to bake at a lodge in rural Alaska during college, Emily launched her baking business over a decade later as a new mom in 2019. Shortly afterward, she developed a contact allergy to wheat flour, motivating her to make the move to baking without the use of wheat in 2021. Emily strongly believes everyone- regardless of food allergies or sensitivities, deserves to eat food that looks AND tastes like it was made with love.
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