About
Kids & Teens Cooking Camps are part of the Kids & Teens Cooking Camps program, where participants take part in cooking classes. The program is connected to a broader set of food-focused activities that include private events, a crop share program, and a coffee concept, as well as shopping for cookware, knives, bakeware, electrics, cookbooks, outdoor barware and tabletop items, and kitchen tools. Kids & Teens Cooking Camps are described as offering lifelong kitchen skills and big fun in the kitchen.
The Kids & Teens Cooking Camps program is run by Cooks of Crocus Hill, which has been locally owned and operated for over 50 years. The organization began in 1973 as “Thrice” in St. Paul, and the name later changed to “Cooks of Crocus Hill,” moving to its current Grand Avenue location in 1988. The leadership team includes co-founders of Thrice, Martha Kaemmer and Mary Rice, and Karl Benson, who joined Cooks in 1997 and introduced new ideas such as Corporate Events and Crop Shares/Farm Shares. They state that they believe “life happens in the kitchen” and focus on improving culinary lives and community through sharing experiences about food and “life in the kitchen.” They describe themselves as the largest kitchen retailer in the Midwest, and they host guest chefs, including a past visit from Jacques Pépin, who once taught a cooking class to eight students. They also operate Cooks | Bellecour as an immersive culinary experience where people can eat, engage with each other, and enjoy food.
Testimonials about their classes and customer service include comments from Maurice at 3M, who described a class as “a very engaging way to entertain clients” with “fantastic, helpful, and patient staff.” Another participant, Michael E., called it the “Best date night ever” and recommended the Saint Paul location. Heather S. said, “This class was the best money I have spent in a long time,” and highlighted that the chef “made the complicated simple.” Troy described the customer service as “AMAZING” and said, “I have never experienced customer service like this.”
Last updated June 27, 2026.
The Kids & Teens Cooking Camps program is run by Cooks of Crocus Hill, which has been locally owned and operated for over 50 years. The organization began in 1973 as “Thrice” in St. Paul, and the name later changed to “Cooks of Crocus Hill,” moving to its current Grand Avenue location in 1988. The leadership team includes co-founders of Thrice, Martha Kaemmer and Mary Rice, and Karl Benson, who joined Cooks in 1997 and introduced new ideas such as Corporate Events and Crop Shares/Farm Shares. They state that they believe “life happens in the kitchen” and focus on improving culinary lives and community through sharing experiences about food and “life in the kitchen.” They describe themselves as the largest kitchen retailer in the Midwest, and they host guest chefs, including a past visit from Jacques Pépin, who once taught a cooking class to eight students. They also operate Cooks | Bellecour as an immersive culinary experience where people can eat, engage with each other, and enjoy food.
Testimonials about their classes and customer service include comments from Maurice at 3M, who described a class as “a very engaging way to entertain clients” with “fantastic, helpful, and patient staff.” Another participant, Michael E., called it the “Best date night ever” and recommended the Saint Paul location. Heather S. said, “This class was the best money I have spent in a long time,” and highlighted that the chef “made the complicated simple.” Troy described the customer service as “AMAZING” and said, “I have never experienced customer service like this.”
Last updated June 27, 2026.
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