New England Coastal Cooking Retreat

What's Included in your Culinary Retreat Tickets:

• A festive welcome dinner
• 2 days of hands-on cooking lessons with Milk Street senior cooks
• Local, seasonal produce from Massachusetts’ North Shore.
• Sunday dinner, Monday lunch & dinner, and Tuesday brunch.
• 1 field trip to learn about local fishing economy

Tickets purchased here are for the Cooking activities only and do not include lodging. See below for more information on lodging.

About the Retreat
Join Milk Street’s Director of Culinary Production Wes Martin and Director of Recipe Development Courtney Hill for a hands-on cooking extravaganza in Rockport, Massachusetts. You’ll learn to cook with local seafood—no cod, salmon or shrimp allowed—and make lavish vegetable-focused dishes using the best seasonal produce.

The retreat starts with a Welcome Dinner on Sunday evening cooked by Wes and Courtney. You’ll get to know your fellow students and learn about the days ahead. Monday morning, we’ll visit Turners, a Massachusetts seafood institution, to learn about the fishing economy and the fish only locals and chefs know about, such as redfish (Rosie’s favorite for fish tacos), tautog (a meaty white fish perfect for stews) and hyper-local varieties of shellfish. We will bring those back to the Addison Choate—a boutique hotel where we’re the only guests—to hone our fish cookery skills under Courtney’s and Wes’ expert guidance. Expect comparative tastings, skill challenges and lots of cooking. We’ll incorporate New England’s fantastic fall produce into every meal and make it the focus of a farewell brunch we cook together on Tuesday morning.

We offer only a very small handful of these retreats per year. This one is limited to just 10 students. Get your tickets now.

Wes Martin: Wes Martin is an accomplished cook, writer, producer, stylist and food media professional. Currently, as Culinary Production Director for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, he oversees the culinary staff, facility and content creation for books, magazines and video. He has worked with many of the biggest names in the television and food publishing world including Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, Tyler Florence, Paula Deen, Jacques Torres, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. He is a consultant, recipe developer, tester for major publishing houses and the author of three cookbooks. Wes has produced, hosted and styled cooking segments for cable and network television lifestyle media shows and spent two years as Martha Stewart’s kitchen manager and TV chef on her daytime talk show, which premiered in 2004.

Courtney Hill: Courtney Hill is the Director of Recipe Development and the Head Recipe Developer at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. She oversees the conception, testing and recipe writing for all Milk Street book, magazine and digital content. Before joining Milk Street, Courtney studied at the Culinary Institute of America and spent close to 20 years working in professional kitchens. The native inland Texan fell in love with seafood and ocean oddities when she butchered her first bluefish at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The pull of the ocean drew her further northeast where she spent seven years in coastal Maine. She was the chef de cuisine at Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, where she not only became a quick oyster shucker, but worked with an assortment of fishmongers, shellfish farmers and seaweed foragers. From them, she learned of lesser known fish varieties, as well as the magical world of underwater shelled creatures.

Is this an in-person event?

Yes. This event takes place at Addison Choate Boutique Hotel in Rockport, Massachusetts. Book your rooms here.

What are my transport options getting to the event?

You can find the location of Addison Choate here. All attendees are responsible for their own transportation.

Is my registration ticket refundable?

No. We do not offer refunds for in-person registrations. However, your ticket is fully transferable to another person for this event on these dates. You are responsible for finding someone to use your ticket, arranging reimbursement, and for sending us the new attendee's full name, contact information, and any special dietary requests.

If you purchased tickets for this class on behalf of someone else, please be sure to forward this message to them so they can come prepared.

Are meals included?

Yes. Addison Choate provides breakfast for guests every day. We provide a Welcome Dinner and you will be making two lunches and one dinner.

Is lodging included?

No. Tickets purchased here are for the Cooking activities only and do not include lodging. All guests must stay at The Addison Choate Boutique Hotel. Milk Street students will be the only guests September 28-30, 2025.

I have an allergy or dietary restriction. Can I still come?

We work hard to accommodate as many allergies and dietary needs as possible. You are welcome to write us at Y29va2luZ3NjaG9vbCB8IDE3N21pbGtzdHJlZXQgISBjb20= to get more detailed information on whether this event is a good fit for you.

Are children allowed?

Children 11-17 are allowed to participate if they attend and cook with an adult parent or guardian. The minor and the adult must each have a ticket to the event.

How many people does one ticket cover?

One ticket covers one attendee.

How early do I need to arrive?

Sunday's Welcome Dinner starts at 6 p.m. Please plan to arrive to Addison Choate by 5 p.m.

I'm an Insider. Do I get a discount to the in-person classes?

This event is not hosted at Milk Street, so Insider benefits do not apply to it.

These dates don't work for me. Will this class be offered again soon?

We offer in-person events on a very limited basis. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that this class will be offered again soon.

Where can I contact the organizer with further questions?

Write to us with any other questions at Y29va2luZ3NjaG9vbCB8IDE3N21pbGtzdHJlZXQgISBjb20=.

The Addison Choate Boutique Hotel has nine recently renovated ensuite rooms each with unique features. Milk Street students will be the only guests September 28-30, 2025.

The Addison Choate Boutique Hotel is nestled in the seaside village of Rockport, MA and nearby you’ll find a vast array of activities to enjoy. Whether you take a leisurely stroll along the coast or dine at Bearskin Neck, you can come back to Addison Choate with peace of mind. All of our rooms come with en suite marble bathrooms that provide a refreshing spa-like retreat. In addition to updated bathrooms, we have also added all-new beds and mattresses in each and every room. The new mattresses are a hybrid coil and foam that we promise will provide one of the most comfortable and rejuvenating sleeping experiences you’ve had in a long time. If you are feeling adventurous you can also take advantage of our fleet of rental bikes that are here on site for your convenience. Here at Addison Choate we try to be as accommodating as possible with our guests. Please notify us as soon as possible regarding any issues with your reservation and we will work with you to find a reasonable solution.

Contact information:
Marshall and Courtney Tulley
cmVzZXJ2YXRpb25zIHwgYWRkaXNvbmNob2F0ZSAhIGNvbQ==
978.546.7543
49 Broadway
Rockport, MA 01966

Make your reservation here!

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