Welcome to Cottage Cooking Classes

Brian Averna is a nationally renowned culinarian and food innovation expert having worked in many segments of the food industry ranging from culinary, sales, R&D, marketing and media.

As Sara Lee's Senior Executive Chef, Brian appeared on several national media outlets which included The Tony Danza Show, Rachael Ray, Paula Dean's Paula's Party, ESPN, MSNBC, NPR, ABC, CBS, Marketplace, and Fox and Friends. He's appeared on The Today Show several times over the years.

In 2005, Brian was the architect of the World's Largest Birthday Cake weighing in at 132,000 pounds celebrating Las Vegas' 100th birthday - a remarkable achievement showcasing his expertise in large-scale culinary production.

Brian has constructed dozens of food innovations which have been served at some of America's largest food chains, C-Stores and CPG outlets. These include Sam's Club, 7-11, IHOP, Kwik Trip, Burger King, Waffle House, Mohegan Sun, Dunkin', Panera, Costco, Sonic, Firehouse Subs, Subway, Quizno's, Palermo's Pizza, Wienerschnitzel, Pret A Manger and more.

His education at The Culinary Institute of America along with his extensive food travels have provided him with the tools to be inventive while keeping his finger on the pulse of America's palates.

After retiring from full time work, Brian has been teaching eager foodies at a few local Connecticut cooking institutions. Today, Brian has opened his own cooking studio; Cottage Cooking in New Haven CT, where he shares his love of savory and baked goods with his students of all ages.