Where Education Meets Enjoyment
A Fun Life Skill That Will Last Forever
At Taste Budds Cooking School, we’ve been bringing hands-on cooking experiences to children across the GTA for over a decade and we’re excited to now be heading into our second decade of inspiring young chefs. Through our lunchtime and after-school programs, in-school workshops, birthday parties, and private classes, we create a space where kids can explore food, build confidence, and have fun.
Our classes go far beyond following a recipe. Children develop important life skills like time management, teamwork, kitchen safety, and problem-solving; all while discovering new flavours and learning the joy of making food from scratch.
about us
Cultivating both Interest And Skill
We strive to create an environment where every child feels proud of what they’ve made and excited to keep cooking.
Hey, I’m Marnee Birnbaum-Pearl
It’s never too late or too early to start your cooking journey!
I am the founder and Owner of Taste Budds Cooking School. I have spent my whole life with a love of cooking and educating children and have been teaching since I was 15. After graduating from Western University in 2009 with a degree in Sociology, I found myself stuck in the same position as many newly graduated students – “I don’t know what I want to do with my life.”
I worked for two years as a PSW helping two wonderful little girls with Cerebral Palsy. With a love of cooking and still unable to decide my future, I enrolled myself in Culinary School at George Brown College. After two years, in 2012, I graduated with honors from the George Brown Culinary Management Program.
I spent the next four years working at various restaurants and daycare centres. Although I loved my jobs, I felt it was time for me to branch out and finally open my own business. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I knew that owning my own company would be the right choice for me. However, I needed to find a way of combining my love of cooking with my passion to teach children.
In 2016, I founded Taste Budds Cooking School for Kids. Since then, Taste Budds has been teaching children in lunchtime and afterschool cooking classes throughout various schools in the GTA. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of teaching thousands of children through our programs. We offer in-school field trips, workshops, birthday parties, private cooking lessons, and summer cooking camps. I believe that it is important for children to learn life skills at a young age. As such, my classes also instruct them on time management, math skills, leadership, kitchen safety, and self confidence.
I feel so lucky that I get to do exactly what I love to do, and I look forward to meeting so many of you soon!
the Taste Budds approach
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Life Skills That Last
Through each class, children develop valuable life skills such as time management, teamwork, kitchen safety, and confidence. We naturally incorporate math and problem-solving along the way, helping kids grow both in and out of the kitchen.
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Hands-On Learning
Kids learn best by doing. In every class, children actively measure, mix, chop, and create their own dishes from start to finish, building independence and confidence in the kitchen.
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Fun Every Step of the Way
Above all, our classes are fun. We create a positive, supportive environment where kids can be creative, try new things, and feel proud of what they’ve made, making every class an experience they look forward to.