Pastry Chef Alex Kujawa and Chef/owner Amy Edelman

Amy Beth Edelman
Chef/Owner

Amy has over 20 years of experience as a chef. Her interest in cooking began during restaurant work in high school and her passion for food began at birth. Her enthusiasm for creating and appreciating well-prepared food lead her to culinary school.

She attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York a year after graduating high school. Immediately after graduation in 1988, she worked at the CIA as a fellowship. She has worked as a pastry cook and chef at the five-star Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida, The Intercontinental Hotel in New York City and at EuroDisney in France. After returning from France she was the chef at a Chestnut Hill restaurant called Pollo Rosso. In 1996, she started a small catering business and sold it to buy The Night Kitchen Bakery in 2000. She now owns two successful locations; the Chestnut Hill store and a Doylestown store, opened in 2004.

Amy has appeared on Philadelphia's NBC affiliate, the 10! Show, numerous times to demonstrate everything from Halloween ghost cupcakes to sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving. She has also appeared on CN8's Your Morning, Fox News and has taped an edition of Seeking Solutions with Suzanne.

Amy grew up in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia and attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She was the local coordinator for Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) for two years and is still an active member. Amy recently completed a one week apprenticeship at San Francisco's famed bakery Citizen Cake as a WCR Scholarship recipient. Amy was invited to become a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier in 2008. Amy married chef John Millard in 2002. Shortly after they married he began running the bakery with Amy.

John Millard
Chef/Owner

John Millard, a graduate of the University of Illinois, has honed his craft in such kitchens as Cafe Max in Florida as well as the White Dog Cafe and Odeon in his adopted city of Philadelphia. After marrying Amy in 2002, John joined the Night Kitchen Staff. A motivated self learner, John easily adapted his savory cooking skills to baking. John bakes the majority of the cakes, cookies, pies and prepares the cake fillings and icings.

John has two sons, Andrew (18) who attends Lehigh University and Danny (14) who attends Lower Merion High School in Lower Merion. John's love for computers and information led him to create the Night Kitchen blog.

Peri Anderson
Pastry Chef

Peri, a Brooklyn, NY native, graduated from Wagner College with a degree in Arts Administration. Though her focus was art and music, Peri gravitated toward the art of cake decorating. In addition to food related classes taken at the New School University in Manhattan, she interned with Chef Andrew Niede of Wedding Cakes by Design. As an intern, Peri assisted the house chef of La Cucina Italiana magazine with catered events and food styling.

Her latest wedding cake design can be seen in the Summer 2008 issue of Philadelphia Elegant Wedding Magazine. Peri married Brian Anderson of the band Fooling April on August 9th, 2008.

Alex Kujawa
Assistant Pastry Chef

Alex has been a creative force at the bakery for nearly as long as Amy has owned it. Alex is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University with a degree in Pastry Arts. She has a beautiful baby girl named Mischa.

Jennifer Low
Assistant Pastry Chef

Jennifer grew up in neighboring Germantown and is a graduate of Germantown Friends School. She then went on to earn her BA in liberal arts from Wesleyan University with a major in anthropology. After college she attended the Culinary Institute of America where she graduated as valedictorian with an Associates Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. Jenny joined the Night Kitchen seasonally as an intern during college and is now thrilled to be a permanent staff member.

Organizations we belong to:

Slow Food - slowfoodusa.org
Women Chefs and Restaurateurs - womenchefs.org
Les Dames d'Escoffier - ldei.org
Sustainable Business Network - sbnphiladelphia.org
National Resources Defence Council - nrdc.org