Photos by Michael Piazza

Tucked away behind bustling Cabot Street in Beverly is a hidden gem: Fennel House Studio. As you open the sage green door on a warm brick facade, it’s as if you were walking into someone’s home. Brita Potenza and Nico Reilly gifted Beverly with this serene space back in November of 2021 and have been promoting creativity within the community ever since.

“There are so many wonderful and beautifully talented people within the community,” Brita says. “We give them this unique space to do what they love.” Incidentally, Brita is owner and creator of With Flour in Her Hair—a Beverly caterer—and a photographer, pastry chef, recipe developer and stylist. Nico is an art director at PUMA.

The bright, open studio has many offerings. It’s an ideal spot for small to medium-sized productions, from photo shoots to cooking classes and yoga classes to art shows to lectures and workshops to small gatherings including baby showers, social events and pop-up dinners (with in-house catering!). A corner of the space has a cozy seating nook with yellow ochre velvet couches and plush pillows.

In another corner, an open-concept kitchen with warm wooden countertops, brass hardware and modern farmhouse touches can be used for food photography, product promotion, commercial shoots, testing recipes, food bloggers and creative film. The options are endless.

As Brita boasts, “One of my favorite things at Fennel House Studio is the community dinners, all family-style, highlighting local fare.” Take a seat next to a new friend at a long table with intricate arrangements created by local florists, dishware made by a local ceramicist and hand-dyed napkins. Each course from the carefully curated menu by With Flour in Her Hair is a work of art and utilizes the best bounty from local farms and vendors. A recent Mediterranean-themed menu included fire-roasted puréed eggplant, with mint, sumac and pomegranate; local hummus with house-made pita, smoked chili flakes and grilled vegetables; roasted heirloom carrots (from Three Sisters in Ipswich) with seasonal citrus, herbs, pistachio and cumin crème fraîche; lamb kabobs with warm labneh sauce; and a showstopping dessert galette of roasted apricots, pistachio cream and flaky pie crust with housemade orange blossom honey ice cream. Over the summer, the team hosted an “I’ll have what she’s having” dinner-and-a-movie night featuring a menu inspired by the projected movie, Chef.

It’s also worth highlighting that a portion of each pop-up dinner ticket goes into a Fennel House Dinner fund. The purpose of this fund is to offer this wonderful dining experience to various community groups that support women in domestic violence shelters, students in recovery and unhoused individuals.

In addition to the curated dinners, With Flour in Her Hair (the name is a nod to a Led Zeppelin lyric) sells heritage grain pastries and specialty baked goods with seasonal ingredients, including savory hand pies, heirloom-grain scones, brown butter apple cider mini Bundt cakes, double-crust apple pie, pumpkin pies and chicken pot pies. All of these delicious creations can be ordered ahead online.

As the holiday season approaches, Fennel House Studio plans to hold its third annual Holiday Market on December 9 featuring a With Flour in Her Hair pop-up and showcasing local artisans and vendors. Conveniently, the studio also has an abundance of parking and is close to the Beverly Depot commuter rail.

fennelhousestudio.com
228R Cabot St, Beverly

This story appeared in the Winter 2024 issue.