The Real Food Academy Miami, FL meet the team.

Meet the Team

At The Real Food Academy, we take pride in our amazing team of chefs, support staff, and culinary experts who are dedicated to bringing healthy, real food to our customers and classes. With a shared passion for creating delicious and nutritious meals, our team is committed to providing an exceptional culinary experience.

4.9 Star Rating

The Real Food Academy Miami Team

Arthur Cummins - The Real Food Academy Miami

Arthur Cummins

Co-Founder

As the visionary behind the Real Food Academy, Arthur Cummins brings a unique blend of business acumen and a passion for wholesome living to the forefront. With a passion for nutrition and a wealth of business, sales, and marketing expertise, Arthur Cummins has been the driving force behind the company's remarkable success.

Guided by a deep commitment to health and well-being, Arthur Cummins has skillfully shaped the messaging and mission of the Real Food Academy. Their pioneering vision combines the art of cooking with an unwavering dedication to real, unprocessed foods. This innovative approach has not only set the academy apart but also resonated with a growing community seeking a healthier way of living.

Arthur Cummins' leadership has firmly established the Real Food Academy as a beacon of culinary education and mindful eating. Their dedication to fostering a connection between food and nourishment has touched countless lives and inspired a generation to embrace real, wholesome ingredients while steering clear of ultra-processed alternatives.

Through Arthur Cummins' tireless efforts, the Real Food Academy continues to empower individuals to make informed choices about what they eat and how they cook. Join Arthur Cummins on this extraordinary culinary journey towards a healthier, more delicious future.

Chef Maria Cummins - The Real Food Academy Miami

Chef Maria Cummins

Head Chef & Co-Founder

Born in Venezuela, Maria Cummins discovered her deep-rooted passion for food from an early age. Her culinary journey led her to Lima, Peru, where she immersed herself in the rich secrets of Peruvian gastronomy during part of her childhood. In her early twenties, she embarked on a new chapter by coming to the United States and delving into the Hospitality Industry in Boston, Massachusetts.

Maria's culinary adventure continued as she relocated to San Diego, California, where she made her mark by opening the renowned El Tucan Restaurant. Her extensive travels and diverse experiences greatly influenced her innovative culinary style, shaping the unique approach she is celebrated for today.

During her time in San Diego, Chef Maria not only honed her culinary skills but also gained a profound understanding of the importance of nutrition, particularly through the use of organic and unprocessed ingredients.

Today, Maria Cummins is the proud owner, founder, and head chef of the Real Food Academy, a culinary haven nestled in the vibrant city of Miami. Here, both kids and adults come together every week to share the joy of connecting through the power of Real Food and Real Fun!

Chef Toni - The Real Food Academy Miami

Chef Toni

Chef

Food is my passion! I started out at 8yrs old cooking with my Italian Grandma. I have lived and traveled all over the world and always found myself cooking. Be it at the beach in the Cap Verde Islands or in Senegal on a wood fire on the ground or in India’s ashram making Chapati. I love food and people. I am fluent in English, French and Spanish making communication easy. I am a certified IIN health coach, raw food and pastry chef from the Living Light Culinary Institute and detox and functional nutrition coach from FxNA Functional Nutrition Alliance and Therapeutic Dietetics at Intstitut FP Sanitaria Roger de Lluria.

I was the owner of “Toni’s “ organic restaurant in Barcelona, Spain and have taught cooking classes since 2005 all over Europe and the USA. My motive is we are what we eat so fill it with healthy food, passion and make it with lots of love.

Chef Isa - The Real Food Academy Miami

Chef Isa

Chef

Hi! I’m Chef Isa! And I play different roles at The Academy. Sometimes you’ll see me cooking with kids and teaching the importance of eating Real Food or you can see me styling and photographing a beautiful dish for our social media!

Truth is I’ve always been passionate about food. From cooking with my abuelita as a little kid to having two different careers and making it into one.

I’m a Chef and Marketing graduate, with experience in different roles in the food industry. I strongly believe that as long as you do what you love and be at your natural best you’ll be inspiring only good things! That’s why I #inspirelovethroughfood.

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Rave Reviews for The Real Food Academy

proud to have a 4.9 star rating & 700+ reviews

  • Daniel Gilles

    Amazing time!! Chef Paolo was enthusiastic and hilarious we eat we laughed we learned we drank if I could come back every week I would!
  • Alex Perez

    Did the pasta class with my wife. Chef Tony was awesome. Great event, good pacing, delicious food!
  • Stephanie Wendling Hampton

    Had an amazing time as always! I highly recommend as a date or friends hangout!!
  • Jeff Kahan

    So fun!
  • Keren Marom

    The Real Food Academy is an AMAZING place for any event! Everything was so professional, clean, well-prepared, catered to our group's culinary needs, and simply FUN! Thank you Chef Maria and the entire team for an unforgettable experience!! Keren
  • Jeanne Spivack

    Everything was amazing! Chef Toni was wonderful and the food was fantastic! We loved every minute of our celebration!! Thank you!!!
  • Liza S

    We had a great time celebrating a friend’s birthday. Chef Toni took her time explaining and teaching us m. The food was delicious. Great for all ages.
  • Rudi Smit

    A Huge Thank You to the Real Food Academy! On behalf of the entire Carnival Adventures Leadership Conference team, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Real Food Academy for hosting us last night. It was truly an incredible team-building experience and the perfect way to close out our conference on a high note. From start to finish, the event was flawlessly executed, with every detail thoughtfully planned to ensure a fun, engaging, and inclusive atmosphere. The team at Real Food Academy went above and beyond to make the evening special, and it was evident in the enthusiasm and joy shared by all. Everyone had an absolute blast! We deeply appreciate your dedication and effort in making this such a memorable experience. Without a doubt, we’ll be looking forward to booking with you again in the future. Thank you again for everything—you made our event truly exceptional!
  • Christopher Froemming

    Amazing
  • Jelena Brocic

    Amazing and unique experience! Thank you so much for having us !
  • loyson pereira

    This place is amazing and the chef Maria Cummins is amazing
  • MATEUSZ KINOWSKI

    A lot of fun to specially with larger groups. Highly recommended!!!
  • Gabriella

    Amazing evening with Chef Maria and Chef Toni!!!! So much fun … one of the best team building events ever!!!!
  • Patty Flores

    We just celebrated our daughter's 7th birthday at The Real Food Academy this past Sunday and the simplest way to describe our experience is that is was AMAZING! To get into more detail, I cannot say enough great things about Chef Maya and Chef Ray, wow wow wow...with a party of over 22 kids (yes 22) their patience, attentiveness, and engagement was out of this world!! They were kind, caring, understanding and most of all made sure every single one of the kids was engaged and having a great time! All the parents that stayed for the party were in awwwe and could not believe what a wonderful event this was. The facility is beautiful, clean, welcoming and of course the free parking is a super plus!! We will definitely be back to try a more adult experience, but my daughter and her friends are already asking when their next cooking class will be! I would rate The Real Food Academy, Maya, Ray and their team 10 stars if I could!
  • Lillian Gomez

    Chef Toni and Carmen were welcoming and very attentive throughout our experience. Everything was delicious, we had a wonderful birthday celebration for our favorite girls!
  • Cherie Ortega

    Had a Great experience doing Asian theme meals. Chef Toni and Carmen were awesome instructors. Definitely interested in doing this again.
  • Ted Matthews

    A great change of pace - learn a little, drink a little, eat a little.
  • Marcelo Gutierrez

    An excellent place, excellent atmosphere, my daughter had fun, the people who attend are wonderful, highly recommended the place
  • Eva Badia

    I have attended several cooking courses and I loved the experience. All recipes are designed by Chef Maria and her team to use healthy and fresh products, making all dishes delicious.
  • Eileen Kalin

    Wow!!! Such an incredible evening!!! Chef Maria was absolutely amazing!! Her knowledge of the best ingredients to create an amazing delicious and nutritious meal was so eye opening! Such a fun, festive and healthy culinary experience!! Don’t walk, run to the next cooking event at the Real Food Academy!!!!!!😊

Real Food FAQs

No. All Payments and Deposits are non-refundable: When a payment or deposit is made, that day and time is no longer available to other customers on our calendar. For that reason, all payments and deposits are non-refundable.

In the case of a cooking class, the ingredients are shopped for and prepped in advance. Staff is also scheduled according to the number of people on the roster.

See our Wine and Beer list for your in-house kids party options. Optionally, you can bring your own wine or beer and page a corkage fee.

Corkage Fees

  • $15 per 750 ml bottle of wine
  • $30 per 1.5 L bottle of wine

Bring outside beer: $40 for beer (any quantity)

We love it when our customers decorate our place. That said, you have no idea how difficult it is to clean these types of things up. As far as noisemakers go......you will be glad you left them at home as well. So please do not bring any of those things.

Dish by Dish, Skill by Skill

Here are a few of the things you'll learn at the Real Food Academy:

The Real Food Academy Miami - International Cookery

International Cookery

In every lesson, we will travel around the world and prepare traditional dishes utilizing healthy ingredients (the ones that are good for you!) We will be offering lessons on breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, and dinner preparation.

The Real Food Academy Miami - How to Mise en Place

How to Mise en Place

Organize your meal preparation ahead of time. This way you'll have more time to enjoy with family and friends and less time worrying about the actual cooking part of a meal.

The Real Food Academy Miami - Portion Control

Portion Control

Don't go hungry, just eat what’s right for you! You will not go hungry or suffer from energy depletion if you eat the right foods. We will teach you how to identify and choose the right ingredients, portions and how to combine different types of food for your benefit.

The Real Food Academy Miami - Knife Skills & Cooking Techniques

Knife Skills & Cooking Techniques

Master the art of professionals and cook anything the healthy way! For example, learning how to cut properly can make the difference between seeing kitchen work as a chore and a joy.

The Real Food Academy Miami - Choosing Disease-Preventing Foods

Choosing Disease-Preventing Foods

Learn the power of nutrient-rich herbs, spices, vegetables, low sugar fruits, non-processed meats and many more foods that are rich in antioxidants, resveratol, vitamins and minerals essential in healthy eating.

The Real Food Academy Miami - International Cookery

International Cookery

In every lesson, we will travel around the world and prepare traditional dishes utilizing healthy ingredients (the ones that are good for you!) We will be offering lessons on breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, and dinner preparation.

The Real Food Academy Miami - How to Mise en Place

How to Mise en Place

Organize your meal preparation ahead of time. This way you'll have more time to enjoy with family and friends and less time worrying about the actual cooking part of a meal.

The Real Food Academy Miami - Portion Control

Portion Control

Don't go hungry, just eat what’s right for you! You will not go hungry or suffer from energy depletion if you eat the right foods. We will teach you how to identify and choose the right ingredients, portions and how to combine different types of food for your benefit.

The Real Food Academy Miami - Knife Skills & Cooking Techniques

Knife Skills & Cooking Techniques

Master the art of professionals and cook anything the healthy way! For example, learning how to cut properly can make the difference between seeing kitchen work as a chore and a joy.

The Real Food Academy Miami - Choosing Disease-Preventing Foods

Choosing Disease-Preventing Foods

Learn the power of nutrient-rich herbs, spices, vegetables, low sugar fruits, non-processed meats and many more foods that are rich in antioxidants, resveratol, vitamins and minerals essential in healthy eating.

A group of kids at The Real Food Academy Miami's cooking camps.

100%

Hands-On

All our classes are 100% hands-on and, unlike other cooking schools, we are not limited to any one cuisine!

The Real Food Academy Miami serving dish icon.

Unveiling the Real Culinary Philosophy

At our cooking school in Miami, Florida, we abide by a simple yet transformative mantra:

“We don’t change the dish, we change the ingredients!”

If a cooking school and functional medicine had a baby - it would be The Real Food Academy Miami. This philosophy empowers our aspiring chefs, both young and adult, to cook what they love while incorporating healthy, all-natural substitutes. The result? Meals that are not only better for them but also taste better, creating a harmonious blend of health and flavor.

Real Food Blog

An image of The Real Food Academy's winter salad recipe - perfect for the holidays in Miami, FL

5 Must-Try Healthy Holiday Recipes from The Real Food Academy Miami

Are you looking for delicious and nutritious meals to serve this holiday season? The Real Food Academy team has put together a list of 5 recipes that you can follow step-by-step or use as inspiration for your own holiday creations!

Kids Birthday Party with The Real Food Academy in Miami.

65 Ideas for an Unforgettable Kids Birthday Party in Miami

At The Real Food Academy in Miami, we know planning a birthday party can be overwhelming and stressful, but we're here to make it easy and fun. Read on to see a few of our favorite themes to choose from.

Knife Skills Every Beginner Cook Should Know with The Real Food Academy in Miami

Knife Skills Every Beginner Cook Should Know

One of the first skills novice chefs need to acquire is proficient knife handling. Learn more about these key knife skills for beginners, brought to you by The Real Food Academy in Miami!

4 Essential Tips for Overcoming Anxiety About Cooking with The Real Food Academy in Miami.

4 Essential Tips for Overcoming Anxiety About Cooking

With these tips from The Real Food Academy in Miami, you'll be able to conquer your fear of the kitchen and enjoy delicious homemade meals in no time.

Essential Tips to Make You a Better Cook with The Real Food Academy.

Essential Tips to Make You a Better Cook

It takes patience and practice to become a great cook. With a few tips from The Real Food Academy in Miami, you'll be on your way to creating delicious and impressive dishes in no time.

How to Get the Most Out of a Cooking Class with The Real Food Academy in Miami.

How to Get the Most Out of a Cooking Class in Miami

At The Real Food Academy in Miami, we believe that cooking is about creating an experience. Read on for some tips about how to get the most out of a cooking class!

Real Food Recipes

The Real Food Academy Miami's baked apple cinnamon empanadas recipe.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Empanadas

dessert
latin
The Real Food Academy Miami asian cole slaw recipe.

Asian Cole Slaw

salad
asian
The Real Food Academy Miami avocado fries recipe.

Avocado Fries

snack
Crunch fries on a plate, The Real Food Academy Miami baked fries recipe.

Baked Fries

appetizer
american
The Real Food Academy Miami berry sorbet with super food toppings, try it today!

Berry Sorbet with Super Food Toppings

dessert
italian

Dietary Accommodations

Real Flavor for Everyone

At The Real Food Academy Miami, we take pride in crafting culinary experiences that are not only delectable but also safe for every palate. Our dedicated team understands the significance of dietary accommodations, and we go the extra mile to ensure that every participant can savor our creations without worry.

From gluten-free alternatives to nut-free options, we're well-versed in a wide range of allergies and dietary restrictions. Our kitchen is equipped with the latest tools and techniques to prevent cross-contamination, and our instructors are adept at adapting recipes to suit individual needs.

You can trust that at our academy, your safety and satisfaction are our top priorities. Join us for a flavorful journey where allergies are never a barrier to delicious dining!

We offer a variety of dietary accommodations, including but not limited to:

Gluten Free
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Nut Free
Soy Free
Soy Free
Vegetarian
Vegetarian
Vegan
Vegan

Real Food. Real Connections

Elevate Your Culinary Expertise with Classes at The Real Food Academy

Special Announcements

The Real Food Academy Is Franchising

The Real Food Academy is now offering a fun & family-friendly franchise opportunity. We are expanding and inviting franchisees to join us on our culinary journey! Follow us on Instagram and Learn how you can #inspirelovethroughfood!

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