Cookbook Club Naarm lands at Eva Richmond House
Late last month Richmond House looked a little different. The sofas were still there and the materials library was still open, but across three long tables sat more than 100 baked goods. There was an eight layer chocolate cake finished with gold leaf, a three tiered showstopper with buttercream matched to the cover of the cookbook and plenty of things in between.
We had opened our doors to Cookbook Club Naarm for their two year anniversary, their 18th gathering since co-founders Joan Tran and Dominique Lonsdale started the club at Carlton Gardens in 2024. For one evening Richmond House became a room full of home bakers, good food and people meeting for the first time.
What is Cookbook Club Naarm?
Part supper club and part book club, the idea is simple. Each month the organisers Joan and Dominique choose a cookbook and attendees sign up to a shared spreadsheet, pick a recipe and make it at home. Then everyone brings their dish along to share.
For this gathering, the cookbook was The Bakers' Book, an anthology of Australian baking edited by Ruby Goss.
For the anniversary gathering, more than 100 people arrived with something they had made at home. For many of them, they arrived without knowing anyone else in the room.
Why it works
Joan put it simply. When you bring something to the table, you have something to talk about and something to feel proud of.
It is a small thing, but it makes meeting new people feel easy. Everyone has brought something, everyone has something to share and before long a room full of strangers starts to feel a little less strange.
First timer Nu Tran called it “the music festival for people in their 30s”. Regular attendee Ingrid Yu brought a three tiered cake inspired by the colours of the cookbook and has made real friendships through the club. The kind of friendships she says she probably wouldn't have made otherwise.
Why Richmond House?
Richmond House was made to be used. The sofas are there to sit on, the kitchen is there to cook in and the materials library is there to explore. It is a showroom, but it is also a home, and on this night it became the perfect setting for a room full of people who had spent the afternoon baking.
Opening the doors to communities like Cookbook Club Naarm is a big part of what we want Richmond House to be. A place to come together, try something new and spend a little time with people you might not otherwise meet.
And, occasionally, a place with more than 100 cakes on the table.
What's next?
Cookbook Club Naarm meets each month and tickets tend to go quickly. Follow along to find out when the next gathering is happening, and keep an eye on what's coming up at Eva Richmond House.
Visit Eva Richmond House
575 Church Street, Richmond VIC
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday, 10am-6pm
Sunday, 10am-5pm
