I’m back with another edition of The Cottage Corner, where I spotlight cottage food operators in South Jersey. Next, let’s explore The Crooked Spoon LLC based in Cherry Hill.
The Crooked Spoon LLC is proving that some of the most compelling food stories don’t begin in commercial kitchens—but at home, shaped by family traditions, lifelong curiosity, and a willingness to start again.
Nancy Ryan is the baker behind The Crooked Spoon, a NJ-permitted cottage food operation (CFO #2453). Her love of baking is deeply rooted. She learned family recipes early from her Italian mother and grandmother, which were later reinforced while working as a teenager in a traditional Italian bakery in Brooklyn. That early exposure left a lasting imprint and a lifelong love of baking.
Ryan’s professional path initially led her far from the oven. Her academic background is in wildlife biology, botany, ecology, and evolutionary biology, and she later earned a New Jersey teaching certificate through the alternate route program. Over the years, she built a diverse career in education, working as a park ranger, museum educator and director, science teacher, preschool teacher, educational assistant, and substitute teacher. She also spent time as a stay-at-home mom raising four sons.
At 45, Ryan made a decisive pivot. She returned to school to formally pursue baking, enrolling in the culinary program at The Culinary Arts Center at RCBC (Rowan College at Burlington County) in Mount Holly. There, she is working toward a Baking Certificate, which she will earn in May 2026. The program offers associate degrees and certificates in culinary and hospitality, and Ryan describes the experience as deeply rewarding. Learning from chef professors in a structured culinary environment has been transformative.
That education soon translated into a small business. In January 2025, after months of planning and navigating a rigorous approval process, Ryan officially launched The Crooked Spoon LLC as a Cottage Food Operator in New Jersey. New Jersey is known for having some of the strictest cottage food regulations in the country, and Ryan proudly holds not only her CFO permit, but also an LLC, FLIP insurance, and a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification—credentials that reflect her commitment to professionalism, food safety, and customer trust.
The Crooked Spoon’s menu reflects Ryan’s background and interests: approachable, nostalgic, and carefully crafted. Her offerings include fruit pies; breakfast favorites like cinnamon buns, English muffins, crumb cake, and banana bread; a variety of breads such as French milk bread, pita, naan, challah, and brioche; and classic desserts ranging from pound cake and chocolate cake with ganache to donuts, peach upside-down cake, and rugelach.
Among the top sellers are cinnamon buns, cherry pie, crumb cake, and a “weeknight” chocolate cake that has earned a loyal following. Sample boxes—designed to give customers a taste of multiple items—are also consistently popular.
Beyond baking, Ryan is committed to sharing knowledge. Once an educator, always an educator, right? Through her YouTube channel, she posts recipes, demonstrates techniques, and offers guidance for others interested in navigating New Jersey’s cottage food operator process. On social media, particularly Instagram and Facebook, she documents her work with an educator’s eye, inviting followers into both the creative and technical sides of her business.
The Crooked Spoon is more than a hobby turned business; it’s the result of deep passion for baking, a nod to family traditions, and a clear-eyed commitment to doing things the right way. Nancy Ryan’s second act is rising, one carefully measured recipe at a time.
I accepted a few samples of Nancy’s challah bread, cinnamon buns, and “weeknight” chocolate cake. I absolutely recommend ordering from The Crooked Spoon and feeling good about supporting this small, cottage food baker who is clearly passionate about baking and committed to producing scrumptious classic baked goods.
Give Nancy’s baked goods a try and when you order from her and show your Frequent Diner card, she’ll give you 15% off your order!
SJFS is dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, and drinking in South Jersey. Got a news tip? Email southjerseyfoodscene@gmail.com.