Tara Bench - "Focus Business" Collaboration

Tara Bench

March 10, 2020
The Great Hall

Reflection | Podcast | Video | Photos

APEX's annual collaboration with SUU School of Business and the Entrepreneurship Series

Tara Bench, founder of Tara Teaspoon, has spent over 15 years in the food publishing industry creating recipes and articles, and food styling for various magazines, books, television and advertising.

Most recently she has been the Food and Entertaining Director of Ladies’ Home Journal magazine. Prior to the Journal Tara was a Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living, Kids and Weddings magazines. She has appeared on the Martha Stewart television show, the Today Show and as a judge on The Food Network Thanksgiving Challenge.

Reflection

 

On Tuesday, March 10th, 2020, A.P.E.X. Events, in collaboration with the SUU Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business hosted founder of Tara Teaspoon, Tara Bench. Bench has spent more than 20 years in the food publishing industry creating recipes and articles, and food styling for various magazines, books, television, and advertising. Most recently she has been the food and entertaining Director of Ladies’ Home Journal magazine. Prior to the Journal, Tara was a food editor at Martha Stewart Living, Kids and Weddings magazines. She has appeared on the Martha Stewart television show, the Today Show and as a judge on The Food Network Thanksgiving Challenge. She was introduced by SUU Director of Entrepreneurship & Associate Professor of Marketing, Tyler Stillman.

Bench’s presentation began with where it all started for her, as a young child with an Easy Bake oven and a passion for cooking. A Utah native, she initially attended Brigham Young University and then later transferred to Utah Valley University, but everything changed for her when she asked the question, “Who are the people that make the food in these food magazines that I love so much?” She soon learned that these people were called food stylists, and knew that she wanted to be one. Bench shared with the A.P.E.X. audience her experiences in attempting to contact her favorite food magazines to get in touch with them about being a food stylist.

Of all of the magazines she contacted, only one was willing to give her a chance: Martha Stewart Living. Bench then flew out to New York for her food audition and interview, which would be held in the Martha Stewart Test Kitchen, where all of the food on the magazines was made. Despite being unable to make a fluffy omelet during the audition, Bench’s tenacity and work ethic persevered, and she was granted an internship to work in the test kitchen in New York.

After her internship, she continued to work with the magazine for the next six years as its senior food editor. Bench then felt it was time to move on, and spent a few years doing freelance jobs until becoming Food Director at Ladies' Home Journal magazine. Bench left after the magazine stopped publishing monthly issues, and went back to freelancing. She still wanted to share her recipes and food with people, so she created her own brand and website, Tara Teaspoon, where she features recipes for any occasion, and of course, pictures of the food she’s made.

- By Emily Sexton

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