America's Test Kitchen Files Lawsuit Against Christopher Kimball

It looks like the split between a local food media outlet and its co-founder could be taking a nasty turn.

The Boston Globe is reporting that the Brookline-based America's Test Kitchen (ATK) has filed a lawsuit against Christopher Kimball, citing that he "literally and conceptually ripped off" the company by creating a new business called Milk Street while still being paid by America's Test Kitchen, and using the recipes and databases of ATK in a way so Milk Street would be a direct competitor. A lawyer who represents Kimball declined to comment because he had not taken a look at the lawsuit as of yesterday.

In the fall of 2015, Kimball said goodbye to America's Test Kitchen after a change of leadership took place a couple of months earlier. He subsequently went on to launch what was originally called Milk Street Kitchen, though it now appears to be simply called Milk Street, according to the Globe. Much like ATK, Milk Street has a magazine along with television and radio shows, and it also includes a cooking school.

[Earlier Articles]
Christopher Kimball to Leave America's Test Kitchen
Update: Christopher Kimball (Founder of America's Test Kitchen) to Launch Milk Street Kitchen

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America's Test Kitchen to Move from Brookline Village to Boston's Seaport District

A company in Brookline that is known for its TV show and magazines is moving to a new--and bigger--location on the Boston waterfront.

The Boston Globe is reporting that America's Test Kitchen will be saying goodbye to its headquarters on Station Street in Brookline Village and will head to a 55,000-square-foot space within the Innovation and Design Building near the Black Falcon cruise ship terminal in the summer of 2017. The article says that the new space will include at least four kitchens, with three being used for production of "America's Test Kitchen," "Cook's Country," and a new show called "Cook's Science," while a fourth kitchen will be used for tastings and testings of food.

America's Test Kitchen started out in 1992 with the magazine Cook's Illustrated, which was followed by the show by the same name and the magazine Cook's Country along with a radio show and books. Founder Christopher Kimball left the company in the fall of 2015 and subsequently started a new food-based media outlet called Milk Street Kitchen in downtown Boston.

The website for America's Test Kitchen is at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/

[May 12, 2017 update: Boston Magazine states that America's Test Kitchen will move into its new home on the waterfront in September, and that it will have a food festival there on October 27 and 28.]

[October 13, 2017 update: According to a tweet from @liuliuliu, America's Test Kitchen has moved into its new home in the Seaport District.]

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Update: Christopher Kimball (Founder of America's Test Kitchen) to Launch Milk Street Kitchen

[Ed note: This article--which was originally posted on April 6--was updated on May 31 to reflect new information given, including a different name for the venture.]

The founder of a local company known for its popular TV show and magazines is working on a new venture.

According to a Twitter post from @DGoodison of The Boston Herald in April, Christopher Kimball (America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country) has signed a lease at 177 Milk Street in downtown Boston for a business listed as CPK Media, with a now-expired job post on the AIGA site saying that "Christopher Kimball, founder and creator of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines and founder of 'America's Test Kitchen,' has set out to launch a new multi-channel cooking venture." A new article from the New York Times states that Kimball's new business will actually be called Milk Street Kitchen, and it will include a public television series, a brand new magazine, a cooking school, and more, with Kimball also looking to start writing books as well. The post says that Kimball's new venture will focus on "global flavors" rather than looking at New England fare, which is a large part of what he did at America's Test Kitchen. If all goes as planned, Milk Street Kitchen should officially launch sometime this fall.

Last fall, Christopher Kimball left America's Test Kitchen following a change of leadership that took place a couple of months earlier, and apparently, a contract dispute. At the time, it looked like Kimball and his wife Melissa Baldino might be starting up a new company, though no information had been given on the venture at the time.

America's Test Kitchen started out in 1992 with the magazine Cook’s Illustrated, with the show by the same name and the magazine Cook's Country coming later as well as a radio show and books. The headquarters for ATK are in Brookline Village.

The website for Milk Street Kitchen is at http://www.milkstreetkitchen.com/

[Earlier Article]
Christopher Kimball to Leave America's Test Kitchen

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Christopher Kimball to Leave America's Test Kitchen

The co-founder of a local company known for its popular TV show and magazines is saying goodbye, and it appears that a contract dispute may be behind his departure.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Christopher Kimball is leaving America's Test Kitchen "immediately" following a change of leadership that took place a couple of months ago. The article says that sources mention Kimball and his wife Melissa Baldino might be creating a new company, while David Nussbaum--who became the CEO of the company in September--hints to a contract issue, saying "We made every effort to offer Chris a reasonable contract that reflected his significant contributions to the company and are disappointed that we could not reach agreement."

America's Test Kitchen first started out in 1992 with the magazine Cook’s Illustrated, with the show by the same name and the magazine Cook's Country following, along with a radio show, books, and more. Its headquarters are in Brookline Village.

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