Feel Like Family at Zingerman’s Cornman Farms

This year, Zingerman’s Cornman Farms has much to be excited about, as the historic Dexter-based event space, wedding venue and culinary destination is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Opened in 2014, “the 27-acre farm and its venues were restored from their 1834 foundations with the most discerning guests in mind,” says Tabitha Mason, the farm’s managing partner. “Featuring a beautiful exhibition kitchen, chef’s garden, a classic farmhouse and a four-season barn, guests can enjoy the beauty of the countryside just minutes from downtown Ann Arbor.”

The estate, with its picturesque landscape and charming gardens was once a 600-acre dairy farm. “The original house on Cornman Farms was built in 1834 by Judge Samuel William Dexter for a Dr. Gray, in order to bring a doctor to the community,” says Mason. It became a dairy farm in 1887 to help support the doctor who commuted between Dexter and Detroit and “was sold a few years later to the Hoy family, who owned it until Zingerman’s purchased it in 2012.”

Today, Cornman Farms offers a myriad of picture-perfect event spaces for wedding parties of various sizes, all thanks to the vision of founder Chef Kieron Hales. After emigrating to the United States in 2008, Hales, just a few years after becoming the executive chef at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, proposed “a vision for a property where guests could see where their food comes from,” says Mason. It was then that Zingerman’s Cornman Farms was born.

With his prestigious background — Hales’ career began in England at the age of 13, where he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and has since lived and cooked in 27 different countries, including working at the three Michelin star Paul Bocuse in France and Dal Pescatore in Italy, as well as cooking for the British Royal family and three U.S. Presidents — it’s no wonder Hales’ exquisite culinary creations are a fundamental part of the farm and each event they host.

“The way we see it, nothing brings a family, or a community, together like good food, prepared and served with love. That’s why at Cornman Farms, the cultivation, preparation, and enjoyment of food is at the heart of everything we do. Our team will work with each couple to plan a meaningful and memorable culinary experience that’s perfectly suited to them,” Mason says. “The intention is always for our food to taste like home, and for our team to feel like family, which is why meals are served on the vintage China we brought in from our own homes.”

She adds that Hales will even recreate your “cherished family recipes.” But, she says, “don’t be surprised if he can make them taste even better than Grandma did — he’s just that good.”

Hales’ exhibition kitchen, which has become a popular place to hang out and have a laugh with the chef, is housed within the 1834 Greek Revival Farmhouse. Redesigned in 2019, the historic home hosts weddings for up to 14 guests, features a working fireplace, a beautiful library, lounge, dressing room, and private suite.

For larger groups, there’s also the rustic 1837 Red Barn that hosts weddings of 15 to 75 people. With its wood-burning fireplace, bar room, outdoor pergola, and upper loft space, this restored and modernized barn has become a year-round favorite.

Whether booking an intimate, tiny, or even elopement package, each includes “a getting ready space, ceremony set up, an officiant, florals for the wedding couple, professional photography and digital images, a three-course farm to table meal and Zingerman’s Bakehouse wedding cake, among other things,” says Mason. You’ll also get to enjoy the entire property, no matter the size of your party. “While other venues have opted to cram several events into a single day, Cornman Farms opts against hosting more than one event in a day and instead prides itself on offering guests free reign to all 27 acres of the property, be it an elopement for two people or a gathering of 75.”

But what truly sets Cornman Farms apart is the team — all dedicated to making your day just perfect. “From the time couples reach out to us, through their wedding and beyond, we take every little thing just as seriously as they do,” says Mason. “We know most people won’t get many opportunities in life to gather all their most cherished loved ones in one place, so our team takes care of everything, giving couples the chance to relax and be fully present for every moment.”

For more information, visit zingermanscornmanfarms.com.