Delco Profile: Craig Russell and Bridget Ramsey Offer Culinary Curiosity at justBE Kitchen
Delco Profile: Craig Russell and Bridget Ramsey Offer Culinary Curiosity at justBE Kitchen Overview
Before opening justBE Kitchen, an event space in Norwood that features cooking classes, private parties and catering, Craig Russell and Bridget Ramsey were foodservice lifers. Russell, who grew up in South Jersey, started out as a teenager, washing dishes at his uncle’s restaurant, and then moved his way up the line from there. After high school, he attended the prestigious Culinary Institute in New York State before moving back to Philadelphia to cook in restaurants like Will BYOB and Co-Op. Ramsey worked the front of house as a server, bartender and manager, while also pursuing her music career.
The two initially met while working in the same restaurant, and after a stint living in Cape May, they returned to the Philly area in 2016. They put down roots in Norwood, PA, and started their family, welcoming children in 2020 and 2022. Career-wise, the next logical step would be to open their own restaurant, but the following few years showed them how difficult that would be while also raising a family.
For four years, Ramsey was mostly a stay-at-home mom; Russell was usually only able to see the kids for an hour or two most days because of his busy, night-oriented schedule as a chef. The idea of opening their restaurant started to seem less and less feasible
“The restaurant life makes it so hard to be with your family, and I didn’t really want to compromise that,” Ramsey says. “And I think Craig was feeling done with restaurants—it just didn’t ever feel as fulfilling as it could, we wanted something more purposeful.”
The couple began brainstorming how they could blend their hospitality experience and their desire to create a better work-life balance. They considered a food truck, or a converted school bus that would travel around, offering cooking classes in different areas. Ultimately, they decided to combine the two worlds—hospitality and kids—and began looking in different parts of Delco for a brick-and-mortar that they could build out into a space for cooking classes and events.
“We decided to stay in Norwood, because this is where we live, and there are so many kids in the area; we wanted to offer them culinary experiences that are playful, but also educational and rewarding,” Russell says.
The concept, they decided, would be fun cooking classes for kids, adults and families, private events and parties, and catering and meal prep services. As for the name, the couple landed on justBE Kitchen, inspired by a tattoo that Rasmey got years ago in Hawaii. The tattoo reads, “just be,” taken from a line of poetry by Buddhist monk, activist and author, Thích Nhất Hạnh.
“The name felt right because it represents how we took the gamble to invest in ourselves so we could just be: just be with our family, and be a family,” Russell says. “It also reminds people that here, cooking should be fun and stress-free. It’s okay to make mistakes! It’s okay to just be here, ask questions and experiment.”
They found an old hair salon on Chester Pike which they renovated into their space. Ramsey, drawing from her years working in restaurants, designed the space to be warm and welcoming. A large open kitchen flanked by an island anchors the space, with adjacent rooms with tables and a dance floor/flex space. The aesthetic balances kid-friendly with chic and modern, with thoughtful touches, like a chalkboard wall and dimmable lights.
“It really is a community space—it’s not just our vision, and we wanted people to be able to envision their own events here,” Ramsey says. “So many different vibes are possible. For instance, we’ve hosted a launch party for a local skincare company, and, a few days later, a third birthday party!”
justBE Kitchen officially opened in May 2026. They had a busy summer of kids cooking classes, parties and special events. The most popular cooking classes, Russell notes, are anything that requires working with dough, like making bread, fresh pasta, soft pretzels and hand-pies.
They’ve also hosted a handful of intimate chef’s counter dinners, as well as Supper Club Collaborations, which are coursed-out dinners with local guest chefs. The first one in June featured their friend and neighbor Christina Ruiz of Manny Vibez, a local all-day cafe also in Norwood.
“That helped us get our name out there, because Christina has been around for a few years and Manny Vibez has built a good name for itself,” Ramsey says.
WIth only a few months in business under their belts, Russell and Ramsey are still fine-tuning the business model and making adjustments. They hope to see the catering and meal prep side of the operation grow so that they can continue to prioritize evening time with their kids. They also hope to keep getting the justBE Kitchen name out in Norwood and beyond.
Even in such a short time open, the couple has felt their connection to the community strengthen and grow.
“We’ve lived in Norwood for 10 years, but for most of that time, I’ve worked in the city and haven’t really been able to serve my community,” Russell says. “So, getting to know more people around here has been great. When I see a family at the grocery store and they say, ‘Hey, Chef Craig!’ that just fills my heart. justBE Kitchen gives me more purpose and meaning than cooking food in a fine dining restaurant for people I may never see again.”
justBE Kitchen is located at 219 Chester Pike in Norwood, PA; phone: (484) 497-9090.
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All photos courtesy of justBE Kitchen