Gift basket ordering I have been a long-time customer of Southern Season (since they were in Eastgate) but we moved away from NC 5 years ago due to a job relocation. I like to give Southern Season baskets for special occasions and in the past they had a great selection. For this most recent purchase the basket I wanted to send was out of stock, but I ordered it anyway since there was no rush to have it sent immediately. Customer service called and notified me that the item was out of stock and could not state when it would be available again. Therefore, I replaced the gift basket with another one at a similar price. I also had trouble with the website with my initial purchase, since NO e-mail confirmation was sent. Only after talking to Customer Service, did I receive an e-mail. I also am a Premier card holder and my discount and free shipping was not applied to this order. Overall, the gift basket selection online is limited and using the Premier card online does not work. For the future, I will stick with just purchasing items at the store when I am back in Chapel Hill (once a year). I love Southern Season, but since online purchasing is less satisfactory it makes sense to do only in-store purchases.

Love Southern Season - Online Ordering needs improvement. We ordered a lovely Carolina-based gift basket to be delivered express delivery for nearly $40 extra. Other online stores offer 1-2 day express delivery from the time of order. It was not evident from the beginning (poorly placed messaging on the website) that the express delivery option meant that it would be shipped *after* the basket would be prepared, and this meant not on a Saturday or Sunday. This caused us to need to cancel our order, which was being delivered to a guest staying in a hotel at the time, and need to re-order to be delivered to a new location, albeit later than we wanted to. One other detail: the credit card entry method was outdated and did not work with a business expense card I often use on other online ordering platforms. I had to use a personal card. We love A Southern Season's products, but wish the online ordering system was more up-to-date.

Review of Joan Nathan cooking class Joan Nathan herself was wonderful. However, the microphones were not properly adjusted for her voice to carry to the back where I was sitting - and I have excellent hearing. I made at least 2 requests for the mikes to be fixed better and nothing was done. Furthermore, the camera operator kept forgetting to focus on the FOOD preparation. I needed to use the screen to watch because of where I was sitting and I often couldn't really see what I needed to. I have taken several cooking courses at SS and this was the most disappointing on a technical and preparation level. Usually, the helpers have everything out - or know where it is - and are tuned in immediately to what the guest chef needs. This was lacking in the Joan Nathan course. These are expensive classes and, even if I am the only one with this kind of review, you should take pains to keep us coming back.

Fantastic Culinary Classes The staff at Southern Season's Cooking School do a phenomenal job presenting their own cooking classes, both demo and hands-on, as well as bringing in talented and personable guest chefs. The most recent I attended was Chef Keith Rhodes from Catch Restaurant in Wilmington and have already re-created 2 of the recipes at home. Highly recommend Southern Season and their cooking classes for everyone who delights in good food! The portions are great and I often take some home. Delicious wine pairings help round out the evening of culinary entertainment.

Need more advanced or unique hands-on classes. I have found the last two hands on classes wasteful of time. I will only attend non hands on from now on unless targeted for more advanced cooks. A long lesson in cutting onions, for instance, wasn't a good use of time for someone like me who has attended dozens of culinary classes. Could you offer hands on for more experienced home cooks?