Kitchen Conservatory, in St. Louis has lost a customer. I purchased a class for two people to the tune of $130. Due to a very unexpected illness, we were unable to go to the class. I spoke with the owner, Ann, today and she informed me that there are absolutely no exceptions to the no refund policy. (especially since I didn't ask for a refund. I asked to take another class). That's sad. She wins the $130, but she loses a customer and as many other customers as I can manage. I pleaded my case to no avail. Once she said she was absolutely not budging on letting us take another class, I told her that I thought she had made a poor people decision. As a business owner, sometimes you have to make a tough business decision in favor of making the right people decision. I hope the $130 keeps her warm at night. She won't be ever get another penny from me. read more

I've taken 3 or 4 classes here, all hands-on. Not much to compare them to as I haven't taken classes elsewhere, but they were all quite informative, casual and fun. I love the cookware store, too, but take out a second mortgage before you go... read more

I've been the Kitchen Conservatory many times over the last 20 years, and it's never been a pleasure. If you need a specialty ingredient or pan and this is the closest option, then it's fine for a quick drop in. But brace yourself: the women who work here are so rude, arrogant and unwelcoming that honestly the last five years or so I usually go out of my way to avoid the place (and I'm a serious cook, baker and confectioner). I made the mistake of ignoring that rule last week and ran in to see if they had a particular bundt pan. I was greeted with the usual rudeness - it's actually impressive how consistent this is. It made me laugh remembering a similar stop-in a few years ago. On that one I was making cookies with my 3 year old niece and we discovered that a piece of the cookie press was missing. I was pretty frazzled already, and so I jumped in the car in my dirty sweatpants, kid in tow, hair a wreck. (Over the years I've noticed they're particularly nasty if you don't look like - what? I'm not even sure - wealthy? How can they tell? It seems to be mostly a class thing.) In any event, the closest place was Kitchen Conservatory, and the women were so rude to me that they actually had me crying before my niece and I left. Funny in retrospect, but seriously - it's just obnoxious. There are so many other good options these days that there's just no reason to have folks like this put a stain on your day. You can get everything Kitchen Conservatory has and more at Sur La Table in Frontenac, and the staff there is absolutely lovely. Williams-Sonoma, also at Frontenac, has similarly good supplies, although the staff are sometimes a little snotty - it depends on who you get. Bed Bath & Beyond also has surprisingly good stock. read more

They changed a class, did not advise and did not refund. I try to support local businesses but this one is permanently off the list.

CAUTION: Do not buy a gift certificate! They have a SEVEN day cancellation policy and politely but firmly refused to make an exception for the flu. So we're out a Christmas present we've waited months to redeem because of this, and are unenthusiastic about spending the balance if their policies are this unhelpful. read more

I bought two sets of mini-loaf pans for around $10 for a set of 6 - took them home, and attempted to wash them before using. Two of the pans were so rusted that they were stuck together and I couldn't separate them to wash. No big deal - I had 10 other mini-pans, so just threw those two away. I hand-washed the remaining pans, and towel-dried them. I then put them away until I was ready to use them. About a week later, I pulled out the pans to use. All except for two were completely covered in rust. Hand-washing and drying again did not help. I've been a customer of Kitchen Conservatory for years - in fact, on the day that I bought the mini-loaf pans, I had spent nearly $300 in their store. I still had my receipt, and was only a few weeks out from buying the pans, so I took them back to the store to return. Honestly, I thought they would be embarrassed at having sold a sub-par and poor quality item. I hoped to exchange them for a similar size or different brand of mini-loaf pan. Nope. Instead, I was yelled at by one of the owners who insisted that I must have washed the pans in the dishwasher. They initially refused to accept a return of the pans because I was missing two of the pans from the set - the two that were rusted so bad upon initial purchase that I didn't even bother to try to wash them. My explanation that the pans were rusted within the package was scoffed at - and she proceeded to question and yell at me in front of other customers about why I was trying to return the pans. She asked why I would be trying to "scam" them (her words) - I'm not sure, seeing as the mini-pans were $20 of a $300 receipt that I had in-hand. If I was truly trying to take advantage of a small business, I would have brought back the big-ticket items I had bought that day. They finally processed a return, but insisted on deducting out the value of the pans that I had thrown out because of the rust that was on them at the time of purchase. Kitchen Conservatory lost a long-time customer that day over $20. It's been a few years since that happened, and I have not been back since that day. I've also told many friends about the horrible customer service I received and about the many other options to shop locally in the St. Louis area for similar kitchen items. If you are looking for another local store that actually values their customers, try Cornucopia in Kirkwood. read more

I'd taken 5 classes at Kitchen Conservatory and purchased many kitchen items there when my mother died unexpectedly the night before a scheduled cooking class. I called them early the next morning, explained things and asked if I could reschedule. The owner, Anne, mockingly responded "not with that little bit of notice". Next time my mother dies, I'll ask her to please give me some notice. That was in 2009 and I have seethed over it ever since. read more

I have been to the Kitchen Conservatory many times for classes and just to shop. I have had enjoyed my experience until this point. I booked and paid months in advance for a class for myself, my sister, and mom. It was a gift for them. I recieved a phone call 2 days before the class saying it was canceled due to low attendance. 2 DAYS before!! We had made a lot of plans for this night to happen and are very disappointed in the short notice. I also can't believe three people is not enough for a class. The largest class I have ever attended there was 10. I am embarrassed that I spoke so highly of the kitchen conservatory and they have business practices like this. read more

I wish I could say that it was great or not. Long story short my wife and I missed our class due to a family emergency. when we called to reschedule the next day, we were told that we don't reschedule for classes that we already paid for and that we were just out of luck. We were told company policy is to never reschedule or never reimburse. To me very arrogant . Not quite sure why. Rick read more

We took one class here. It was with a kitchen conservatory teacher (not a local chef). It went ok, didn't learn too much. We didn't even get to learn how to make all of the dishes in the class, as she split us into groups that only focused on one thing. Bit of a let down. We decided to give it another try with a local chef as the teacher. Unfortunately, I became ill the morning of and called to cancel. Cancellation policy is really strict, they wouldn't give us any part of a refund. When I pointed out that the policy incentivizes people to come when they're sick, to not waste their money, the coordinator was snarky and didn't seem to care if a person with a cold attended the class and cooked food for other people. Kinda gross. We won't be returning. read more

Husband bought the family a Pasta Making class for Christmas. All four of us had an amazing time! I was going to do a pros and cons type review, but the only con I could come up with was that their parking lot can be a little hairy. That said, here are some of the MANY things I liked about this experience. - It was a great, hands-on activity for the family (teens and above) - Anne (instructor and owner) did a great job of keeping everyone involved to the level that they desired. Some did more and some did less, but everyone had equal opportunity. - While we used several of the specialty items that they sell to make the pastas and sauces, the class was not a sales pitch. The fact that they sell these items was casually mentioned, but not in a pushy way. - Anne showed us that any dough can be worked into delicious pasta, and how to adapt to different textures of dough. - Since we had made pasta at home on several occasions, we had some specific questions/situations that we wanted insight on. We got it:) The bottom line was that we left here well fed and feeling confident that we can make delicious pasta and sauces at home! Next up...knife skills class! read more

DO NOT GO HERE! Had reservations with a friend to go here tonight (1/31/11) and called to reschedule since every outlet is telling people to not drive unless it's a dire circumstance due to the freezing rain. I live about 45 minutes from the Kitchen Conservatory and do not want to risk my life to learn how to use fondant. They said since we didnt' cancel more than a week ago there are no reschedules or refunds. Since I'm not a meteorologist I was unaware that I needed to cancel over a week ago. You would thing for the safety of their employees and customers, they would cancel or at least let the ones who live too far away reschedule. I will never go back here again and will advise anyone I know to not go here as well! read more

The wife and I went for Valentines Day. The experience would have been great except for the rude chef. I'd go again as long as Anne is not the instructor. read more

OMG! This place is incredibly awesome! If you are a newbie to cooking &/or baking, this place is for you. I took several classes that were hands-on & was incredibly satisfied with the teaching method. Do not come here if you are on a diet for weight-loss! I took a bread baking class today & was in carb heaven. At the end of the class, I was in a carb coma. They provide iced tea, hot tea, coffee & water. Wear closed toed shoes if you are taking a class here! The staff are helpful, & there's plenty of variety in terms of kitchen stuff. The parking is a bit to be left desired. Very cramped. But, this place is worth it. read more

I have had mixed feelings since I participated in a cooking class here. It's a very nice set up - cozy and spacious. The food was absolutely amazing. The chef was nice and informative. My biggest problem is that it's much less a 'how to' cook than a 'watch me' cook. We essentially worked on one item which took about 15-20 minutes to help prepare and then pitched in at random on the other pieces of the menu. I didn't come away knowing anything more about flavor combinations, cutlery, cooking times and temps, etc. Basically for $120 I got a really nice meal. Just saying I could have probably saved time and $$ and just gone straight to the restaurant. OH IMPORTANT TO NOTE: you need to eat a little something before you get there. The meal isn't usually plated until 8:30 or so and you'll be starving if you don't. read more

Took a "couples" cooking class on how to make a Beef Tenderloin dinner. Started at 6:00 on a Friday night, there were a bunch of other couples- you work together to make dinner. Each couple splits up and works on one portion of the meal- was a little disappointed as it seemed like it would be cool to learn to make each thing- the instructor, Barb, talked a little bit about each dish, so you got an overview of how to make it next time if you wanted to at home. After all the food was cooked, you get a delicious meal. The other couples made the class- if they had been really dull, it would have gotten 2 stars. Our instructor, Barb, was very nice, but seemed low energy- might just have been the Friday night factor. If you wind up with a good instructor this place has the potential to hit 4-5 stars. read more

Generally disappointing and ultimately a complete let down: We purchased an expensive series of adult + child classes as a big gift to our son. None of the classes were inspiring. The pizza chef told the class he generally prepares his own pizza by microwaving what he picks up in the frozen food section of the grocery. Nothing was hands on enough to be called a class. Our son was accompanied by a different adult each session, dad, grandpa, big brother. Everyone agreed that the food was "meh" at best and there was little to no instruction. When we tried to reschedule the last class due to an unavoidable conflict we met with deaf ears. As a result, I certainly wouldn't recommend this overpriced unpleasant business. Too bad. read more

My girlfriend reserved us a spot at the Kitchen Conservatory as my Christmas gift. We went tonight and had a great time. There were 14 people in my class and the majority of us each got our own dish to cook. One couple chopped salad and made croutons, while another made the dressing for a Ceaser Salad(Good, but a bit heavy on the anchovy I think) One couple made French Onion Soup(It was absolutely amazing and looked pretty easy) One couple made Garlic Mashed Potatoes(These were great and didn't need any gravy, but the gravy we made was so good I still used it) 3 couples worked on the dessert. One made triple chocolate brownies from scratch One made vanilla custard ice cream from scratch One made Hot Fudge Sauce(The best part since we made it) While we ate the soup and salad(served with a nice Sauvignon Blanc), the brownies were cooking, ice cream was freezing, potatoes were boiling, and garlic was roasting. Afterward we went back to cooking, the potato couple finished up and the rest of us all worked on the Steak Diane. This was the only semi-disappointing portion as we had 12 people to make one dish(With about 3 components), if the class size was 10, I think the night would have been perfect. It seams a bit pricey, but it is something I will for sure do again, I learned a lot, had a great meal, and had a good time meeting new people. I am thinking of a cajun class in the future. read more

The owner was unwilling to reschedule a class because we were all sick. Honestly it's the worst experience I have ever had with a business. Don't waste your money. read more

I have taken multiple classes here and have loved everyone of them. We've done cupcakes, sushi, pizza, and even a knife skills class. I always leave feeling like I have learned a lot and want to redo the recipes at home. I also end up buying something from the store. Their products are very high quality. The only bad thing about this place is their parking. It is very tight in the spaces so take a small car when you go. read more

This was a great way for my husband and I to celebrate our 6 year anniversary. It was a wonderful night in Brazil. We started with a 1hr Samba Lesson with a COCOA dance instructor, Followed by prepping for a beautiful Brazilian Dinner. Each couple prepped and prepared a portion of the meal for the entire group to enjoy. There was a White wine creamy shrimp appetizer, Made and enjoyed a Brazilian drink called the Caipirinha which was awesome! The main entree was called the feijoada, with collard greens, Farofa, served with white or red wine. Dessert was Flan and boy was it delicious. We celebrated our anniversary at a great place and enjoyed our dinner with a group of other wonderful couples. Each and every couple was warm and open to trying new things which allowed for every person to enjoy their night. No one wanted to leave. We all met as strangers but walked away as friends. The chef was awesome and patient. If We went to Brazil right now, I'm confident we would fit right in. read more

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This is the place to go if you're looking for an evening of playing chef (or, more often, watching the chef) in a fancy shop and enjoy socializing with other folks who happen to have quite a bit of money to spend on such things. This is not the place to go if you are an eager home cook looking to learn something beyond the recipe in front of you. For regular folks who are truly interested in learning and practicing new cooking skills, our money and time would be better spent on a good cookbook, some fun ingredients, a bottle of wine, and experimenting in our own kitchens. Two stars given for providing entertainment and social time that happens to involve food, though three lost for lacking in imparting much in terms of knowledge or skills related to cooking. read more

EXTREMELY disappointed with the 2 hr, 3 day kids class my 2 children finished today. It was marketed as a "baking boot camp" for 7-11 yr olds. I expected for the $125/child rate that my children would be learning some "hands on" skills in the kitchen AND would be actively participating in the process. Instead, there were 14 kids sitting around an instructor watching her "demo" 4-5 recipes per day, in a side room in the back of the store. The participation was pouring a cup of sugar in or pressing a button on the food processor for each recipe. In addition, I felt that it was irresponsible to give kids all 4-5 treats at one time to eat right at pick up time of 12pm. They should have let them try something and had them pack it up to take home. My kids lunch was spoiled all 3 days and my daughter felt sick from all the sugar. We need to be teaching kids responsible eating habits. I was also very underwhelmed at there lack of people skills. No greeting or hello upon walk-in or exit. Just someone sitting at the counter marking your name off a list. Just found the entire experience unprofessional. This is the first negative review I have ever written about any experience, but it was that disappointing I had to comment read more

Wonderful place, if you haven't checked it out! Went there for a pizza making class. Had a great time, learned some great techniques (thanks to John from Ornesto), and met some really great people. This place is the Disneyland for bakers, chefs and wanna be chefs. I already signed up for another class in January and I purchased several of their store goods. Check it out. It's a little hard to find, as the lighting is a little dim - or maybe it's me. :-) read more

Had a great time for date night. Every couple got plenty of hands on work - paella and a side/appetizer, dip. Will definitely do this again

I thought that everyone would have their own little station to cook at but you actually all share and work together to prepare everything. At the beginning I thought that I wasn't going to like that but my friend and I were paired up with an amazing couple who made the day even better. We kept it light and fun. Overall it was a great experience I just think I would prefer cooking everything myself at my own station that way I could make sure that I can do each step. I would highly recommend everyone checking this place out. read more

Kitchen Conservatory - Lobsters-Catch Me if You Can! - Cooking Schools Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Wow, I really feel bad. I made such a big deal about our bad experience and never updated since then. We have gone back and did the beer menu. The chefs that night were amazing and the food even better. This experience saved it for me. Will go back again. read more

Went to a class on pizza with my girlfriend. It was a very hands on class with everyone taking part. Learned some great new tricks and got to eat some delicious food! read more

I received a gift certificate for their "Knife Skills" course, which I took in January. The experience was horrible-- the "course" was a glorified sales pitch for Wustoff knives. I probably should have heard the warning sirens when I saw that the "course" was taught by a representative of Wustoff, and not an actual chef. You don't actually learn any cuts in the class beyond very basic chopping skills, the focus is on how wonderful Wustoff knives are. The insulting part was that both the "instructor"/ sales guy and the employees of the store seemed to peg which students were going to buy knives, and which wouldn't as soon as you walked in the door. I guess I was in the second group, because the store employees were rude and unhelpful when I had questions about knives (and a few other products) after the class. To make matters even worse, weather was horrible that day and when I called ahead to say I was stuck in traffic on 64 (it took an hour to go two exits), they told me that if I didn't make it on time I would lose the class. No refunds whatsoever. Maybe I would have been better off... I can't believe they actually charge $45 to make you listen to their sales pitch. By the way, if you really want a Wustoff knife, Sur la Table out at Plaza Frontenac has better prices. And that's saying something, considering Sur la Table's reputation as The Most Expensive Kitchen Store In The World. read more

My review is not based on the actual cooking classes this company provides, but more so their customer service and processes. I bought a class as a gift for my sister and her husband who live in St. Louis (I am in Chicago). As I do not live in the same state as them, I contacted Kitchen Conservatory to see how I could get the gift to them. They said I could put my sister's address in the the comments section so that it is mailed to them. Great, so I did that. So I thought. Fast forward 3 weeks after the class is supposed to happen, I asked my sister how the class was. She seemed very confused. Turns out, they never got the gift certificate. I called the store, apparently the address didn't go through in the comments. Not sure how, since my payment went through. Well, since they didn't get to attend the class, I was hoping we could use the value toward another class since there was a mistake in all the processing. Nope. Apparently, the owner has a strict policy against that because we took up spots she could have sold, etc. I get that, to an extent. HOWEVER, if that initial class wasn't sold out, it wouldn't make a difference. And if my sister and her husband choose another class that isn't sold out, it shouldn't make a difference, because they're already incurring cost to put on that class. Anyway, they should have a better process and just general customer service attitude. Maybe they should have told me I could have it e-mailed to her (and I remember asking if that was possible, but was told the only option I had was putting in the mailing address). All I have to say is I'm very upset and disappointed, particularly as the person I spoke with on the phone was barely apologetic. You know, $140 isn't going to break the bank for us (nor do I think it will for Kitchen Conservatory...), but the fact is, this was a gift for their anniversary, and now we both get screwed out of that joy. We're not trying to swindle Kitchen Conservatory out of anything. We just want to get the value for what we paid. Particularly as I am confident in the fact that it is their processes that caused all the issues. I know this review won't do much, but I did want to make people aware in case they planned on purchasing a gift. read more

I bought my wife a cooking class for her birthday. Having been a long time customer of Kitchen Conservatory I felt comfortable that this would be a good experience for the both of us, but was clearly wrong. A couple of days before the event, my wife had an accident and had to go to the ER because she had injured her finger. Clearly not something we could have foreseen, nor something any chef would want in their kitchen as clearly this would be a health issue. Having every intention of going to a cooking class and giving Kitchen Conservatory our business in the future, I called to see if we could reschedule. After speaking with two different employees, and finally even the owner, I was informed that the company has a very strict cancellation policy and that they could not reschedule us. I asked if there was any way they would work with us to find a solution that might benefit both parties given the circumstances, but the owner had no sympathy and would not entertain the idea. I offered to bring proof that we actually did have an emergency just to show them that we were not trying to short-change them. I even asked about paying for the cost of the event we would miss, just so that they wouldn't lose money and we could still afford to come to another event, but she was still unwilling to work with us. The most they offered was to open up the spots and see if anyone else happened to purchase them. I understand that they are in business to make money and that some policies need to be in place to help keep their business afloat, but I cannot understand why Kitchen Conservatory would be unwilling to work with us given that our attendance would put their business at risk given the event is a hands-on event and my wife would not be able to participate without contaminating the food for everyone else. read more

Worst place ever do not spend your money! They told my husband I could eat everything because I am gluten free! The first recipe had bread crumbs! We left. The smell was horrible And the store is a mess. They were rude also! I am 8 months pregnant and my husband explained that I needed to sit and they said I could. Well I could sit and do nothing! HORRIBLE!!!! We got pizza And went home $125 down the drain read more

Went to a demonstration here with a bunch of girlfriends. It was all about appetizers. It cost $45 and all I have to say is what a waste of money. We were assured that it would be plenty of food and that we wouldn't leave hungry. Well... We ended up getting fast food after. We were there for about 3.5 hours and were literally given the most ridiculously small amount of food for the price we paid and one martini. The food wasn't bad and I learned one thing that I would possibly try to make, but otherwise it was super disappointing. Also, they used canned crab meat... I'm sorry, but I think that is tacky. Positives I could take away was that the chef wasn't bad and she was informative and the store is pretty cool. For $45 go have a nice dinner with your girlfriends. read more

Their variety of kitchen tools is impressive, although lacking in many "value" options. Case in point is that they only sell Wustof knives - high quality, disproportionately high price, mainly sought for the brand name. Better knives with less recognizable brands can be found for half the price. If you need something small like a whisk or rubber spoon, you can find something here for a decent price. For bigger items, the store only carries the high-end brands. Equally impressive is the lack of hospitality. I would describe the service here as "civil" at best. I'm sure I don't look like someone who's coming in your kitchen supply store to drop a thousand dollars, I'll give you that. I'm not sure how that justifies the nearly-frigid treatment I've been given each of the three times I've come in. Today I went to pick up a few small things. When I walked in the door, the women at the counter gave me what seemed to be a pretty disdainful look. I asked about an item and got a totally unhelpful and unrelated answer - not for the first time here. After ten minutes of browsing, an employee approached me and practically shouted "ANY QUESTIONS?" but turned and walked away without comment when I started to reply. Throughout my visit I was treated like I didn't belong at Kitchen Conservatory. But I guess they're right, I belong in another kitchen supply store where they appreciate their customers. read more

i was disappointed in "the class". The instructor, Dawn was nice and knowledgable but the class size was way too big to learn anything. I also felt a lot of people were there for fun and not necessarily to learn. Therefore, there were people talking over the instructor. They should reduce the class size to 6-7 instead of 12. It was too chaotic. All cupcakes were burned or overdone except one batch. read more

Save your money and go somewhere else. Rude, sarcastic, inconsiderate customer service. They actually don't even deserve one star, but have to choose to one to write the review. read more

Unfortunately, this is not a review about the quality of food or classes provided - I hear both are wonderful. We made reservations and were really looking forward to attending, but weather interfered with our plans and we were unable to make it. Had the class been booked full I would understand their stance on no refunds, as we would be putting someone out that really wanted to attend, however, this class still had availability, and the company refused to provide any sort of refund or transference to a later class and were completely unwilling to try and provide any other option. "I'm sorry, but if the class goes on, you are required to attend" is the response I heard 4 times throughout the conversation and she (I didn't get her name) was completely insensitive to our problem. They have taken our $140 without a problem, but they will not get any more money from me. read more

My daughter and two nieces received gift cards from my mom for Christmas, they all scheduled a baking class and unfortunately the night before my daughter got sick. I called as early as possible to inform them, and they did NOTHING! All three girls wanted to take a class together, so we wanted to switch them all, they REFUSED! My daugther was already upset being sick, and having to miss the class, and then had to find out her cousins had to do the class otherwise we would lose the $50 per person, WTH!?!?!?! I was told cancellations had to be a week in advance, well, if I could predict kid vomit a week in advance I'd be a millionaire! EXTREMELY disappointed with the customer service, even more disappointed we have more money on a gift card I feel I have to use, I do not want to go here! read more

Subpar ingrendiants and callous personal service show the conservatory's true priorities for boosting the bottom line. I thought these classes would be a very pleasant "couples gift." Unfortunately, it turned into more of a debacle than a gift. I bought three classes in all. I was able to attend the first class which was interesting, however the entire class agreed the meat was disappointingly subpar. The next class we had planned on attending was cancelled 4 days before class began. I had planned around this date, but I understand that sometimes classes are not able to be filled and are thus cancelled. The real issue came the next week, when I had to cancel a class 5 days before its night due to a business trip. The people refused to work with me at all and instead were quite happy to inform me that "there was nothing they could do" regarding a rain check. The situation was handled badly on their part, despite the fact that I wanted to give the place a second chance. The lack of respect from their scheduling shows a completely one-sided view of their commitment. Honestly, the stress the gift caused along with the time, money, and mediocre food was a true letdown. read more

My husband (a reluctant cook) and I attended a couples class Sunday evening that focused on lobster dishes. It was a delightful class led by the owner Anne. Anne seamlessly guided us and presented to us many valuable skills. Not only did we learn how to steam lobster and clean it, we even made the pasta for one of the dishes. The recipes we used were outstanding. I highly recommend this class. read more