Richmond, Va. (July 31, 2014) – Southern Season, the gourmet retailer, opened its Richmond location. The store hosted a ceremony and ribbon cutting with Southern Season team members, representatives from Gumenick Properties, the developer, as well as Richard W. Glover, supervisor at Brookland District, Randy R. Silber, Deputy County Manager for Community Development and Robert H. Witte, Jr., Vice Chairman, Planning Commission, Brookland District. Additionally, Brian Fauver, CFO of Southern Season and president of Southern Season’s nonprofit Share the Food, presented Doug Pick, chief executive of FeedMore, with a check for $20,000 on behalf of all Southern Season employees.
“I have no doubt that Southern Season will add further luster to the 400-year-old tradition that celebrates good food and good fellowship,” said Wayne Chasen, CEO of Gumenick Properties, in his opening remarks about the store’s Richmond location.
This 50,000 square foot culinary mecca houses over 80,000 gourmet grocery and cooking items focusing on local commerce with over 10,000 Virginia-based artisan goods and products. A complimentary concierge service of knowledgeable professionals can help facilitate any shopping needs as well as assemble gourmet gift baskets for all occasions. The retailer is partnering with lifestyle publication, Richmond Family Magazine in its “What’s Cooking?” segment to bring recipes to Richmond families in print every other month, starting in September.
Dining options at Southern Season include a gourmet marketplace, bakery and deli offering a wide variety of prepared foods ideal for lunch or dinner that can be picked-up, eaten at the café, or delivered. Guests looking to experience full service can dine at Southerly Restaurant and Patio – a fine-dining restaurant and bar adjacent to the store. With the option to eat in the open-air patio, Southerly serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus that highlight locally sourced products and produce. Additionally, Southerly offers full catering services, on- or off-site, for all occasions. Southerly’s space can be utilized for private events such as corporate functions, family celebrations, and rehearsal dinners.
To celebrate the store’s opening, there will be weeks of specials and events sure to turn Virginians from across the state into loyal Southern Season shoppers. Special events include:
Featured Daily Tasting with Virginia Artisans
Stop by daily to enjoy complimentary tastings from some of Virginia’s finest producers including: Balsamo’s Family Kitchen, Bone Doctor BBQ Sauce, Carriage House Cheese Straws, Health Warrior Chia Seed Products, Linda’s Garden, Montebello Kitchens, The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg, Petley Grain Baking Mixes, Reginald’s Peanut Butter, Think Food Products, Wildwood’s All-Natural Hickory Syrups and Virginia Diner.
Cookbook Singing with Domenica Marchetti on Saturday, August 2, 2 – 4 p.m.
From the tender fava beans of spring to the sweet pumpkins of autumn, vegetables take the spotlight in Domenica Marchetti’s cookbook, “The Glorious Vegetable of Italy.” Free admission.
Cooking School Open House on Sunday, August 3 and Wednesday, August 13, noon – 5 p.m.
Stop by for an open house and learn all about what goes on in the Cooking School. Try a few of Southern Season’s favorite Southern snacks while the staff showcases some of their most beloved recipes. See how the Cooking School can help inspire some culinary creativity in your kitchen and get a full schedule of upcoming classes.
Taste of Richmond: Rappahannock on Tuesday, August 5, 6 p.m.
Chef Dylan Fultineer from Richmond’s Rappahannock brings the best in regional Richmond cuisine to the Cooking School. Guests will observe and sample chef’s menu of heirloom tomato salad with cucumber, watermelon, feta cheese and basil; roasted chicken with summer squash gratin, butter beans and chimichurri sauce; buckwheat crêpe cake with chocolate ganache and fresh berries. Cost is $40.
Small Plate Virginia Farm Dinner at Southerly Restaurant & Patio on Sunday, August 10, 6 p.m.
Southerly Executive Chef Joseph Durante III will feature a dinner highlighting local food producers and fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Cost is $29.
Blues & Brews Party at Southerly Restaurant & Patio on Saturday, August 30, 5 p.m.
Relax to down home blues music at Southerly with a cold craft beer in-hand and a buffet featuring southern barbecue and fixings. Cost is $19 – $29.
White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier on Sunday, August 24, 1 p.m.
French chef Roland Mesnier was the White House pastry chef from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, with rousing tales of Ronald Reagan’s chocolate mousse binges to Barbara Bush’s love of dry, overcooked fish. Join Roland in the Cooking School and wow your friends and family with White House-worthy confections. Cost is $55.
For a full list of daily specials and events, please check the Southern Season Charleston event website.
About Southern Season
Southern Season is an award-winning gourmet food and entertaining store which offers the ultimate culinary experience throughout its store, restaurant, and cooking school. Customers enjoy learning and interacting with knowledgeable sales associates, tastings of an incredible array of products and our cooking school. Through demonstrations and hands-on opportunities, staff experts work together to create an upscale community center where residents and visitors alike can meet with friends and family to “educate, excite, and entertain.” The flagship store, located in Chapel Hill, N.C., has been in operation since 1975 and the Richmond store along with the Charleston Store are the only place you can find this unique approach to specialty food retailing. Southern Season has won over 100 awards including one of the Top 100 Brunch Spots in America and Diner’s Choice Awards by Open Table; Best Local Gourmet Grocery and Best Place to Buy Candy by Charleston City Paper; Best Wine Selection, Best Place to Buy Candy, Desserts, Pie, Cheese and Chocolates by Independent Weekly; Outstanding Retailer of the Year from the National Association for Specialty Food and the Retail Achievement Award from Gourmet News for its success in the area of food education.
