Terms and Conditions
Effective Date: August 25, 2026
Welcome to The Sage Forest. We want our cooking classes to be relaxed, welcoming, and enjoyable while giving you practical skills and confidence in the kitchen. Because our classes are hands-on, they involve the use of knives, cooking equipment, heat, food ingredients, and other potential hazards. These Terms & Conditions help ensure that everyone understands what to expect when registering for a class.
By registering for or participating in a class at The Sage Forest, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
1. Reservations and Payment
Registration is required in advance for all regularly scheduled cooking classes. Your registration is confirmed when payment has been successfully completed through our website.
Unless otherwise stated in the class description, one registration reserves one workstation for up to two cooks. Names of both participants at a workstation must be provided when registering.
All participants attending under a reservation, including participants added by the person completing the registration, are subject to these Terms & Conditions and the policies of The Sage Forest.
Class prices, menus, dates, and times are listed on the applicable class registration page and are subject to change before registration is completed.
Reservations are personal to the purchaser and may not be resold without prior approval from The Sage Forest.
2. Cancellations, Refunds, and Transfers
We understand that plans sometimes change. Because our classes require advance preparation, cancellations are subject to the following policy:
Cancellations made 7 days or more before the scheduled class are eligible for a full refund.
Cancellations made less than 7 days before the scheduled class are not eligible for a refund.
With advance notice, you may request to transfer your reservation to another person or to another eligible class, subject to availability and approval by The Sage Forest.
No-shows are not eligible for a refund or credit.
If you are unable to attend, please contact us as soon as possible. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate a transfer or other solution when circumstances permit, but accommodations are not guaranteed.
Class Cancellations by The Sage Forest
The Sage Forest reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a class because of insufficient enrollment, instructor illness, severe weather, unsafe conditions, facility issues, or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
If The Sage Forest cancels a class, registered participants will be offered a choice of a full refund or transfer to another class of comparable value, subject to availability.
3. Class Menus and Ingredients
Each class has a planned menu that is described on the class registration page. Participants purchase the ingredients needed for the class and use those ingredients during the class to prepare the menu under the guidance of the instructor.
The Sage Forest reserves the right to make reasonable substitutions to ingredients, recipes, or menus when necessary because of ingredient availability, food safety considerations, equipment limitations, or other circumstances.
We will make reasonable efforts to notify participants of significant menu changes before the class whenever practical.
4. Food Allergies, Intolerances, and Dietary Restrictions
Your safety is important to us. Please disclose any food allergies, intolerances, sensitivities, or dietary restrictions during registration or contact us before attending a class.
Because classes involve a variety of ingredients and take place in a kitchen where different ingredients may be present and used, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment or prevent cross-contact between ingredients.
Participants are responsible for reviewing ingredient information and determining whether ingredients are appropriate for their individual dietary needs.
If you have a severe or life-threatening food allergy, please contact us before registering so that we can discuss whether the particular class is appropriate for you. The Sage Forest reserves the right to determine that a particular class cannot safely accommodate a participant's dietary needs.
Dietary accommodations may not be possible for every class or recipe. Participants should not assume that a recipe can be modified unless The Sage Forest has confirmed the accommodation in advance.
5. Food Preparation and Consumption
The Sage Forest provides hands-on cooking instruction. Participants purchase ingredients for use in the class and prepare the food themselves under the guidance of the instructor.
Participants are responsible for following the instructor's food-safety and preparation instructions, including instructions regarding handwashing, preventing cross-contamination, cooking temperatures, and safe food handling.
Participants are responsible for deciding whether to consume any food or ingredient prepared during the class and should not consume raw or undercooked food.
The Sage Forest is not responsible for a participant's decision to consume a food or ingredient after being informed of its contents, preparation, or potential risks.
6. Kitchen Safety
Cooking is an active, hands-on activity involving potential hazards. Participants may use knives, graters, peelers, stovetops, ovens, mixers, food processors, hot cookware, boiling liquids, and other kitchen equipment.
Participants agree to:
Follow all instructions provided by the instructor.
Use knives and equipment only as instructed.
Ask for assistance when unsure how to use equipment.
Exercise reasonable care around hot surfaces, cookware, liquids, and food.
Keep work areas reasonably clean and free of unnecessary hazards.
Immediately notify the instructor of any injury, unsafe condition, equipment problem, or food-safety concern.
Refrain from behavior that could endanger themselves or others.
The Sage Forest may restrict or discontinue a participant's use of particular equipment if the instructor determines that the participant is using it unsafely.
7. Assumption of Risk and Release
Participation in a hands-on cooking class involves inherent risks, including but not limited to cuts, burns, slips and falls, exposure to hot surfaces or liquids, injuries associated with kitchen equipment, allergic reactions, foodborne illness, and other injuries that may occur during food preparation or consumption.
By participating in a class, you acknowledge these risks and voluntarily assume responsibility for your participation.
To the fullest extent permitted by Virginia law, you agree to release and hold harmless The Sage Forest, its owners, instructors, employees, and agents from claims arising from your participation in a class, except to the extent that such claims result from conduct for which a release or limitation of liability is not permitted under applicable law.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions is intended to waive or limit any right or liability that cannot legally be waived or limited under applicable law.
8. Injuries and Medical Emergencies
Participants should immediately notify the instructor of any injury or medical concern occurring during a class.
If an emergency occurs, The Sage Forest may contact emergency medical services or take other reasonable steps to obtain assistance for a participant. Participants are responsible for their own medical expenses and costs associated with medical treatment.
Participants should inform The Sage Forest before class of any physical limitation or other circumstance that they believe could affect their ability to safely participate.
9. Participant Conduct
The Sage Forest is intended to be a welcoming environment for everyone.
Participants are expected to behave respectfully toward instructors, other participants, and property.
The Sage Forest reserves the right to ask a participant to leave a class, without refund, if the participant engages in unsafe, disruptive, abusive, threatening, or inappropriate behavior or refuses to follow reasonable safety instructions.
10. Alcohol
Participants who are 21 years of age or older may bring beer or wine for their own personal consumption during a class, subject to applicable law and the policies of The Sage Forest.
The Sage Forest does not sell, provide, or furnish alcoholic beverages to participants.
Alcohol may not be shared with or provided to anyone under 21 years of age. Participants are responsible for their own alcohol consumption and for ensuring that their consumption does not interfere with their ability to safely participate in the class or follow kitchen-safety instructions.
The Sage Forest reserves the right to limit or prohibit alcohol consumption if it creates a safety concern or interferes with the class.
Participants who appear intoxicated or whose alcohol consumption creates a safety concern may be asked to stop consuming alcohol or leave the class.
11. Minors
Unless otherwise stated in the class description, participants must be 18 years of age or older.
Participants under the age of 18 may attend only with the prior approval of The Sage Forest and must be accompanied and supervised as required by The Sage Forest.
A parent or legal guardian may be required to sign additional consent or waiver documents for a minor participant.
12. Personal Property
Participants are responsible for their personal belongings brought to The Sage Forest.
The Sage Forest is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal property.
Please bring only items that are reasonably necessary for the class.
13. Photography and Video
The Sage Forest may photograph or record portions of classes for documentation, educational, or promotional purposes.
We will make reasonable efforts to respect participants who do not wish to appear in promotional photographs or videos.
Participation in a class does not by itself constitute permission for The Sage Forest to use a participant's image for promotional purposes. Any permission to use photographs or video of a participant for promotional purposes will be obtained separately during registration or by other written or electronic consent.
14. Severe Weather and Other Unforeseen Circumstances
The Sage Forest may cancel, postpone, or modify a class when weather, road conditions, power outages, equipment failures, illness, or other circumstances create an unreasonable safety concern or make it impractical to conduct the class.
When reasonably possible, we will notify participants as soon as a decision is made and will provide a refund or rescheduling option as described in Section 2.
15. Accessibility and Special Requests
We want our classes to be accessible and enjoyable for as many participants as possible.
If you have a mobility limitation, physical limitation, communication need, or other accommodation request, please contact us before registering or as soon as possible afterward. We will work with you in good faith to determine whether a reasonable accommodation can be provided.
Because our classes involve standing, walking, reaching, lifting, cutting, and other physical activities, some accommodations may not be possible in every class.
16. Custom Classes
Custom classes may be subject to additional terms, including different cancellation policies, minimum participant requirements, menu requirements, deposits, payment schedules, and other event-specific conditions.
When applicable, the terms provided in a separate event agreement or written proposal will supplement these Terms & Conditions. If there is a conflict between these Terms & Conditions and a signed event agreement, the signed event agreement will control.
17. Website and Registration Information
We make reasonable efforts to ensure that class descriptions, menus, dates, prices, photographs, and other information on our website are accurate.
Occasionally, errors or changes may occur. The Sage Forest reserves the right to correct errors and update information before a reservation is completed.
Submitting a registration constitutes an offer to purchase a place in the selected class. The reservation becomes confirmed only after payment has been successfully processed.
18. Electronic Agreement
By checking the box indicating acceptance of these Terms & Conditions during checkout and completing your purchase, you acknowledge that:
You have read and understand these Terms & Conditions.
You agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.
You understand that participation in a hands-on cooking class involves inherent risks.
You have had an opportunity to contact The Sage Forest with questions before participating.
If you are registering additional participants, you have informed those participants of these Terms & Conditions and agree that they will be bound by these Terms & Conditions as a condition of participating in the class.
All participants are required to comply with these Terms & Conditions and applicable class policies.
Electronic acceptance of these Terms & Conditions has the same effect as a written acknowledgment to the extent permitted by applicable law.
19. Changes to These Terms
The Sage Forest may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time.
The version of the Terms & Conditions applicable to your reservation is the version presented to you and accepted by you at the time of purchase, unless a subsequent change is required by law or otherwise applies to your participation.
20. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.
Any provision of these Terms & Conditions that is determined to be invalid or unenforceable shall be modified or severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.
21. Contact
If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions, a class, dietary restrictions, accessibility, or any other concern, please contact:
The Sage Forest
sue@thesageforest.com
434-207-2846
www.thesageforest.com