Franklin | Savor The Sweetness Of Southall
Southall | Greeted With Champagne Before The Honey Tasting
As a food enthusiast, I always watch for unique culinary experiences throughout middle Tennessee. Wine tastings, cheese pairings, cooking classes, you name it, and I’m there. One day while scrolling through Instagram, I happened upon quite the event: a honey tasting at Southall Farm’s jammery. While I had no idea exactly what honey tasting entailed, I knew it was something that I had to try.
Nestled on 325 acres south of Nashville, Southall Farm and Inn is a place of gathering and connection around food and nature. Southall combines state-of-the-art farming techniques with philosophies from over a century ago, growing a wide range of heirloom varietals chosen by the chefs and farmers for the taste and feel on the palate. Aside from enjoying walks on the property and delicious food, guests can participate in various programming like a ropes obstacle course, biking trails, archery, canoeing falconry, fishing, and the list continues.
Southall Farm and Inn is home to approximately four +million honeybees, which live among seven apiaries. While they are vital to the health of the farm, they also produce Southall’s award-winning honey, which was most recently recognized with the Good Food Award for Best Honey in the Southeast.
Not only is Southall a special property to Williamson County, but it also holds a special place in my heart. Many years ago, my grandfather owned roughly 100 acres of the current Southall Farm. My mom spent her childhood catching tadpoles in the creek and picking blackberries up on the hill. It remained in our family for quite some time, as I remember venturing out there as a young child. It was a bittersweet return, but I was excited to see how they transformed the property.
Who’s ready to learn more about honey tasting? Let’s get into the details, shall we?
Southall | Inside The Jammery
Tell me about this honey tasting.
Guests will enjoy a four-pour tasting experience, including gourmet honey from the Southeast region, artfully paired wines, and delicious small bites. In addition to the incredible flavors, guests can interact with the Executive Chef, Head Beekeeper, and Head Sommelier while learning how to properly taste honey.
How long does the experience last?
Southall asks that guests arrive by 3:15 pm for the 4:00 pm tasting experience. If you ask me, this is rather early. The jammery wasn’t ready to receive us, and we stood outside near a fire sipping our welcome champagne longer than I preferred. If I were to do it again, I’d arrive by 3:40 unless you want to stand near a firepit that spits ash all over you. An opportunity for improvement if you ask me.
The experience is roughly an hour and a half. We didn’t spend too much time on one honey and quickly moved through the experience.
If you are curious and want to explore the property, make a lunch reservation at Sojourner. Our lunch reservation was at 1:00 pm, and our meal concluded at 2:40 pm, which left us just enough time to check out the lake, explore the spa, and walk the property.
Southall | Our Tasting Line Up
What does the honey tasting cost?
The experience is advertised at $150.00 per person. However, this does not include taxes or gratuity. All in, the final cost is $206.00 per person.
Southall | Tupelo Honey (Florida) Served With Toasted Walnuts And Schramsberg Blanc De Noirs
I’m Interested. How do I make reservations?
If you are interested in making reservations, call 615-282-2000 or email info@southalltn.com . While online reservations are ideal, they weren’t available when I visited the property.
Southall | Sourwood Honey (Georgia) Served With Root Vegetables And Brutes Cider Northern Tropics
If I fall in love with a particular honey, is it available for purchase?
That’s a great question. Undoubtedly, the Southall honey is available in the gift shop in the inn and the shop located near the jammery. At the end of the tasting, guests are given a small container of the Southall whipped honey as a token of gratitude for visiting the property.
Southall | Gallberry Honey (North Carolina) Served With Lambchopper Cheese And Strub Riesling
How large are the tastings?
As you can tell, the jammery isn’t a large space. We had 22 individuals participating in our tasting, and it was at capacity.
Southall | Southall Honey (Tennessee) Served with Apples From The Southall Orchard And Sauternes
Anything else I need to know before I go?
Seating:
To my surprise, seating was not first come, first serve. We checked in and were then escorted to our assigned seats. While they weren’t terrible ( you know I always prefer a chef’s counter seat), we didn’t have the opportunity to interact with the Chef or Beekeeper as much as I would have liked. With that said, if you plan on attending, ask to be seated at the chef’s counter so you are in the midst of the action and conversation.
Parking:
Unless you are visiting the property for lunch or dinner, parking is available at the jammery. If you explore the property before or after your visit, valet your car with the staff, and it’s roughly a five-minute walk to the jammery. It’s a gravel path, so make sure you leave the high heels at home, ladies.
If I’ve piqued your curiosity and you have more questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below or email me! Happy to help in any way I can.
Until Next Time!
