On one of those “colder than it looks” winter mornings that Middle Tennessee is known for, the beekeeper and I venture up the side of a steep hill in his rugged, all-terrain golf cart during a tour of the newly opened Southall Farm & Inn, situated on 325 acres in Franklin. The sky is a pale gray with an occasional promise of sunshine, and the ground is still dotted with fallen leaves.
Jay Williams, a slightly built man with an affable, easy-going demeanor, holds the title of Southall’s pollination program manager. He prides himself not only on tending to the four million bees on the property but also on educating guests and sharing his passion for the subject. On a warmer day, I could have donned a bee suit and tasted honey right from the frame of a hive, but the bees aren’t typically out and about in the winter.
“The farm drives the resort,” says Jay, “and it is kind of what connects us.” With a 1,300-tree orchard producing 43 different apple varieties, greenhouses growing a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables and an aquaponics program raising bass, Southall provides farm-fresh food for its restaurants. It also gives guests a glimpse into life on a working farm, albeit a beautifully curated one.
In addition to the beekeeper’s tour, guests may try their hand at various activities including the aerial ropes course, mountain biking, fly fishing, canoeing or paddle boarding on the expansive man-made lake on the property, originally built for the farm’s water retention.
Southall was founded by Chicago stockbroker Paul Mishkin, who purchased the property in 2015 with the goal of growing food to eat as well as to donate to those in need. The scope and vision for the farm has grown exponentially in the past eight years, but if there’s one word that describes Southall, it’s authenticity. This team is working to tell the story of who they are, of trial and error, of learning and progress — ultimately, the story of the land itself.
As visitors enter the winding drive off Carters Creek Pike, they hand their car keys to the valet — there’s no need for a car while on property. Guests are shuttled about in GEM electric vehicles. A valet ensures their luggage is taken to one of the 62 guestrooms or to the 16 one- or two-bedroom cottages perched along the hillside where guests will later find plush beds with Frette linens, comfy loveseats and marble baths with deep soaking tubs.
From the moment of arrival, the idea is to de-stress and unwind, so there’s no formal check-in desk with long lines, no bellhops wearing black polyester and moving luggage carts endlessly like Sisyphus. After dropping off their car, guests are simply greeted by a member of the reception staff. This whole experience is nothing short of serene.
In the elevated-farmhouse aesthetic of the lobby, the carved wood reception and concierge desks blend seamlessly with the elegant-meets-rustic custom furniture. The inn, designed by 906 Studio Architects in Franklin with interiors by Los Angeles-based IndiDesign, makes a stunning first impression with the lobby’s soaring ceilings, wood beams and hanging globe lights. The focal point is the breathtaking view of picturesque farmland, highlighted by floor-to-ceiling windows.
At the helm of Southall’s “seed-to-fork” culinary experiences — all-day Sojourner, multi-course Mary Amelia, on-site event catering and room service — are chefs Tyler Brown and Andrew Klamar. Tyler, who served as The Hermitage Hotel’s executive chef for over a decade, has taken Southall’s metaphorical reins as senior vice president of agriculture and culinary. Familiar with Andrew from their mutual time in the Capitol Grille kitchen, Tyler recruited him as Southall’s executive chef. The two culinarians share a love of the land’s bounty as well as of creating exquisite cuisine at a very high level.
After the rousing beekeeper tour, I had lunch at Sojourner and, to ward off the chill, decided to start with a delicious, rich Fall Squash Soup with rabbit confit, followed by a fresh-from-the-greenhouse Southall Salad with Greener Roots lettuces, grilled chicken, a sorghum vinaigrette and an assortment of crunchy seeds.
I was joined for lunch by Debe Dohrer, an acclaimed Nashville-based stylist and designer known for dressing athletes, celebrities and music industry executives. Tapped by Southall’s innovative team to create uniforms for their staff, she started by throwing out stereotypes surrounding uniforms. Forget polyester — everything is either linen or cotton.
Debe pictured “contemporary Amish meets Huck Finn with a continental flare,” so she enlisted the L.A.-based Finery to help bring her vision to life. The reception staff is dressed in military-inspired navy jackets, some accented with brass buttons and some paired with vests in textured upholstery fabric. Members of the housekeeping staff wear uniforms that consist of a navy and cream ensemble — a chef’s coat and a ticking stripe pant, completed by navy high-top Converse. The look of the staff’s attire, like all of Southall, is “elevated farm.”
Elements from the Southall uniform line can be found in Emma’s Boutique, an upscale gift shop within the resort. In addition to uniform-inspired clothing and Tom Beckbe hats, there are tabletop items found in the restaurants as well as candles from a collaboration between L.A.-based APOTHIA and local designer imogene + willie. Guests can also find regional snacks like Chattanooga-based Noke’s Granola and Nashville’s Maypop, a sparkling water flavored with fruit juice.
Finally, what would a trip to a resort built around escapism be without a visit to the spa? As I enter the sanctuary, I’m offered an elixir of apple cider vinegar infused with geranium, holy basil and Southall-fresh raw honey. There is a sauna and a steam room, and chaise lounges can be found in two indoor relaxation rooms as well as on the patio for those who want to embrace nature before or after a treatment. Through glass doors, I can see steam rising from the pool, which contains 60 different minerals, specially balanced to soothe achy muscles and joints. There is also a salon for an array of services including cuts, color and nail care.
I enter a pin-drop-quiet treatment room — one of ten — and enjoy a hot stone massage from Gina. She uses pink Himalayan salt stones, which reportedly have more healing agents than the typical black stones. Before I leave, she puts a few drops of Naturopathica’s Re-Boot on a luxurious cloth. I slowly breathe in the mixture of peppermint, rosemary, lemongrass, holy basil and ginger, designed to re-energize and reinvigorate the senses. That feels fitting: The same could be said for Southall.
Credit: Source link
