Hi Everyone!! We have news that we would like to share with you.
After 20 incredible years, we have decided that it is time to close the tea shop. Saturday, May 22 is the last day we will be open, serving lunch and tea. We wish to thank everyone for their sustaining support over the years and hope that you will carry wonderful memories with you of the times spent with us at the tea shop.
We will be having a “Farewell Sale” starting Tuesday, June 1 from 10AM-2PM. The sale will continue each day until we have cleared out the shop. Any current retail items will be 50% off the original price. Chairs, tables, store/office furniture and fixtures will be priced as marked. Any remaining bags of Blue Roses Tea will be 20% off.
For the sale we will require masks inside the shop and we will limit the number of people who may shop at one time. I know many of you have attended our Warehouse Sales on Shop Small Saturday and recall how crowded and hectic it can get. We will make every effort to prevent the extreme crowding due to the continued presence of Covid.
Again, we thank each of you for your unwavering support and love over the years. Each day, each week, each year, we have heard that love expressed in so many ways. “How are you today?” “Broccoli Salad and ‘a Frozen’ are my favorite sides on the Jumble Plate.” “That is the best scone I have ever eaten!” “Where did Dolly Parton sit?” “Could we have that little table by the window?” “How’s your mama feeling?” “Could I get a pot of Russian Caravan, please?” “That piece of Hummingbird Cake is huge—I’m gonna need a TO GO box!” “Thank you and come back!” All those words-and more-will echo throughout this building for years to come and we will recall with love the ones who said them and the ones who heard them.
You know, 20 years seems rather perfect for the tea shop. It has been an absolute pleasure. As they say, “Thanks for the memories!”
A short history of a small place...
Established in 2001, Burdett's Tea Shop & Trading Company is located just off the courthouse square in downtown Springfield, Tennessee in a building that was built in 1912. The building was originally a general store and later, did business for many years as McCord and Harris Drug Store. Sam and Sandy Ramsey bought the building in 2000 and began an extensive renovation, successfully blending craftsmanship and utility in an often complimented interior. Many architectural aspects of the building had been lost over time, but fortunately, they were able to salvage the original tin ceiling and use it in the dining room of the tea shop.
Today Burdett's Tea Shop is a hub of activity in a well preserved historic downtown. It joins other restaurants, charming boutiques and shops, the historic 1879 Courthouse and the Robertson County History Museum (located in the old post office building) just off the Courthouse Square. Trees line Main Street and offers a pleasant vista for visitors to the downtown area.
The tea shop has a quaint atmosphere that steers away from frills and “fluff”. Dark paneled walls and a pine floor set the mood for the delightful meal that awaits the guests inside the arched front door. Wooden tables with crocheted table cloths and fresh flowers welcome guests as they make their choices from Burdett’s well rounded menu.
Specialties of the shop are homemade scones, quiche and delectable desserts that rival those found in much larger establishments and more metropolitan towns. Chicken Salad is a favorite of the guests as well as Burdett’s signature sandwiches and freshly made soups. The star of the show is the “scone of the day” made fresh daily from scratch in Burdett’s kitchen. Favorite flavors such as Blueberry with Lemon Zest, S’mores, Apricot Almond, Apple Cinnamon, Orange Cream and Double Chocolate Pecan sell out before lunch time is over. Some customers order just one, while others take home a dozen.
The front area of the dining room serves as a retail shop where there are treasures to be found. Burdett’s has a wide variety of tea pots and tea accoutrements. The gift selections offer unique serving pieces, aprons, books (tea related, local history and children’s), jewelry and wonderful seasonal “whimseys” from wholesalers such as Grandmother’s Buttons, Peacock Park, Bethany Lowe, Mary Lake Thompson, Ragon House, Mud Pie, Thistledown Cozies, Ulster Linen, Tiny Teapot Jewelry, K&K Interiors and others.
Burdett’s Tea Shop & Trading Company is the perfect centerpiece for a day trip that is only 30-45 minutes north of Nashville. It is nestled in the middle of historic downtown Springfield and surrounded by a beautiful rural setting AND the world renowned legend of the Bell Witch. The tea shop is an anchor of downtown businesses and is credited with hastening along the rejuvenation of the area. Burdett’s has been featured in the Nashville Tennessean “Lifestyles” and Tennessee Home and Farm magazine, on Fox News (Nashville Channel 17) Travel Tennessee and PBS’s Tennessee Crossroads and recently included in Tea Time magazines Tea & Scones publication. The shop is also featured in the July/August 2016 issue of Tea Time magazine and Local Table magazine.
(A Short History of a Small Place, we borrowed this phrase from North Carolina author T. R. Pearson)