Blog

Jul 21, 2023

Tea at the Southerland

By Kathy Grant Westbrook [email protected] For her birthday, Jill Usher, left, is treated to afternoon tea at the Southerland-Burnette House by her daughter Jane. ‘It’s very inviting,’ Jill says

By Kathy Grant Westbrook [email protected]

For her birthday, Jill Usher, left, is treated to afternoon tea at the Southerland-Burnette House by her daughter Jane. ‘It’s very inviting,’ Jill says of the experience. ‘You just want to spend the whole day here.’ (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

The Southerland-Burnette House, located at 201 N. Chestnut St. in Mount Olive, serves several types of finger sandwiches, including a delectable homemade pimento cheese on pumpernickel. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Carrie Talton, left, a kindergarten teacher at St. Mary School in Goldsboro, and daughter Mary Emma, a rising sophomore at N.C. State, can often be found at the Southerland-Burnette House when their respective schools are not in session. Carrie and husband Kenny Talton own the historic house jointly with Carrie’s parents, Bill and Emily Farmer. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Afternoon tea at the Southerland-Burnette House includes three different varieties of finger sandwiches, scones (served with homemade Devonshire cream and jam), sweets, and — of course — a selection of teas. Coffee and lemonade are also available. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Sisters, from left, Emily Farmer, Carolyn Withers and Patricia Turnage prepare the many homemade delicacies served at the Southerland-Burnette House. Farmer, along with husband Bill, and daughter and son-in-law Carrie and Kenny Talton, own the house. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

The Southerland-Burnette House’s mandarin-orange-based Orange Delight is, as the name suggests, delightful. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Served as accompaniments to the wonderful scones at the Southerland-Burnette House are homemade Devonshire cream and jam. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Following tea, guests, from left, Beverly Anderson, Emily Evans, Lisa Kelly and Angie Smith join Carrie Talton, right, for a tour of the Southerland-Burnette House. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Following her birthday-celebration tea, Jill Usher, left, and her daughter, Jane, don fasinators for a special photograph being taken by Mary Emma Talton. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

The Southerland-Burnette House is located at 201 N. Chestnut St. in Mount Olive. A variety of tea services are offered here on Wednesdays, with two seating times: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Advance reservations are required. The house also serves as an event venue for occasions such as bridal and baby showers, receptions and networking events. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)

Some people celebrate their special occasions with afternoon tea at the Southerland-Burnette House. For others, the tea is the special occasion.

The historic home, located at 201 N. Chestnut St. in Mount Olive, hosts teas every Wednesday, with two seatings: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Because space is limited, reservations are required.

When attending a tea, one might think the most important part of the experience is the food (and we’ll get to the food later), but as it turns out, there’s something of equal value: ambience.

The Southerland-Burnette House was built in 1874 and remodeled extensively in the early 1920s, so it’s no exaggeration to say that when you step inside, you step back in time. While most of the furnishings are not original to the house, all have been carefully selected to complement its Greek Revival style. A floral theme carries throughout — from the tablecloths, dishes and table arrangements to the upholstery, drapes, pillows and wallpaper — so that even on the hottest August afternoon, the atmosphere suggests a beautiful spring day with flowers blooming in abundance. A sparkling chandelier, an old Victrola, paintings of mothers and children in gold-gilded frames — special touches abound.

“It’s like you’re entering a different world and that’s the way we want our customers to feel,” said Carrie Talton, who owns the Southerland-Burnette House, along with her husband, Kenny, and her parents, Bill and Emily Farmer.

Talton seldom sees any of her customers using their cell phones (except, maybe, to take a few photos), noting, “We see people enjoying conversation and each other’s company in a quiet, beautiful setting.” Indeed, the setting is quiet, with soft music playing in the background and the occasional subtle footstep on the hardwood floor, as someone checks at your table to see if tea or lemonade refills are needed.

And, with tables that are arranged in different rooms and nooks, it’s conducive to private celebrations — like the afternoon tea to which Jane Usher recently treated her mom, Jill, in celebration of Jill’s birthday.

Jane and Jill are from nearby Newton Grove and first visited the Southerland-Burnette House during last year’s Christmas open house. This was their first-time having tea here.

Three different tea services are offered: cream tea, which consists of scones with Devonshire cream and jam, fresh fruit, and tea, coffee or lemonade; dessert tea, consisting of scones and accompaniments, an assortment of desserts, and drink; and afternoon tea, which is more like lunch, as it adds finger sandwiches alongside the scones and desserts.

The Ushers chose afternoon tea. “Everything was perfect,” noted Jill. “It’s very inviting. You just want to spend the whole day here.”

Jane concurred, adding that her favorite food was the turkey pesto sandwich.

Each afternoon tea includes three different types of finger sandwiches, and the choices include: turkey pesto with provolone on rosemary olive oil bread, chicken salad on croissant, egg salad on white, cucumber on white, pimento cheese on pumpernickel, and a sausage crescent square.

The pimento cheese, the chicken salad, the egg salad, etc. — it’s all homemade, courtesy of Emily Farmer and her sisters Carolyn Withers and Patricia Turnage. The pimento cheese has a little bit of kick that sets it apart from other pimento cheeses. The Devonshire cream for the scones, well, it’s a little sweeter than a traditional Devonshire cream. The chicken salad is a really nice Southern chicken salad. And the mandarin-orange-based Orange Delight — let’s just say, it’s appropriately named.

If you can coax Farmer, Withers and Turnage out of the kitchen for a chat, by all means do so — not only are they excellent cooks, but they are genuinely a lot of fun to talk with.

Following tea, Talton rounds up all guests who are interested and treats them to a tour of the house, talking about its history and answering questions. This also gives guests a chance to interact with one another, comparing which Southerland-Burnette House treats they liked best. (During a recent tour, several women praised the cucumber sandwiches and the sausage crescent squares.)

For those wishing to attend a tea, but unable to make it on a Wednesday, the Southerland-Burnette House will be offering a fall tea on Saturday, Oct. 14, but there will be only one seating — at 3 p.m. — so, once again, reservations are required.

For those reservations, contact Talton or Farmer on Facebook at Southerland Burnette House; Instagram at sbhhomeandevents; online at sbhevents.wordpress.com; email [email protected], or call 919-299-4491.

In addition to teas, the house is also available for special events like bridal and baby showers, receptions, and networking events.