Destination Tea: Burdett’s Tea Shop and Trading Company [also-titled: Long-Distance Tea Friends Meet after Three Years]

Update: Burdett’s Tea Shop closed in June 2021.

Where:  Springfield, Tennessee
Style:  Historic downtown tearoom
Tea Selection:  30+ loose leaf teas by Blue Roses Tea
Teatimes:  Monday to Saturday, 11-2:30
Reservations:  Walk-ins welcome; 24-hour notice for parties of 8 or more
Contact:  615-384-2320 
Cost:  $29.99 Tea for Two; $16.99 Tea for One; $6.29 Child’s Tea Plate
Destination Tea Tips: Leave time to enjoy the shops in this historic downtown area.

Prices and teatimes are subject to change. Please see our Tennessee afternoon tea directory for the latest details.

exterior Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN

Destination Tea Notes: Tennessee was the second state we researched for Destination Tea’s afternoon tea directories back in 2016, so it’s quite satisfying to finally begin exploring the afternoon teas in our neighboring state. Best of all, my wonderful friend Jennifer Stowe, owner of Three Sisters Tearoom in Campbellsville, TN, graciously agreed to make the trek out to Springfield where I was reviewing Burdett’s Tea Shop, so we could meet in person for the first time. It’s been three years since Jennifer and I first spoke, when I interviewed her about her then one-year-old tearoom for the Tennessee afternoon tea directory. I had no idea the friend I had found.

Jennifer is one of those special tea sisters — like the ladies of the Southern Tea Time Getaway — who touches your life with her kindness, grace and generosity when you least expect it. Unsurprisingly, her three daughters reflect the good in her. As we gather around a table in Burdett’s, I learn that these sweetly mannered sisters are also talented self-starters. The family is prolific in dreaming up ways to share their passion for tea, well beyond the running of their tearoom. They write, design and publish tea-themed books, give educational presentations to the community, organize tea tours and have founded the Mid-TN Tea Association. And still they are brimming with more new ideas, even for Destination Tea! It was such a joy meeting these women surrounded by the warm chatter of the afternoon crowd at Burdett’s Tea Shop.

Burdett’s Tea Shop is the kind of tearoom every historic downtown should have. Here it’s easy to believe that Grandma might be in the kitchen pulling her famous scones from the oven. In addition to preserving certain original design elements of the 1912 building, they intentionally blend dark wood tones with homespun touches like crocheted tablecloths to create an ambiance that’s inviting to men and women alike. A full homemade lunch menu is offered alongside the afternoon tea service, so each guest can order according to his or her own appetite. I enjoyed choosing from a varied tea list by local tea blender Blue Roses Tea, to pair with the well-portioned Tea for One, a tiered tray of scratch-made treats.

interior Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
Richly grained pine floor and cheerful yellow walls sit beneath the original tin ceiling from the 1912 building.
meeting Jennifer Stowe of Three Sisters Tearoom in Campbellsville, TN
Yes! Jennifer, her daughters and I could have sat through several teatimes, we had so much to share about our tea businesses and ourselves.

Tea Service

tea list at Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
Jennifer explains that Blue Roses Tea is locally blended for Burdett’s Tea Shop.
pouring tea at Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
My first time seeing a Mandarin Oolong tea offered, so I must try – very good! Burdett’s slips pretty cozies over each teapot at the table to keep the tea warm.

Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets

three-tiered tea tray at Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
This afternoon tea feels like a personal picnic, with the cheese and crackers and fresh fruit. The two tea sandwiches — egg salad and chicken salad — are not large, but big on taste. Because I am partial to the sandwiches, I might prefer a third tea sandwich in lieu of the cheese and crackers.
homemade scones at Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
Two medium-large homemade scones are included with the Tea for One. The ham and cheese scone reminds me of a buttery quiche lorraine.
scones and desserts at afternoon tea at Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
Burdett’s famous homemade raisin scone uses an old family recipe that was worth passing down – it’s delicious, served with cream and delicious jam with big chunks of strawberries. Lemon curd is an add-on by request.
Dessert includes a peanut butter ball drizzled with chocolate, fabulous chocolate brownie and zesty orange sugar cookie.
gift shop at Burdett's Tea Shop and Trading Company in Springfield, TN
Blue Roses Teas are for sale in the gift shop, where light streams in through the glass-paned store front.
DestinationTea
Tea Voyageuse, discovering the world of afternoon tea, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

1 Comment

  1. We were there with our Aunt in September. Loved the atmosphere and the food is delicious. Highly recommend you go there. Great Gift ideas too. Christmas is coming! Just saying.

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