This Old-School Tennessee Market Has Kept Southern Food Traditions Alive Since 1925

Elvis Presley loved this shop’s bacon so much that his manager ordered it by the carton. That one detail alone had me reaching for a map.

The whole business started with a honey table under a mulberry tree. A mother and son ran it beside a busy highway, selling raw local honey to passing drivers.

Today the shelves hold country ham, hickory-smoked bacon, sourwood honey, and jams from a family recipe box. I have to admit, a museum-style foyer full of old photos sounds like my kind of shopping trip.

This Tennessee stop has shipped food to presidents and Supreme Court judges. So how did a tiny roadside stand end up feeding some of the most famous people in America?

It All Started With Honey Under A Mulberry Tree

Back in 1925, Erskine Early and his mother, Mamie Elgate Kincaid Early, set up a humble table under a mulberry tree. That little setup became Early’s Honey Stand, and it’s still going strong today.

The spot sat on what was then the Andrew Jackson Highway. You know it now as U.S. Highway 31, a major route for travelers heading through middle Tennessee.

Raw local honey was the first thing on the table. Drivers could pull over, grab a jar, and keep rolling with something sweet riding shotgun.

Business didn’t stay small for long. Summer brought fresh fruit to the stand, and winter brought smoked sausage and country ham.

That seasonal rhythm still shapes the shop’s personality. Honey, fruit, and smoked pork remain the heart of what Early’s offers.

I find that origin story especially appealing because it’s so practical. A family saw hungry travelers and simply gave them good food.

Now the business has passed the 100-year mark, which is a huge deal for any family shop. Plenty of fancy companies never get close to that kind of staying power.

Not bad for a table and a shade tree, right?

The Bacon That Made Elvis Pick Up The Phone

Colonel Parker didn’t order Early’s bacon by the pack. He ordered it by the carton, because Elvis Presley was a big fan.

That’s a pretty strong endorsement from the King of Rock and Roll. Good luck ignoring that when you spot the bacon case.

The shop sells hickory-smoked bacon alongside its famous country sausage. You’ll find the original recipe sausage, plus nitrate-free and spicy nitrate-free versions for different tastes.

Country ham rounds out the smoked meat lineup. It’s the kind of salty, old-fashioned ham that belongs next to biscuits and red-eye gravy.

For many families, this bacon is tied to holiday mornings. Early’s has been shipping it to homes for generations, and it often lands on Christmas breakfast tables.

I’d be tempted to grab one of each sausage style and hold a taste test at home. Breakfast for dinner suddenly sounds like a smart family plan.

Here’s a tip for planning your trip. The shop has offered bacon and country sausage samples on the first Saturday of the month, although visitors should confirm whether this tradition continues.

Free bacon on a Saturday is a pretty convincing reason to adjust your weekend schedule.

Sourwood, Tupelo, And A Whole Rainbow Of Honey

Honey is the reason the doors opened in the first place. At Early’s Honey Stand, it still gets a starring role on the shelves.

The lineup goes way past one plain jar. You can choose clover, wildflower, orange blossom, sourwood, and tupelo honey.

Each type comes from bees visiting different flowers. That’s why the colors and flavors can change so much from jar to jar.

Sourwood honey is a classic treat in the Southern mountains. Tupelo honey is famous too, and it’s often harder to find in regular grocery stores.

The best part? You can sample a variety of honeys right in the store before choosing.

That makes things way easier for undecided shoppers like me. I wouldn’t pass up the chance to taste them side by side and pick a favorite.

Honey works in so many everyday ways. Stir it into tea, drizzle it on warm biscuits, or brush it over a baked ham.

A jar also makes an easy gift for teachers, neighbors, or a dinner host. It’s sweet, simple, and connects straight back to that very first roadside table in 1925.

Grandma Mamie’s Recipes Are Still Filling Jars

Some family recipes live in a dusty box. Mamie Early’s recipes are still at work today, filling jars on the shelves.

Many of the jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters at the shop are based on her original recipes. That’s nearly a century of the same family flavor.

These spreads bring a true Southern breakfast vibe to the table. Think toast, biscuits, or a quick peanut butter sandwich with an upgrade.

The shelves don’t stop at sweet stuff, either. Pickled mushrooms, pickled asparagus, and pickled garlic add a tangy twist.

Pickled garlic might sound bold, and honestly, it is. It’s also a fun addition to a snack board or a sandwich.

Condiments get their own spotlight too. Look for flavored mustards, steak seasoning, traditional pork rub, and barbecue sauce for backyard cooking.

I have to admit, mixing a grandma-style fig jam with a spicy mustard sounds like a great appetizer idea. Spread both on crackers with cheese and you’ve got party food in minutes.

Try picking one sweet jar and one tangy jar per visit. Your pantry will slowly turn into a Southern flavor collection.

Your Pantry Is About To Get A Southern Makeover

Grits from a box are fine. Stone-ground grits from a shop that’s been around since 1925 are a whole different story.

Early’s calls this section its country cupboard. It’s packed with stone-ground grits, cornmeal, seasoned flour, biscuit mix, and griddle cake mixes.

Seasoned flour is handy for frying fish or making crispy onion rings. Biscuit mix saves time on busy mornings when you still want something homemade.

Need snacks for the ride home? The store also carries cheeses, sweets, coffee, apple cider, and plenty of nuts.

Those nuts have an interesting backstory. In 2025, Early’s bought the Nashville-based Tennessee Peanut Company, adding its roasted peanuts to the lineup.

That move shows the business is still growing after 100 years. Old-school doesn’t have to mean standing still.

Early’s also stocks frozen take-and-bake cobblers from Cobbler Creations. It’s a veteran-owned company based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Picture a dinner plan built from one stop. Country ham, biscuits, grits, and a warm cobbler for dessert sounds like a weekend menu to me.

Bring a cooler if you’re traveling far. Smoked meats and frozen treats deserve a safe trip home.

The Foyer Doubles As A Mini History Museum

Most stores greet you with a sale sign. Early’s Honey Stand greets you with a museum.

The foyer is set up to tell the company’s story. Period photographs, artifacts, and mementos line the space and trace the timeline from 1925 onward.

It’s a fun way to slow down before shopping. You get to see how one family turned a honey table into a famous name.

Kids might enjoy spotting how things looked long ago. Old photos can spark great questions about cars, clothes, and life before online shopping.

The building itself has history too. It dates back to the 1960s and was originally used as the Early’s mail-order facility.

So the walls around you once handled boxes headed all over the country. That’s a pretty cool detail to know while browsing the shelves.

I’d be tempted to spend more time in the foyer than I planned. History is way more interesting when bacon and honey are waiting nearby.

Take a few minutes to read the displays before heading inside. They make every jar and package feel connected to a much bigger story.

Presidents Got Packages From This Small-Town Shop

Online shopping feels modern, but Early’s was mailing food across the country long before the internet. The mail-order catalog started in the early 1950s.

Early’s describes itself as the oldest mail-order house in the South, with a mail-order tradition dating back to the 1950s.

Over the years, packages have gone to some very important doorsteps. Presidents, heads of state, Supreme Court judges, NFL owners, and celebrities have all received Early’s products.

Regular folks get the same treatment, of course. Gift boxes and gift subscriptions make it easy to send Southern food to anyone, anywhere.

The online shop runs around the clock. You can order country ham at midnight if a craving strikes.

Real people answer calls from the Spring Hill location too. That personal touch feels rare these days.

I find gift subscriptions especially clever for faraway relatives. A box of honey and sausage showing up regularly beats another gift card every time.

Holiday gifts are a big part of the Early’s tradition. Order ahead during busy seasons so your package arrives right on time for the celebration.

Plan Your Stop Along Historic Highway 31

Finding the shop is the easy part. Early’s Honey Stand sits at 5075 Main St, Spring Hill, TN 37174, right along a road with plenty of history.

Main Street here was once a major stop for travelers on U.S. Highway 31.

That busy route is exactly why a roadside honey stand made sense in 1925.

Spring Hill is in Tennessee’s Williamson County area. Franklin is nearby, so the shop fits nicely into a day trip around the region.

Timing matters, so check the schedule before heading out. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sundays are closed, so don’t plan a Sunday afternoon bacon run. Your stomach will thank you for checking first.

Here’s a smart move for planning. Aim for the first Saturday of the month to catch those cooked bacon and sausage samples.

Bring a shopping list, but leave room for surprises. Between honey tastings and cheese samples, you’ll likely find something you never planned to buy.

A cooler in the trunk is a great idea for longer drives home.

Take The Tradition Home To Your Own Kitchen

Buying great country ham is step one. Knowing what to do with it is where the fun really starts.

Early’s shares a Recipe Corner with cooking ideas for its products. You’ll find recipes like sausage balls, hush puppies, and tips for preparing country ham.

Sausage balls are a Southern party favorite for good reason. They’re simple to make and disappear fast at holiday gatherings.

Hush puppies pair perfectly with that stone-ground cornmeal from the store. Fry them up next to some fish and you’ve got a classic Tennessee supper.

Country ham can feel tricky for first-timers. It’s salty by tradition, so following a trusted recipe helps a lot.

I’d be tempted to start with sausage balls for a game day snack. They seem like the easiest way to win over a hungry crowd.

Cooking these dishes keeps old food traditions going in a very real way. Every batch connects your kitchen to a family stand from 1925.

That’s the real magic of Early’s Honey Stand after more than 100 years. The food doesn’t just sit on a shelf.

It becomes part of your own family story.