Kentucky Ag News
This inviting fireplace awaits visitors to Southern Grace Bed & Breakfast. (Photo submitted)
Touches of Grace
Meade County B&B is honored for going 'above and beyond'
By CHRIS ALDRIDGE, Kentucky Agricultural News
BRANDENBURG, Ky. – Southern Grace Bed & Breakfast received a very prestigious honor in a surprising way.
The Kentucky Proud business was recently named Luxury B&B of the Year in Luxury Travel Guide’s 2017 Americas Awards, which encompasses North, South, and Central America.
But the award wasn’t revealed at an awards gala, or even announced at all. Theresa Padgett, who founded and operates the Meade County B&B at 325 Kirchdorfer Road with her husband, David, didn’t even know Southern Grace had been nominated and judged, much less won.
Watch the Southern Grace promotional video
“When we got the [travel guide] book in the mail, that’s when we found out about it,” Theresa said. “I was in shock.
“They Federal Expressed it to us, so we knew it was something. I opened it up, and there’s Southern Grace as the only bed and breakfast in the entire book! It’s amazing.
“We’ve been featured in national publications before, but this is really over the top. This includes all the Americas – Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. It’s unbelievable.”
Theresa said the judges arrived incognito and stayed as regular guests.
“Somebody recommended us, but we have no idea who,” she said. “We had no idea the judges were here. We had no idea any of this was in the works.
“I always tell my husband, ‘You never know who you’re cooking for,’” she added. “We’ve had Forbes billionaires visit here, the king of Dubai’s family, people from all over the world, so we treat everybody with kindness.”
Southern Grace received the highest rating for hotel lodging in the state, earning 10 stars out of 10, the only one in Kentucky with a perfect score.
“We have the highest-rated mattresses and best sheets anywhere,” Theresa said. “We get compliments daily on our bedding.”
Here’s what Luxury Travel Guide wrote about Southern Grace: “Hosts David and Theresa go above and beyond to make sure your stay is as relaxing or as adventure-filled as you would like, inviting you into their home as a stranger and ensuring you leave as a friend. It’s a combination of these personal touches with a number of home comforts that made our stay a memorable one: decadent, homemade, and farm-to-table menus; picturesque countryside views from your room’s expansive windows; and plush, inviting beds at the end of a long day.”
Some of Southern Grace’s farm-to-table breakfast platters feature fresh eggs from their own flock of 50 hens and berries from their property. The B&B sources sweet potatoes and honey from nearby farms, as well as Kentucky blackberries and blueberries.
“We do breakfast differently that most [B&Bs] do,” Theresa said. “We give them a menu and let them choose their breakfast time between 7 and 10 [a.m.]. We get a lot of couples that don’t want to eat with a lot of people.”
Activities include fishing, with a 10-pound bass and a 30-pound catfish caught in their two fishin’ holes, a 1-acre lake and a farm pond; paddle boating; feeding seven alpacas; petting seven cows (yes, you can pet them); and brushing a horse.
If you really want a farm experience, you can gather the eggs for your breakfast.
“It’s quite an experience for someone who’s never been on a farm,” Theresa said. “A doctor came from Chicago and brought her 11-year-old son. She wanted him to see what it’s like on a farm. It’s a huge thing for a lot of people.”
Southern Grace has had guests from all 50 states and 35 countries. Its Barn on the Farm event center has become a popular wedding venue.
“We’re a huge tourist destination for weddings,” Theresa said. “This state has no idea how much tourism we bring in here.”
A hundred people from Colorado came in for a recent wedding. Another ceremony attracted 40 visitors from Alaska.
“A tour bus drove here from Dallas with the whole wedding party,” Theresa said, noting the rustic, chic “barn” belies its name with a concrete floor, a full commercial kitchen, and even chandeliers.
“We offer full wedding packages,” she said. “They pick out their cake, and we take care of everything else.”
Theresa said a woman from Colorado visited recently with an interest in reserving the entire B&B for three days to host a corporate event for 75 people.
“This place is exceptionally nice but casual,” Theresa said. “It’s a luxury resort, but people come here to relax, not put on facades.”
With Christmas just around the corner, gift certificates are available in any increment that you wish to spend. Theresa said the B&B’s website, SouthernGraceBB.com, features the best deals, even lower than booking websites, or you can call toll-free 1-855-LUX-STAY (589-7829).
The wedding venue has its own website, TheBarnOnTheFarm.com.
