Blackberry Mountain
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Meet The Family

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Mary Celeste Beall

Proprietor

Mary Celeste Beall

Mary Celeste Beall

Proprietor

Mary Celeste Beall is the Proprietor of the acclaimed resort hotels Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. For more than a decade, Mary Celeste has lived and worked on the family-owned properties. She first joined her late husband Sam as he led the transformation of Blackberry Farm into a renowned food, wine and wellness destination. As Proprietor, Mary Celeste, alongside her father-in-law, Sandy, and the Blackberry team, drove the creation and opening of Blackberry Mountain as it evolved into a haven for preservation and personal exploration in relaxation, wellness and adventure. She led creative direction for launching the brand’s print magazine, Blackberry Magazine. Unique in the resort industry, Blackberry Magazine is a creative-driven editorial project that shares original stories, art, interviews and more inspired by life at Blackberry. She continues to share her vision for the expansion of the Blackberry brand, continuing a longstanding reputation for renowned hospitality and celebrated wine and food.

Over the years, the Blackberry brand has garnered industry praise, including Blackberry Farm’s three James Beard Awards for Best Chef—Southeast, Outstanding Wine Program and Outstanding Service. Blackberry Farm was also named Bon Appetit’s No. 1 Hotel for Food Lovers. Blackberry Mountain is adding to the brand’s awards with recognitions including ELLE Décor Travel A-List – Best New Hotel, Hideaway Report – Hideaway of the Year, and inclusion in Travel + Leisure’s It List for best new hotels in the world.

SANDY BEALL

Co-Founder

SANDY BEALL

SANDY BEALL

Co-Founder

In 1976, Sandy Beall, a young entrepreneur bought Blackberry Farm alongside his wife Kreis and moved his young family to live full time at the nine-bedroom inn. Sandy had founded the restaurant Ruby Tuesday just four years prior while still a student at the University of Tennessee, eventually growing the casual-dining corporation to include nearly 850 restaurants in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, as well as 14 foreign countries. His current investments and advisory roles span a large range of restaurant, education, non profits, and foodservice companies. Sandy’s diverse set of business skills and knowledge helped to grow Blackberry Farm from the happy nine-bedroom inn into one of America’s most celebrated luxury hotels. As an investor and advisor, Sandy continues to offer his business expertise back to the family owned and operated business at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

KREIS BEALL

Co-Founder

KREIS BEALL

KREIS BEALL

Co-Founder

Kreis Beall was 23 years old and had one child and another on the way in 1976 when she and her husband Sandy purchased Blackberry Farm as their family home. Inspired by her grandmother’s work ethic and love for food and her mother’s sense of beauty and style, Kreis fell in love with the art of entertaining and wanted Blackberry to be an extension of her own home. Her life has always represented the same sense of southern hospitality. Kreis transformed the original nine-bedroom farmhouse into a Relais & Chateaux estate and restaurant. She has also minted Blackberry Farm's acclaimed high country style and created a design studio whose work has been featured in Southern Accents, Southern Living, Bon Appetit, Town & Country and Travel & Leisure, and on HGTV and PBS.

After retiring from the inn in 1999, she opened a photography studio and returned to Blackberry to lead various design projects. Kreis is currently working on several creative projects.