Here’s a holiday gift idea: ‘Nutty’ N.C. fruitcake

Already ’tis the season at the Southern Supreme Fruitcake & More factory and showroom near Bear Creek in rural Chatham County, N.C. 

October and November are crazy-busy preparing for the Christmas rush on fruitcakes. Don’t you dare laugh.

 

Belinda Morgan, daughter of the founder Berta Lou Scott, said: “I think if ours had been first, there would never have been any jokes about fruitcakes.”

Southern Supreme was created in 1984 on the hunch that Berta Lou’s homemade nutty fruitcake was the best money could buy.

 

“I didn’t particularly like my momma’s fruitcake because she put too much fruit in it,” Berta Lou said. “Mine has way more nuts and way less fruit.”

 

Southern Supreme is a family business that has not only survived but thrived.

 

Randy Scott, one of Berta Lou’s sons, said that “in 300 pounds of cake batter, we’ll have 95 pounds of chopped fresh pecans and rich English walnuts.”

 

Other ingredients are sugar, flour, eggs, dates, raisins, green glace pineapple wedges and candied cherries. But Scott is adamant about the nuts – “loaded with nuts is the way a fruitcake should be.”

When running on all cylinders, the Southern Supreme kitchen is capable of cranking out about 3,000 pounds of fruitcakes a day, according to Raleigh-area magazine feature writer Emily Uhland. 

The baking method is unique, too, Uhland said. A huge glob of batter is dumped into a tray and loaded into the oven. Several times during the process, bakers remove the pans and stir the mixture. 

The baked tray of cake is cut and molded while still hot and pliable. After the cakes have cooled, glaze and decorative fruits are applied, Uhland wrote. 

“The glaze is the hardest thing,” Berta Lou said. “You want it to sink in and give the cake a sheen.” 

Southern Supreme offers five sizes of its prized nutty fruitcakes – 8 ounces and 1, 2, 3 and 4.5 pounders. 

The “& More” part of the business includes about 150 other holiday sweets and specialty food items. “All the recipes come from something we used to bake at home for the holidays,” Berta Lou said. 

The product catalog begins with fruitcake cookies and includes a ton of chocolates and chocolate and nut combinations, flavored nuts, peanut brittle, toffee, jellies, jams, relishes, cheese florets, tea biscuits, hot chocolate and cider mix. Bear Creek turtles and critters are popular choices.

 

Gift boxes, samplers and baskets range from about $24 to $145. 

Berta Lou and her husband, Hoyt Smith, still come to work every day, though well into their 80s now. She likes to share samples and treats from the test-kitchen with shoppers in the showroom. 

Southern Supreme was one of North Carolina’s home-grown family manufacturers that were heralded in 2021 by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce as part of its promotion: “What’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina.”