Farmers in the UK
Meat from the field you can see from the car park, eggs laid this morning, strawberries you pick yourself, a Christmas turkey ordered from the farmer, or a proper breakfast in the barn: find a local farm shop people rate.
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Finding a good farm shop in the UK
A farm shop sells what the farm produces and what neighbouring farms and producers make: beef, lamb and pork from the farm's own animals, eggs, milk and cheese, seasonal fruit and vegetables, bread and cakes, preserves and honey, with the field often visible from the till. The best are working farms with a shop and a café attached; the largest have become destinations with butchers, delis, garden centres and restaurants, and the smallest are an honesty box at the gate. What they share is food with a shorter journey and a name behind it.
Farms sell in other ways too. Meat boxes and veg boxes delivered weekly or monthly; pick-your-own strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees in season; Christmas orders for free-range turkeys and geese; lambing days, open days and play barns for families; and wholesale to restaurants, delis and butchers. For the trade, a farm listing is also where a contractor, a feed merchant, a vet or a machinery dealer finds the farm.
Farm shops are inspected and rated like every food business, and the butchery counter should show its hygiene rating. The listings here show each farm's reviews, what it sells and grows, whether it has a café, opening hours and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, what is in season, and where people in your town drive out to on a Saturday.
What farms and farm shops offer
Meat and dairy: beef, lamb, pork and poultry from the farm's own animals, often rare breeds, cut in the farm's butchery; eggs, milk, cream, cheese and ice cream.
Fruit and veg: seasonal produce picked that morning, pick-your-own soft fruit and pumpkins, apples and juice, and veg boxes by subscription.
The shop: bread and cakes, preserves and honey, local beers and ciders, gifts, and a deli counter, with a café or restaurant at many.
Seasons and events: Christmas turkeys and geese to order, Christmas trees, lambing weekends, harvest and pumpkin picking, and farm parks for children.
Trade: wholesale meat and produce to restaurants and shops, and the suppliers, contractors and services a farm buys from.
Before you visit a farm shop
- Check the opening hours and café times; many close on Mondays and early on Sundays.
- Ask what is the farm's own and what is bought in; a good shop labels it and is proud of the difference.
- Order Christmas turkeys and geese by mid-November; the free-range birds sell out.
- For pick-your-own, ring or check online for what is ready; strawberries run from late May, pumpkins in October.
- Ask about meat and veg boxes and delivery areas if you cannot get out often.
- Bring bags and a cool bag for meat and dairy on a warm day.
What farm shop food costs
As a rough guide, farm-shop beef mince costs £9 to £13 a kilo and a roasting joint £15 to £22, a free-range chicken £7 to £11 a kilo, half a dozen free-range eggs £2 to £3.50, seasonal veg at or a little above supermarket prices, and pick-your-own strawberries £4 to £7 a kilo. A monthly meat box runs £40 to £90, a weekly veg box £12 to £25, and a free-range Christmas turkey £10 to £14 a kilo. Breakfast in the café is £8 to £14.
Prices are close to the supermarket's premium ranges for meat that is usually better and fresher, and the veg is often cheaper in season. The saving is in buying what is abundant that week.
How do I find a good farm shop near me?+
Look at the farms and farm shops listed for your town, check what they sell and grow themselves and whether they have a café, and read reviews that mention the meat counter and the produce. Go on a Saturday morning for the widest choice, and ask what is the farm's own.
Is farm shop meat better than supermarket meat?+
Usually: it comes from animals the farm raised, often slower-grown or rare breeds, hung properly and cut by a butcher who knows the animal. It costs about what the supermarket's premium range costs and tastes different. Ask which animals are the farm's own and how the beef is hung.
When is pick-your-own season?+
Strawberries from late May to July, raspberries and other soft fruit through July and August, apples and plums in September, pumpkins in October and Christmas trees from late November. Check the farm's website or ring before you go; a wet week can close the fields.
Do farms deliver meat and veg boxes?+
Many do, weekly or monthly, locally by van or nationally by courier in insulated boxes, with a set box or a choose-your-own. Prices run £12 to £25 for a weekly veg box and £40 to £90 for a monthly meat box. Ask about the delivery area and whether you can pause it.
When should I order a Christmas turkey from a farm?+
By mid-November for a free-range or bronze bird from the farm's own flock; the best farms take orders from October and are sold out by the end of November. Collect on the 23rd or 24th, or ask about delivery. Expect £10 to £14 a kilo.
Are farm shops good for a day out?+
The larger ones are destinations: a shop, a butchery, a café or restaurant, a garden centre, a play area or a farm park, walks, and seasonal events from lambing to pumpkin picking. Check the listing for what the farm offers and the hours, and expect them to be busy at weekends.
How do I get my business listed?+
It is free. Add your business in about two minutes to appear on this page and your local town directory. Upgrade to Featured for £2.99 a month to sit above the free listings.