Few family days out feel as satisfying as picking your own fruit and veg straight from the field. It’s a brilliant excuse to get outside, and there’s the added bonus of a delicious treat to enjoy on the way home (or, let’s be honest, in the car park before you’ve even left).
There’s so much to be gained from a morning spent picking fresh fruit and vegetables, and plenty of parents have happy memories of doing exactly this as children. It’s a lovely way for kids to get some fresh air while learning where their food actually comes from — and there’s usually a tasty snack involved, whether that’s on the way round or once you’re home.
Children quickly get the hang of spotting the biggest, ripest fruit and dropping it carefully into the basket. And the fun doesn’t stop at the farm gate — most kids love helping to wash, weigh and cook whatever they’ve picked once you’re back in the kitchen. Fair warning: they’ll be angling for a return trip before you’ve finished the first batch of jam.
It’s not just strawberries on offer either. Everything from courgettes to cherries, wildflowers to fresh herbs can be found across pick your own farms in Ireland and the UK, with some sites growing dozens of different crops across the season. Here are 21 of our favourites, region by region.
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Jump to a region
- Pick Your Own Farms in Ireland
- Pick Your Own Farms in England
- Pick Your Own Farms in Scotland
- Pick Your Own Farms in Wales
Pick Your Own Farms in Ireland
Lamberts Fruit Farm, Dublin
Lamberts is one of the few remaining pick your own farms in Ireland, so it’s always a popular spot when it opens from late June to early August. Because opening days vary, it’s worth checking their Facebook page before you set off to make sure picking is on.
When it’s open, expect strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries.
The Apple Farm, Tipperary
Apples have grown in this part of Tipperary for hundreds of years, and since 1968 the family here have steadily planted more orchards. As well as apples, the farm grows pears, plums, cherries, raspberries and strawberries — though only the strawberries are usually available to pick, and only on occasional dates, so check ahead.
There’s a farm shop open year-round, plus a camping and caravan park on site if you fancy making a weekend of it.
The Village at Wheelocks, Wexford
Wheelocks have been growing fruit on their farm near Enniscorthy since the 1950s — strawberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb and even pumpkins.
Wexford strawberries are almost a brand in themselves, known around Ireland for their sweetness. At Wheelocks you can see them growing and pick your own straight from the field.
Corderry Fruit Farm, Dundalk
!Girl picking strawberries at a pick your own fruit farm
This family-run farm in Co Louth produces strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, apples, pumpkins and more. Alongside supplying some well-known supermarkets, Corderry offers pick your own during the summer months and again in autumn.
The Berry Farm, Wexford
Based in Clonroche, Co Wexford, The Berry Farm is open to the public for strawberry picking from May to September.
Pick Your Own Farms in England
Copas Farm, Cookham, Berkshire
Wander the fields at Copas Farm and pick your own seasonal fruit and veg, including asparagus, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, runner beans, French beans and peas. There’s a small entry charge on arrival, which is then set against whatever you pick and pay for at the till. On selected Fruit Festival Sundays during peak season, you can also eat fruit straight from the fields as you go.
Open from May to September, there’s an on-site shop stocking picked produce, jams, eggs, sausages and bacon.
Graveley Fruit Farm, Stevenage
Get lost in the Hertfordshire fields of Graveley Fruit Farm and enjoy strawberry picking through the summer, or hunt for the perfect pumpkin in October. Run by the same family for four generations, the farm has grown to include a children’s play area with a zip-wire and haystacks, tractor and trailer rides, and a café.
Expect ripe strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants, grown on a table-top system at waist height for easy picking and in polytunnels so you can pick whatever the weather’s doing. You can also buy fruit ready-picked in the café if little legs need a rest.
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Garsons of Esher, Esher, Surrey
Set in the Surrey countryside, Garsons has one of the UK’s largest pick your own farms, alongside a garden centre and farm shop. The business has a long history stretching back to when the farm grew fresh produce for London’s Borough Market.
Open from June to October, the range on offer is impressive — dozens of crops and varieties, from strawberries and raspberries to runner beans, onions, peas and seasonal sunflowers. A handy map shows what’s ready for picking on the day, and there’s plenty of parking on site.
Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop, Norwich
!Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop
You’d struggle to find a pick your own farm with a bigger range of apples — Hillfield grows over 200 varieties and is known for having one of the largest fruit ranges in East Anglia.
Whether you’d rather wander the orchards or hunt through the soft fruit rows for strawberries, there’s plenty to enjoy. Their season runs from May to October, with pears, rhubarb and quinces among the crops you can pick alongside the usual favourites. Hillfield also has a farm shop and runs seasonal events such as a blossom walk through the orchards.
Stanhill Farm, Wilmington
This family-run farm has a huge selection of PYO fruit across its 150-acre site, including strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants from June to October.
Parking and PYO entry are both free — you simply pay for what you pick. There’s also a maize maze open from July to September, with a different theme each year. There’s no café on site, but the Pick Your Own hut sells ice creams, drinks and refreshments, so bring a picnic and make a day of it.
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Parkside Farm, Enfield
Located in Enfield, North London, Parkside Farm lets little ones pick their own fruit and veg between June and October. Choose from strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and plenty of vegetables.
Stroll around with a basket and pick your favourites — you only pay for what you take home. Many of the crops are grown “table-top” style, so there’s no bending down needed for the best fresh fruit. There’s a dedicated picnic space too, plus a shop selling ice creams, meringues and Parkside honey.
The Hop Shop, Castle Farm, Kent
The PYO at The Hop Shop is a genuinely lovely spot, set on a lavender farm in Kent. Come autumn — even once the lavender’s finished for the year, the scent still lingers — you can visit the PYO orchard for pears, corn on the cob, Kent cob hazelnuts and a variety of apples.
The orchard is mostly planted with Norfolk Royal apple trees, with a few rows of Cox and Golden Delicious for cross-pollination. The farm shop is well worth a browse in its own right, and there’s a fine old quince tree at the front. Picking usually wraps up around mid-October, but it’s a popular spot, so check before you visit — and it’s worth confirming current payment options in advance too.
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Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall
Enjoy the full countryside experience at Trevaskis Farm in the Cornish outdoors. There’s fruit picking, a shop, a farm park and a café with a great kids’ menu.
Alongside PYO cherries, you’ll find pumpkins, peas, sweetcorn and raspberries, with informative signposts around the farm to help you teach little ones about the crops as you go. Entrance is free, so you only pay for what ends up in your basket, and all-weather polytunnels mean the weather rarely gets in the way.
The Balloon Tree Farmshop and Cafe, York
With pick your own fruit, a children’s play area, an animal corner and a café known for its cakes, The Balloon Tree in Yorkshire makes for a great full day out.
Follow the well-organised PYO trail and pick whatever’s in season, from the first strawberries in May to the last pumpkins in October, along with blueberries, plums and runner beans. The play area sits right next to the café garden, so you can keep an eye on the kids over a cuppa. There’s a kid-sized digger and tractor, a two-storey Wendy house and a climbing frame to keep them busy, plus Animal Corner nearby, where you can meet the resident pygmy goats and buy a bag of feed from the farm shop to treat them.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Scotland
Cairnie Fruit Farm, Fife
Cairnie Fruit Farm has pick your own cherries, plus strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, pumpkins and even sunflowers. Table-top strawberries make picking easy for smaller hands, and there’s also a café, funyard and maize maze to explore.
If you visit during the summer when the six-acre Mega Maize Maze is open, it’s well worth a go. Even outside maze season, the Funyard has plenty to offer, with trampolines, swings, slides, a fortress and tractors. There’s an entry fee, but it makes for a proper full family day out.
Charleton Fruit Farm, Montrose
This family-run farm lets you pick your own fruit, grab a bite in the café (converted from an old barn and stables), browse the gift shop and let the kids loose in the play zones — one gated area for under-12s, and another for older kids (and adults).
There’s plenty of seating overlooking the play areas so you can relax while the kids run around, and even on a busy summer weekend the farm manages parking and space well. Throughout the year there are seasonal events too, from Easter egg hunts to choosing a Christmas tree in December. Pick your own typically starts in spring, with a good range of berries available depending on the season.
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East Yonderton Farm, Renfrew
East Yonderton is a family-run Renfrewshire soft fruit farm near Inchinnan, just beside Glasgow Airport. During fruit season the farm is open daily for picking, and fruit can also be ordered ready-picked for weekday collection. The farm grows vegetables and potatoes too, available for most of the year.
Border Berries, Kelso, Roxburghshire
Strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, tayberries and peas are all on offer at Border Berries. This family-run farm has large, well-tended crops, with prices charged per kilo picked.
Picking depends on the weather and on what’s ready that day, so it’s worth checking their Facebook page and website before you travel.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Wales
Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, Hawarden, Flintshire
Between June and October, families are invited to pick their own gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. Later in the season, there are apples, pears and plums for eating and cooking, plus Hawarden Estate pumpkins.
Pick up a biodegradable punnet at the farm shop when you arrive, then head back to have it weighed.
Aberbran Fawr Farm, Brecon, Powys
Aberbran Fawr is a campsite in the Brecon Beacons National Park that also grows PYO soft fruit, available (subject to what’s ready) from mid-June to early August.
As well as strawberries, you can pick up broad beans, peas, potatoes, raspberries and blackcurrants.
Hooton’s Homegrown, Brynsiencyn, Anglesey
Hooton’s Homegrown offers seasonal fruit on a pay-as-you-pick basis. Strawberries are the star attraction, with blackcurrants, rhubarb, peas and broad beans also available. It’s best to check their social media before setting off to confirm current opening times and availability.
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!The Best Pick Your Own Farms in Ireland and the UK
Frequently Asked Questions
What time of year can you go pick your own fruit in Ireland and the UK?
Most pick your own farms open from late spring through to autumn, with strawberries typically leading the season from May or June, followed by soft fruits like raspberries and gooseberries in summer, and apples, pears and pumpkins taking over into October. Exact dates vary farm by farm and depend on the weather, so it’s always worth checking a farm’s own website or social media before you set off.
Do you need to book ahead for pick your own farms?
Some smaller or seasonal farms only open on certain days and rely on their Facebook page or website to confirm availability, so it’s worth a quick check beforehand. Larger farms with longer seasons are often more flexible about turning up on the day, but checking ahead never hurts, especially in peak summer.
How does pick your own pricing usually work?
Most farms use a “pay for what you pick” model — you’re given a basket or punnet, and it’s weighed and charged at the end. Some sites charge a small entry fee that’s then set against your total, so you’re never paying twice. Prices and charging methods vary from farm to farm and can change, so check current details directly with the farm before you go.
What should we bring for a day of fruit picking?
Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing (many farms use polytunnels, but you’ll still be outdoors), and a bag or box for anything you buy to take home. Some farms have picnic areas, so it’s worth packing a lunch, and cash can be handy as a backup even where cards are accepted.
Is pick your own suitable for toddlers and younger children?
Yes — many farms grow fruit on raised “table-top” systems specifically so younger children can reach and pick without bending, and several sites also have play areas, animal corners or cafés to break up the visit. It’s still worth checking a farm’s layout (paths, terrain, distance between crops) if you’re bringing a buggy or very young children.
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