There’s nothing quite like the taste of fruit picked straight from the field, and a trip to a pick your own farm makes for a brilliant family day out. It’s fresh air, hands-on fun, and a delicious treat to bring home all rolled into one.
Picking fresh fruit and vegetables is one of those simple pleasures that sticks in a child’s memory. It gets everyone outdoors, teaches kids where their food actually comes from, and there’s usually a tasty snack waiting at the end (or along the way, if nobody’s looking). Children love hunting for the biggest, ripest fruit to drop in the basket, and the fun doesn’t stop at the farm gate either — most kids are just as keen to help wash, prepare and cook whatever they’ve picked once you’re home.
And it’s not just strawberries on offer. Depending on the farm and the season, you might find courgettes, cherries, pumpkins, herbs and more. Some farms offer dozens of different crops across the year. Here are some of our favourite pick your own farms across Ireland and the UK.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Ireland
1. Lamberts Fruit Farm, Dublin
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Lamberts Fruit Farm is one of the few pick your own farms still going in Ireland, so it draws a real rush when it opens for the season. It typically opens on select days between late June and early August, so it’s worth checking their Facebook page for current opening days before you set off.
When open, you’ll find strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries ready for picking.
2. The Apple Farm, Tipperary
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Apples have been grown in this part of Tipperary for hundreds of years, and since 1968 the farm has expanded its orchards considerably. Alongside apples, they grow pears, plums, cherries, raspberries and strawberries, though usually only strawberries are open for picking, and only on certain dates — so check ahead of your visit.
There’s a farm shop open year-round, plus a camping and caravan park on site if you fancy making a longer trip of it.
3. The Village at Wheelocks, Wexford
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Wheelocks has been growing fruit near Enniscorthy since the 1950s, with strawberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb and even pumpkins on offer. Wexford strawberries have a reputation all their own for their sweetness, and Wheelocks is a great spot to pick your own and see exactly where that reputation comes from.
4. Corderry Fruit Farm, Dundalk
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This family-run farm in Co Louth produces strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, apples, pumpkins and more. As well as supplying supermarkets, Corderry opens for pick your own during the summer months and again in autumn.
5. The Berry Farm, Wexford
Based in Clonroche, Co Wexford, The Berry Farm opens to the public for strawberry picking across the summer, roughly from May to September.
Pick Your Own Farms in England
6. Copas Farm, Cookham, Berkshire
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Copas Farm has acres of fresh produce to wander through, with pick your own asparagus, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, runner beans, French beans and peas across the season. They also hold Fruit Festival Days on select Sundays during peak season, when you can eat fruit in the fields as you go.
The farm is open from May to September and has an on-site shop stocking picked produce as well as jams, eggs, sausages and bacon.
7. Graveley Fruit Farm, Stevenage
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Set in the Hertfordshire countryside, Graveley Fruit Farm has been run by the same family for four generations. Enjoy strawberry picking through summer, or head over in October for pumpkin season. There’s also a children’s adventure play area with a zip-wire and haystacks, tractor and trailer rides, and a cafe.
The fruit — strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants — is grown on a table-top system at waist height for easy picking, and in polytunnels so you can pick whatever the weather. You can pick your own or buy ready-picked fruit in the café.
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8. Garsons of Esher, Surrey
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Garsons is the UK’s largest pick your own farm, alongside a garden centre and farm shop, in the beautiful Surrey countryside. The farm’s roots go back well over a century, when it grew fresh produce for London’s Borough Market.
Open from June to October, the range here is impressive, with dozens of crops and varieties on offer. You’ll find all the favourites like strawberries and raspberries, plus vegetables such as runner beans, onions and peas, and seasonal sunflowers too. There’s a handy map on site showing what’s ready for picking, and plenty of parking.
9. Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop, Norwich
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Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop is known for having one of the biggest ranges of fruit in East Anglia, with a huge selection of apple varieties among the orchards. Whether you’d rather wander under the trees or hunt for strawberries among the soft fruit, there’s plenty to enjoy.
Their pick your own crops include pears, rhubarb and quinces, running from May to October. Hillfield also has a farm shop and hosts seasonal events, including a blossom walk through the orchards.
10. Stanhill Farm, Wilmington
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This family-run farm has a huge range of pick your own fruit across its 150 acres, including strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants from June to October.
Parking is free and there’s no charge to enter — you simply pay for what you pick. There’s also a maize maze open in late summer, with a different theme every 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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11. Parkside Farm, Enfield
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Located in Enfield, North London, Parkside Farm lets little ones pick their own fruit and veg from June through October, including strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and a range of vegetables.
Grab a basket and stroll the farm, paying only for what you collect. Many of the crops are grown “table-top” style, so there’s no bending down needed. There’s also a picnic area and a shop selling ice creams, meringues and Parkside honey.
12. The Hop Shop, Castle Farm, Kent
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Set on a lavender farm in Kent, The Hop Shop is a genuinely beautiful spot to visit. In autumn, even once the lavender season has passed, you can head into the pick your own orchard for pears, corn on the cob, Kent cob hazelnuts and a variety of apples — mostly Norfolk Royal, with a few rows of Cox and Golden Delicious for cross-pollination.
The farm shop is well worth a visit in its own right, and there’s an old quince tree at the front usually laden with fruit. Picking generally runs into mid-October, but it’s worth checking ahead as this is a popular spot.
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13. Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall
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Trevaskis Farm offers the full countryside experience, with fruit picking, a farm shop, farm park and a café with a great kids’ menu. Alongside pick your own cherries, you’ll find pumpkins, peas, sweetcorn and raspberries, with informative signposts around the farm to help teach little ones about the crops.
Entrance is free, so you only pay for what ends up in your basket. All-weather polytunnels and plenty of trees mean the weather is rarely a problem.
14. The Balloon Tree Farmshop and Cafe, York
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With pick your own fruit, a children’s play area, an animal corner and a café known for its cakes, The Balloon Tree makes for a great family day out in Yorkshire. Follow the pick your own trail to find whatever’s in season, from the first strawberries in May to the last pumpkins in October, alongside blueberries, plums and runner beans.
The play area sits next to the cafe garden, so you can keep an eye on the kids while you enjoy a cup of tea. There’s a kid-sized digger and tractor, a two-storey Wendy house and a climbing frame to keep them busy, plus an animal corner where you can meet the farm’s resident pygmy goats and pick up a bag of feed from the farm shop.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Scotland
15. Cairnie Fruit Farm, Fife
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Cairnie Fruit Farm has pick your own cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, pumpkins and even sunflowers, with table-top strawberries for easy picking. There’s also a café, a funyard and a mega maze.
If you visit in summer when the six-acre Mega Maize Maze is open, it’s well worth a go. Even outside maze season, the Funyard playground has trampolines, swings, slides, a fortress and tractors to keep kids entertained. There’s an entry fee for the funyard, but it makes for a full family day out.
16. Charleton Fruit Farm, Montrose
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This family-run farm has a café converted from an old barn and stables, a gift shop, and two play zones — one gated for under-12s, and another for older kids (and adults). There’s plenty of seating overlooking the play areas, and even on busy summer weekends the farm is well managed with good parking.
Charleton also runs seasonal events throughout the year, from Easter egg hunts to Halloween activities and choosing your own Christmas tree in December. Pick your own starts in spring, with a good range of berries available depending on the season.
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17. East Yonderton Farm, Renfrew
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East Yonderton is a family-run soft fruit farm near Inchinnan, just beside Glasgow Airport. During fruit season, the farm opens daily for picking, and ready-picked fruit can also be ordered for weekday collection. The farm grows vegetables and potatoes too, available for much of the year.
18. Border Berries, Kelso, Roxburghshire
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Strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, tayberries and peas are all grown at Border Berries, a family-run soft fruit farm with large, well-tended crops. Picking depends on the weather and fruit availability on any given day, so check their Facebook page or website before heading over.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Wales
19. Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, Flintshire
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Between June and October, families can come and pick their own gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants, moving on to apples, pears, plums and pumpkins later in the season. Pick up a biodegradable punnet at the farm shop when you arrive, and bring it back for weighing once you’re done.
20. Aberbran Fawr Farm, Brecon, Powys
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Aberbran Fawr is a campsite in the Brecon Beacons National Park that also grows pick your own soft fruit, available (subject to availability) from mid-June to early August. As well as strawberries, you can pick broad beans, peas, potatoes, raspberries and blackcurrants.
21. Hooton’s Homegrown, Brynsiencyn, Anglesey
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Hooton’s Homegrown offers a variety of 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 worth checking their social media in advance to confirm what’s ready for picking on the day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit a pick your own farm?
Most pick your own farms in Ireland and the UK are busiest through the summer, roughly from strawberry season in late May through to pumpkin picking in October, though exact opening dates vary by farm and by weather. It’s always worth checking a farm’s own website or social media before you travel, since picking can pause between crops or during poor weather.
How does paying at a pick your own farm usually work?
Most farms let you in free and simply charge for what you pick, usually weighed at a checkout point or farm shop. A few farms charge a small entry fee that’s refunded against what you pick. Charges vary from farm to farm and can change, so check current pricing directly with the farm before you go.
What should we bring on a pick your own day out?
Comfortable outdoor shoes, sun protection or rain gear depending on the season, a container or bag for anything not provided by the farm, and a picnic if the farm doesn’t have a café. Many farms also have play areas, so it’s worth packing a change of clothes for muddy adventures.
Is pick your own fruit picking suitable for younger children?
Yes, most farms are very family-friendly, with low table-top crops that are easy for smaller children to reach. Always keep little ones close, as farms are working sites with vehicles, uneven ground and open water in places.
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