Enjoy your fruit as fresh as it gets with a trip to one of the best pick your own farms in Ireland and the UK – a great idea for a family day out, with the added bonus of delicious treats to enjoy afterwards.
There’s so much to be gained from picking fresh fruit and vegetables, and many of us have happy childhood memories of doing just that. It’s a wonderful way for children to get some fresh air while learning and having fun – and there’s a tasty treat at the end (or along the way, in many cases).
Children quickly catch onto picking the biggest and ripest fruit and dropping it into the basket. But the fun doesn’t stop there, because kids love helping prepare the fruit and getting involved with cooking once you get home. Be warned – they’ll be nagging you for a return visit!
And it’s not just strawberries up for grabs. Everything from courgettes to cherries, and wildflowers to herbs, can be found at pick your own farms, with some sites offering dozens of different crops across the season. Here are some of our favourites across Ireland and the UK.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Ireland
Lamberts Fruit Farm, Dublin
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Every year, the rush to get to Lamberts Fruit Farm is huge, as there are very few pick your own farms remaining in Ireland. It’s only open on certain days from late June to early August, so it’s essential to check their Facebook page for current availability.
When open, there are strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries up for grabs.
The Apple Farm, Tipperary
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Apples have grown in this area for hundreds of years, and since 1968 more and more orchards have been planted here. As well as apples, the farm grows pears, plums, cherries, raspberries and strawberries – although only strawberries are available for picking, and only on occasional dates, so check in advance.
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.
The Village at Wheelocks, Wexford
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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, famous around Ireland for their sweet taste. Now you can see them grow at Wheelocks Fruit Farm and pick your own.
Corderry Fruit Farm, Dundalk
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The family-run Corderry Fruit Farm in Dundalk, Co Louth, produces strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, apples, pumpkins and other produce.
Along with supplying some well-known supermarkets, they offer a pick your own service 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
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Head to Copas Farm and enjoy the fresh air as you wander around acres of produce, picking your own seasonal fruit and veg, including asparagus, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, runner beans, french beans and peas.
There’s usually a small entry charge, which is then refunded against the produce you pick. Copas also holds Fruit Festival Days on some Sundays during peak season, when you’re able to eat fruit in the fields, and any extra you take home is weighed and charged separately.
Open from May to September, there’s also an on-site shop stocking picked produce as well as jams, eggs, sausages and bacon.
Graveley Fruit Farm, Stevenage
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Get lost in the Hertfordshire fields of Graveley Fruit Farm and enjoy strawberry picking during the summer, or hunt for the perfect pumpkin in October. This farm has been in the same family for four generations, and the business has grown to include a children’s adventure play area with a zip-wire and haystacks, tractor and trailer rides, and a café.
Expect ripe strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants. The fruit is grown on a table-top system at waist height for easy picking, and in polytunnels so it can be picked whatever the weather. Pre-picked fruit is also available to buy in the café.
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Garsons of Esher, Surrey
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Set in the beautiful Surrey countryside, Garsons is one of the largest pick your own farms in the UK, alongside a garden centre and farm shop. The farm first started 145 years ago, growing fresh produce to sell at London’s Borough Market.
Open from June to October, the offering is impressive, with dozens of crops and varieties available. You’ll find all the favourites, like strawberries and raspberries, plus fresh vegetables such as runner beans, onions and peas, and even seasonal sunflowers. A handy map on-site tells you what’s ready for picking, and there’s plenty of parking too.
Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop, Norwich
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You’d be hard-pressed to find a pick your own farm with a larger range of apples – Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop is known for one of the biggest ranges of fruit in East Anglia.
Whether you prefer wandering under the trees in the orchards, or hunting for strawberries among the soft fruit crops, there’s plenty of fun to be had. There’s a wide variety of fruit and vegetables to pick, including pears, rhubarb and quinces, with the season running from May to October. Hillfield also has a farm shop and hosts seasonal events such as a blossom walk through the orchards.
Stanhill Farm, Wilmington
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The family-run Stanhill Farm has a huge selection of PYO fruit across its 150-acre site, including strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants, from June to October.
There’s free parking and no charge for PYO – you simply pay for what you pick. There’s also a maize maze open from July to September, with a different theme each year.
They don’t have a café, but they do sell ice creams, drinks and refreshments from their Pick Your Own hut – so head over for a day of family fun, and bring a picnic to enjoy.
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Parkside Farm, Enfield
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Located in Enfield, North London, Parkside Farm offers little ones the chance to pick their own fruit and veg between June and October. Choose from strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and plenty of vegetables too.
Stroll around the farm with a basket in hand and pick your favourites – you’ll only pay for what you collect. With plenty of “table-top” crops, including berries, redcurrants and vegetables, you won’t even have to bend down for the best fresh fruit.
There’s also a dedicated picnic space, and a shop selling ice creams, meringues and Parkside honey.
The Hop Shop, Castle Farm, Kent
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The PYO at The Hop Shop is a stunner, set on a lavender farm in Kent. During the autumn (even out of lavender season, it still smells amazing) you can visit the PYO orchard, which has pears, corn on the cob and Kent cob hazelnuts, as well as a variety of apples.
The orchard is predominantly planted with Norfolk Royal apple trees, with the odd row of Cox apples and a Golden Delicious tree for cross-pollination. Note that they only take cash.
The farm shop is well stocked and worth a visit in its own right – look out for their very old quince tree, laden with fruit each autumn. Picking generally ends around mid-October, but check before visiting, as this is a popular spot.
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Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall
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Enjoy the full countryside experience at Trevaskis Farm in the beautiful Cornish outdoors. There’s enough to keep everyone busy, with fruit picking, a shop, a farm park and a café with a great kids’ menu.
As well as PYO cherries, you’ll find pumpkins, peas, sweetcorn and raspberries among others, plus informative signposts around the farm to teach little ones about the crops.
Entrance is free, so you’ll pay only for what you put in your basket. Weather’s never a problem, thanks to all-weather polytunnels and plenty of trees for shelter.
The Balloon Tree Farmshop and Café, 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 in Yorkshire makes a great day out.
Follow the well-organised PYO trail through the farm and pick whatever’s in season – from the first strawberries in May to the last pumpkin in October. As well as strawberries, expect blueberries, plums and runner beans among others, with the play area right next to the café garden so you can keep an eye on the kids.
With a kid-sized digger and tractor, a two-storey Wendy house and a climbing frame, little ones will have plenty to keep them busy. Nearby, Animal Corner lets you get hands-on with the farm’s resident pygmy goats, Petal and Flower – pick up a bag of feed from the farm shop and treat them.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Scotland
Cairnie Fruit Farm, Fife
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Cairnie Fruit Farm has pick your own cherries, plus strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, pumpkins and even sunflowers. The farm also grows table-top strawberries for easy picking. And it doesn’t end at the fruit – there’s also a café, funyard and mega maze.
If you visit during the summer, when the six-acre Mega Maize Maze is open, it’s well worth a try. Even outside maze season, you’ll have full access to the Funyard, a playground with trampolines, swings, slides, a fortress, tractors and much more. There’s an entry fee, but it makes for a full family day out.
Charleton Fruit Farm, Montrose
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Charleton Fruit Farm is a family-run business where you can 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, including spots overlooking the play areas so you can relax while the kids play. Even on a busy summer weekend, the farm is well managed with plenty of parking and space to run around.
Throughout the year there are seasonal events to get involved with, from Easter egg hunts to haunted pumpkins at Halloween, and choosing your own Christmas tree in December. Pick your own starts in spring and, depending on the season, you’ll find a good range of berries available for family picking.
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East Yonderton Farm, Renfrew
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East Yonderton is a family-run Renfrewshire soft fruit farm near Inchinnan, just beside Glasgow Airport.
During the fruit season, the farm is open daily for picking your own fruit, and fruit can also be ordered ready-picked for weekday collection. The farm also grows vegetables and potatoes, available most of the year.
Border Berries, Kelso, Roxburghshire
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Strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, tayberries and peas are all available for picking at Border Berries. This family-run soft fruit farm has large, well-tended crops to choose from.
Picking depends on the weather and fruit availability on any given day, so check their Facebook page and website for up-to-date details before visiting.
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Pick Your Own Farms in Wales
Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, Hawarden, Flintshire
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Between June and October, families are invited to pick their own. You’ll find rows of gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants, followed later in the season by apples, pears and plums, both for eating and cooking, plus Hawarden Estate pumpkins.
When you arrive, pick up a biodegradable punnet at the farm shop, and bring it back for weighing.
Aberbran Fawr Farm, Brecon, Powys
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Aberbran Fawr is a campsite in the Brecon Beacons National Park that also grows PYO soft fruit, which can be picked, subject to availability, from mid-June to early August.
As well as strawberries, you can stock up on a variety of fruit and veg, including broad beans, peas, potatoes, raspberries and blackcurrants.
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 main attraction, but blackcurrants, rhubarb, peas and broad beans are also available.
It’s a good idea to check their social media before visiting to confirm current opening times and availability.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit a pick your own farm?
It depends on what you want to pick. Soft fruits like strawberries and raspberries are usually at their best from late spring through summer, while apples, pears and pumpkins tend to be ready from early autumn. Many farms grow a mix of crops across the season, so it’s worth checking their website or social media before you go to see what’s currently ready.
Do I need to book ahead?
Some smaller farms only open on certain days and rely on Facebook or their website to confirm availability, so it’s always worth checking in advance. Larger farms with a longer season are usually more flexible, but booking or checking ahead avoids a wasted trip.
What should we bring on a pick your own day out?
Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and cash is handy as some smaller farms don’t take cards. Many families also bring a picnic, especially at farms without an on-site café.
Is pick your own good value?
Most farms charge only for what you pick, often by weight, so it’s a flexible option for families. A few charge a small entry fee that’s refunded against your pick. Prices vary by farm and season, so check directly with the farm for current rates.
Can children get involved in the picking?
Absolutely – most farms welcome children, and picking is a lovely hands-on activity for little ones. Some farms also have play areas, animal corners or mazes to round out the day.
More Family Day Out Ideas
Looking for more inspiration? Take a look at our guides to tree top adventures, maze days out, unusual places to visit, and family-friendly castles across Ireland and the UK.
Save This for Later
Pick your own season comes round fast, so it’s worth bookmarking this guide or saving it to your family days out board so you’ve got it ready when strawberry season starts.
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