Enjoy your fruit as fresh as it gets with a trip to one of the many 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 veg, and plenty of us have happy childhood memories of doing just that at a local pick your own farm. It’s a lovely way for children to get some fresh air while learning and having fun, with a tasty treat waiting at the end (or along the way, in many cases).
Children quickly get the hang of picking the biggest and ripest fruit and dropping it into the basket – and the fun doesn’t stop there. Kids love helping to prepare the fruit and get involved with cooking once you’re home. Chances are they’ll be nagging you for a return visit before you’ve even left the car park.
And it’s not just strawberries up for grabs. Everything from courgettes to cherries, wild flowers to herbs can be found at pick your own farms, with some sites offering dozens of different pickings across the season. Here are some of our favourites, organised by country.
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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 usually open on certain days from late June to early August, so it’s worth checking their Facebook page before you travel to confirm availability.
When open, you’ll find strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries ready for picking.
The Apple Farm, Tipperary
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Apples have grown in this part of Tipperary 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 the strawberries are usually 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 sweetness. 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 more.
Alongside 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 through 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 acres of produce, picking your own seasonal fruit and veg, including asparagus, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, runner beans, French beans and peas.
There’s usually an entry charge paid on arrival, which is then refunded against the produce you pick. The farm also holds Fruit Festival Days on some Sundays during peak season, when you can eat fruit in the fields, with anything you take home weighed and charged separately.
Open from May to September, there’s also an on-site shop stocking picked produce, 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 summer, or venture out in search of the perfect pumpkin come October. The farm has been run by the same family for four generations, and 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. The fruit is grown on a table-top system at waist height for easy picking, and in polytunnels so picking can continue whatever the weather. You can pick your own or buy fruit ready-picked in the café.
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Garsons of Esher, Esher, Surrey
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Set in beautiful Surrey countryside, Garsons is home to one of the UK’s largest pick your own farms, alongside a garden centre and farm shop. The farm’s roots go back generations, when produce was grown here 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. All crops are easily accessible, and there’s plenty of on-site parking.
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 grows a huge variety and 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. Alongside apples, you can pick 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 pick your own fruit across its site, including strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants from June to October.
Parking is free, and there’s no entry charge for pick your own – you simply pay for what you pick. There’s also a maize maze open from July to September, with a different theme each year, from dinosaurs to safaris, for kids (and adults) to get lost in.
There’s no café on site, but ice creams, drinks and refreshments are sold from the pick your own hut, so it’s worth bringing a picnic for a full day of family fun.
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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 select your favourites to take home, paying only for what you collect. Many crops are grown “table-top” style, so you won’t even need to bend down for the best fresh fruit.
There’s also a dedicated picnic space and a shop selling ice creams, meringues and local honey.
The Hop Shop, Castle Farm, Kent
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The pick your own at The Hop Shop is a beautiful spot, set on a lavender farm in Kent. During autumn – even once the lavender season has passed, the scent still lingers – you can visit the pick your own orchard for pears, corn on the cob, Kent cob hazelnuts and a variety of apples.
The orchard is planted mainly with Norfolk Royal apple trees, with a scattering of Cox and Golden Delicious for cross-pollination. It’s worth noting they’ve traditionally only accepted cash, so it’s best to check current payment options before you go. The farm shop is well worth a visit in its own right, and there’s a very old quince tree at the front, usually laden with fruit come autumn. Picking generally winds down around mid-October, but do check ahead 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, deep in the Cornish countryside. There’s plenty to keep everyone busy, with fruit picking, a shop, farm park and a café offering a great kids’ menu.
As well as pick your own cherries, you’ll find pumpkins, peas, sweetcorn and raspberries, among others, so there’s something for every taste in the family. Informative signposts around the farm help teach little ones about the crops as you go.
Entry is free, so you’ll only pay for what ends up in your basket. All-weather polytunnels and plenty of trees mean the weather is rarely a problem, whatever the forecast.
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 in Yorkshire makes for a great day out.
Follow the well-organised pick your own trail through the farm and select whatever’s in season, from the first strawberries in May to the last pumpkins in October. Alongside strawberries, look out for blueberries, plums and runner beans. The children’s play area sits right next to the café garden, so you can keep an eye on the kids over a cup of tea.
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. Right by the play area, Animal Corner is home to farm animals including resident pygmy goats – pick up a bag of feed from the farm shop and let the kids say hello.
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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. But it doesn’t stop at the fruit – there’s also a café, funyard and maize maze.
If you visit while the maze is open, it’s well worth a go. Even outside maze season, you’ll have access to the Funyard, a playground packed with trampolines, swings, slides, a fortress and tractors. 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 ample parking and space to run around.
Throughout the year there are seasonal events, from Easter egg hunts to choosing a home-grown Christmas tree in December. Pick your own typically starts in spring, with a good range of berries available for family picking through the season.
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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 fruit season the farm is open daily for pick your own, with fruit also available ready-picked for weekday collection. The farm grows vegetables and potatoes too, available for much 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 weather and fruit availability on the day, so it’s worth checking their Facebook page and website before setting off.
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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 gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. Later in the season, look out for apples, pears and plums for eating and cooking, plus Hawarden Estate pumpkins.
When you arrive, pick up a biodegradable punnet at the farm shop, then bring your haul 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 pick your own soft fruit, available (subject to availability) 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
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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, alongside blackcurrants, rhubarb, peas and broad beans.
Opening hours for pick your own vary through the season, so it’s worth checking their social media before you travel to confirm what’s available.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pick your own farm?
A pick your own (PYO) farm lets visitors walk the fields or orchards themselves and harvest fruit, vegetables or flowers to take home, usually paying by weight or by punnet for whatever they pick.
When’s the best time to visit a pick your own farm?
This depends on the crop and the farm. Soft fruits like strawberries and raspberries are typically at their best from early summer, while apples, pears and pumpkins tend to be ready from late summer into autumn. Each farm’s season varies, so it’s always worth checking directly before you set off.
Do I need to book ahead for pick your own?
Some smaller or seasonal farms only open on certain days and rely on availability, so a quick check of their website or social media beforehand can save a wasted trip. Larger farms with longer seasons are often more flexible.
What should we bring on a pick your own day out?
Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a container or bag if the farm doesn’t supply punnets, and cash or a card depending on the farm’s payment options. A picnic is also a good idea if the farm doesn’t have a café.
Is pick your own good value?
Many farms only charge for what you actually pick, so costs can be kept low, and you get the bonus of a fun day out plus fresh produce to enjoy at home.
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Before You Go
Fancy more ideas for outdoor family days out? Browse our full collection of adventure days out across Ireland and the UK, and save this list to come back to when the picking season starts.
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