Raspberries

Availability: Back in 2024

Raspberry PYO is now closed – back in 2024.

When to pick: Our raspberries will be ready to pick from mid June to September.

How to pick: We supply shallow punnets for picking raspberries, however we encourage you to bring your own plastic containers to reduce plastic use. Lots of small containers for PYO are better than one large one, as soft fruit (especially raspberries) will easily bruise and squash at the bottom of a deep container. We supply trays to carry all your picking containers on-site. It’s really important to pick raspberries with two hands and we supply trolleys for you to put your containers on so that this is possible. With one hand holding the raspberry lateral (branch), use the other to gently pull the raspberry from the plug – leaving the plug on the plant. If the raspberry doesn’t come off easily, leave it for another day. Using two hands is important to protect the branches and the fruit for a longer season. Raspberries are great for freezing and we supply lids that fit our punnets for 10p in the Farm Shop.

Ready picked: If picking is not for you then we have a skilled team of professionals in the fields who pick our best every single day. You can find our ready-picked fruit in the Farm Shop fridges. If you would like to order a large volume of fruit or vegetables for an event, we’ll be happy to help. Please contact us using our contact form or call the shop on 01865 358 309.

What we grow: We grow lots of different raspberry varieties so we can offer you the very best tasting raspberries throughout the season. The Rectory Farm raspberry season starts with our Versailles variety which is grown in our polytunnels. These plants fruit twice in the early summer and into the autumn – they’re slightly smaller than our other raspberries but they’re still delicious and a lovely dark red.

In the main season our Glen Ample come into fruit, which produce very large succulent fruits that freeze well. Our Tulameen raspberries come next. They’re described as having a “waist” because they nip in at the middle. Following our Glen Ample raspberries our outside raspberries – Octavia and Tadmore – ripen. These are smaller but firmer, both sweet and a great later fruiting variety.

Plan your visit to Rectory Farm pick your own.

Recipe Ideas

Fruit Explosion Muffins

Makes approx 10 muffins

Ingredients

150g self raising flour
125 white sugar
1 egg, beaten
120ml milk
25g butter, softened
100g mixed berries, chopped (we chose strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
150g mixed berries, smashed (same fruits as above)
1 tbsp chia seeds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan
Mix the smashed fruits and chia seeds in a bowl and let sit on the side. This should thicken and turn into a jam like texture.
In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the milk and the egg and combine. Slowly whisk in the flour until the batter is smooth.
Mix in the chopped fruits.
Fill the muffin tin ⅓ of the way with batter, then place a small spoonful of smashed fruit mixture in the middle, then top with more batter.
Bake for 20 mins or until a knife comes out clean. Enjoy!

Also available today

Potatoes

Available: now

Sacks of our Saxon, Jelly and Mozart potatoes are available in the farm shop from the autumn. Read more

Rhubarb

Available: PYO open now

Our 'Ruby Red' variety rhubarb is vibrant and sweet, and typically ready to pick from mid-April to mid-June. Read more

Asparagus

Available: PYO open now

The English asparagus season traditionally runs from St George's Day until Midsummer. Read more

farm shop

We sell all our own homegrown produce when in season - including several varieties of our own potatoes - picked and on the shelves within a few hours. We work hard to source the best quality local products from Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and The Cotswolds. In our fridges you’ll find local meat, pies and sausage rolls from Eadles Farm in neighbouring Beckley village, chicken, lamb and beef from D'Oyley's Farm in Stadhampton, award-winning organic cheeses from Nettlebed Creamery, and traditional farmhouse Cotswold Butter – plus all manner of condiments and cooking sauces, baking supplies, biscuits, pantry essentials, free range eggs and milk from Oxfordshire farms and dairies. Our bread arrives each morning from Oxford’s Natural Bread Company and Degustibus artisan bakers in Abingdon.

help us to reduce waste

Please try wherever possible to bring your own containers and carrier bags when you visit our Farm Shop and PYO. We offer a discount on all our PYO fruit and vegetables when you bring your own container - do good and save money!

Lots of small containers for PYO are better than one large one, as soft fruit will easily bruise and squash at the bottom of a deep container.

Use our "bring your own weigh station" to weigh your containers before picking – we can then deduct these from the weight of your fruit when you come to pay at the end.

Remember to bring your own 1 litre bottle for milk or buy a Rectory Farm glass bottle in the shop.

pick your own

Come and pick your own Oxfordshire fruit, vegetables and flowers from our 45 acres of colourful produce, all grown just for you.

You can enjoy Rectory Farm produce practically all year round - it simply doesn't get fresher than picking your own. Start with asparagus brunches and rhubarb tarts and crumbles in April, and then enjoy a long summer of strawberries, artichoke, broad beans, courgettes, raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries and blackcurrants.

Autumn brings a hearty crop of sweetcorn and pumpkins, and our many varieties of potatoes are available to buy all year round, from baby salad potatoes to red and white spuds perfect for baking, mashing, roasting and boiling.

Find out more

PYO

The Rectory Farm picking season runs from April - October, starting with asparagus and finishing with pumpkins.

Our strawberries ripen up at the start of May and finish into September. Check out our PYO page to see what's in season when, and for lots of recipe ideas.

Plan your visit

Enjoy a day out at Rectory Farm picking all your favourite fruit and vegetables to take home and enjoy. Remember to bring your own punnets and carrier bags to help us reduce plastic use.

Visit the shop from March - December to stock up on kitchen essentials and all our ready-picked fruit and vegetables if you’re short on time.

rectory farm cafe

Join us for coffee and locally baked pastries, a pot of tea and a slice of homemade cake or a cool ice-cream topped with a flake.

We have both indoor seating and outdoor seating (covered and uncovered) and plenty of space for families and groups to gather and catch up over good food and drink.