Pick Your Own
OUR PICK YOUR OWN FIELDS ARE OPEN APRIL – OCTOBER, GROWING FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS. EXPLORE OUR FARM AND HAND-PICK DELICIOUS PRODUCE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO ENJOY AT HOME.
Produce available
check when our fruit, vegetables and flowers are in season for picking
We grow over thirty different types of fruit, vegetables and flowers at Rectory Farm for you to pick – all with their own specific season. Check what’s ready to pick before you visit and check out our individual crop pages where we share our favourite recipes, details on the varieties we grow and how we grow each crop, and how to pick.
This year we have launched a brand-new vegetable patch where you can pick family favourites such as carrots, beetroot, green beans, sweetcorn and more during the summer months. We are also growing our first ever pumpkin patch in 2021 for picking in October – plus lots of new PYO flower varieties.
All our crops are weather-dependent and occasionally we close the PYO fields early, so please keep an eye on our social media channels for regular updates.
Pick YOur own STEPS
- Please try wherever possible to bring your own containers and carrier bags when you visit our Farm Shop and PYO. 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. We now offer a discount for all PYO fruit & vegetables when you pick into your own containers – save money and do good! Don’t worry if you forget, we have some you can use on the day and save for your next trip!
- Pop into the shop before you start picking so we can weigh your containers for you – we can then deduct these from the weight of your fruit when you come to pay at the end.
- Follow farm signage directing you to the crops you’d like to pick.
- Try one or two strawberries or raspberries as you pick, to check the taste. Be careful not to overfill your containers as squashed and bruised fruit won’t last as long at home.
- Follow signs to the pay stations once you have finished picking. The amount you pay for most of our crops is based on weight, so feel free to bring lots of small containers for your fruit – it won’t cost any more!
- Anyone who does not pay for their produce or who is found eating (rather than tasting one or two berries) in the fields will be asked to leave.
- All of our crops are subject to the weather and occasionally we have to close the fields at short notice, we update our social media when this happens and put signs on the road.
Asparagus
Available: In the shop
Our PYO Asparagus fields are now closed, still available in the farm shop. Read more
Blackberries
Available: July - August
Enjoy the first taste of in season blackberries in mid-July picking our Silvan blackberries, perfect fresh or frozen for a later date. Read more
Blackcurrants
Available: Mid-July - August
Our blackcurrants are best picked in mid-July, eat fresh or turn into beautiful jam for toast or porridge. Read more
Broad Beans
Available: Mid-June - August
Pick our early summer broad beans from mid-June, eat them raw, cooked or even freeze to eat them all year round. Read more
Courgettes
Available: Late-June - August
Ambassador courgettes, a dark green small variety available to PYO from late-June. Read more
Gooseberries
Available: 11 June - mid-July
Pick your own Invicta gooseberries from 11th June. Delicious and sharp, and perfect for jams. Read more
Gourds
Available: September - November
Pick your own gourds this autumn, use our small pumpkins to decorate your house and then cook with them. Read more
Potatoes (white)
Available: In shop now
Our Jelly and Orchestra potatoes are available in the Farm Shop now. Pick up a 5kg, 10kg or 25kg sack. Read more
Pumpkins
Available: October
We are planting pumpkins and gourds for the very first time, we look forward to seeing you in the field in October. Read more
Raspberries
Available: Mid-June - September
Pick your own raspberries from June, perfect for eating on the day or freezing to eat all year round. Read more
Redcurrants
Available: June - August
Redcurrants are in season from June, enjoy on your breakfast or in as tasty summer pudding. Read more
Rhubarb
Available: PYO now - mid-June
Come and pick your own Ruby Red Rhubarb now, plus ready-picked stalks available in the Farm Shop. Read more
Strawberries
Available: PYO Now - October
We grow several varieties of English strawberries. The first crop is ready to pick now and the last crop finishes in October. Read more
Pick of the month
STRAWBERRIES
Pick your own strawberries for the freshest-tasting berries. The British strawberry season runs from May - September - and picking your own makes the best of this time. Come visit us again and again during this period, bring your own punnets to fill and choose exactly what you like from our fields. Picking is quick and easy – and supremely satisfying!
We grow six different types of strawberry, ready at different times of the summer so you always have the best that we can offer. We grow almost all our strawberries on table-tops, this is easy picking and under polytunnels which means you can even pick when it rains. Our on the ground strawberries are usually ready in July.
If you’re pushed for time or don't want to pick your own, we sell freshly picked punnet of strawberries in our Farm Shop for a quick grab and go.
Please 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 disocunt on all our PYO fruit and vegetables when you bring your own containter - 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.
Pop into the shop before you start picking so we can weigh your containers for you – we can then deduct these from the weight of your fruit when you come to pay at the end.
Homegrown
We have been growing strawberries at Rectory Farm since 1981, we started with just one acre and a three week season. Now you can pick your own strawberries from May-September across 20 acres. We grow over 20 different crops from PYO fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Quantity discount
Picking more saves you money! Our quantity discounts start at eight full punnets of fruit, this can be a mixture of any of our produce or just one. It’s a really affordable way to pick a lot for making homemade jam. Mix and match with our vegetables as well, one full bag of vegetables plus four punnets of fruit qualifies or just two full bags of vegetables if you are really into your broad beans – remember a fresh crop can be picked and frozen to be eaten all year round.
new this year
We are always looking for new crops to grow, this year in 2021 we have our very first PYO pumpkin patch. We are planting the standard orange pumpkins plus a variety of smaller ones – all of which are great for eating and decoration. This year we launch our veg patch, with courgettes, beetroot, carrots, radishes and green beans, ready from the middle of June a small pick goes a long way!
Growing Principles
Just like in our shop we want to grow the very best fruit and vegetable possible. We adopt modern techniques, such as growing strawberries on table-tops and in tunnels. This reduces the need for pesticides, shields them from the harshest of the weather and produces a really consistent higher quality crop for you to pick. We choose the very best varieties for pick your own based on flavour, you won’t see this in the supermarket. We irrigate all our crops using a fertigation system, this precise technique minimises water waste, pollution and use of additional fertilisers.
Flowers
Starting this year we will be offering PYO flowers, these will be supervised picking slots that you can book in advance. We have planted Nigella, Cosmos, Strawflowers, Zinnias, Pinks, Gladioli and Sunflowers. More information on this to come.
Outdoor Escape
With over 45 acres on our site to explore you can spend hours picking with no interruption from the outside world. There is no greater satisfaction than picking your own produce then cooking and eating it that same day.
More at Rectory Farm
Cafe
At The Tractor Shack Café we sell freshly baked pastries, homemade cakes, Yarde Farm ice-cream, hot and cold drinks and delicious, farm-to-fork lunches. Our lunch menu is local and seasonal, placing our fabulous farm produce centre-stage. Come and try our famous homemade wonky strawberry milkshakes.
Plan your visit
Enjoy a family 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 anytime to stock up on local kitchen essentials and all our ready-picked fruit and vegetables if you’re short on time.
Hampers
If you’re not local to us you needn’t miss out. Order a Rectory Farm Hamper online to send anywhere in the UK – the perfect thank you gift or care package. Our asparagus hamper includes a bundle of our freshly-picked asparagus and a jar Hollandaise Sauce. Treat a loved one or order one for yourself to celebrate English asparagus!