dpWhile Diddly Squat Farm Shop has become a celebrity-backed tourist attraction, these Essex farm shops boast enough local produce, rural character, and visitor appeal to compete.
From pick-your-own experiences to cafés and food halls, these five venues offer a memorable farm-shop day out.
Barleylands Farm Shop, Billericay (Image: GSV)
Barleylands Farm Shop, Billericay
Barleylands is one of Essex’s best-known rural shopping destinations.
Its farm shop sells fresh fruit and vegetables, cakes, and other food products, while the wider site offers a garden-centre feel and sits alongside the popular Barleylands attraction.
With a 4.5-star rating from more than 1,500 reviews on Google, it has proved its appeal goes far beyond a standard weekly food shop.
Lathcoats Farm, Great Baddow (Image: GSV)
Lathcoats Farm, Great Baddow
Lathcoats Farm combines a farm shop, café, and pick-your-own experience, giving visitors several reasons to make a trip.
Seasonal fruit-picking is a major draw, with apples, strawberries, plums, and other produce among the crops associated with the site.
The Great Baddow venue has a 4.6-star rating from more than 1,600 reviews, making it a major farm attraction near Chelmsford.
Calcott Hall Farm Shop, Brentwood (Image: GSV)
Calcott Hall Farm Shop, Brentwood
Calcott Hall Farm Shop offers a traditional countryside shopping experience on Ongar Road near Brentwood.
Its wood-beamed shop is stocked with locally produced fruit, vegetables, and meat, alongside freshly baked cakes, while the on-site café gives customers the option to stay longer.
More than 1,100 reviewers have given it an average rating of 4.6 stars, underlining its standing as a popular local destination.
Manor Farm Shop, Great Baddow (Image: GSV)
Manor Farm Shop, Great Baddow
Manor Farm Shop on Maldon Road is a favourite for shoppers looking for quality ingredients and variety.
Customer feedback highlights its wide choice of fresh produce, including less familiar vegetables, as well as its fresh and frozen foods.
The shop has a 4.7-star rating from 436 reviews, and its location outside Chelmsford makes it a convenient stop for both local residents and passing visitors.
Upsons Farm Sales, Hatfield Peverel (Image: GSV)
Upson’s Farm Sales, Hatfield Peverel
Upson’s Farm Sales, based at Ivy Barns Farm in Hatfield Peverel, provides a smaller-scale farm-shop alternative with a focus on locally sourced produce.
Reviewers have singled out its fresh eggs and the quality of its goods, while the venue holds a 4.8-star rating from 73 reviews.
It may lack the celebrity connection, but it offers the direct farm-to-customer appeal many shoppers value.
