This guide compares five Gloucestershire farm shops in different corners of the county: Hayles Fruit Farm near Winchcombe in the north Cotswolds, The Organic Farm Shop at Abbey Home Farm outside Cirencester, Over Farm Market on the western edge of Gloucester, Eastington Farm Shop near Stonehouse below the Stroud valleys, and Wotton Farm Shop at Wotton-under-Edge in the south of the county. Each is on a working farm, so the useful question is which shop has the food you need and where it was grown.
As a Londoner, I know it is not realistic for everyone to live on a farm. A farm shop, farmers' market or community garden can be part of a more direct food routine. Start with a reachable stop and a short list, rather than expecting to change everything at once.
Which farm shop or picking farm should you choose?
Gloucestershire is a long county, and it can take around an hour to drive from Winchcombe to Wotton-under-Edge, so pick the shop nearest your route. Hayles Fruit Farm suits Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the north Cotswolds, and is best for fruit, pick-your-own and its own apple juice. The Organic Farm Shop near Cirencester is the choice for certified organic meat, dairy and vegetables. Over Farm Market sits on the A40 just west of Gloucester, handy for the Forest of Dean side. Eastington Farm Shop is a few minutes from the M5 at Stonehouse, and Wotton Farm Shop serves the southern Cotswold edge and Berkeley vale.
If you want a meal as well, Hayles, Abbey Home Farm, Over Farm and Wotton all have cafés, while Eastington has a coffee bar. For a family day out in autumn, Over Farm and Hayles have the most to do. Whichever you choose, ask which items come from the farm itself and which are bought in from other producers.
Check the farm’s current crops, opening times and prices before travelling. Picking seasons vary, and a farm shop may sell produce without offering pick-your-own visits.
- Hayles Fruit Farm , A Winchcombe fruit farm since 1880
- The Organic Farm Shop , Organic since 1990 near Cirencester
- Over Farm Market , A Gloucester family farm since the 1920s
- Eastington Farm Shop , On a fourth-generation dairy farm near Stroud
- Wotton Farm Shop , A Grimes family farm at Wotton-under-Edge
Hayles Fruit Farm
Map and location
Hayles Fruit Farm, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5PB. View Hayles Fruit Farm on the map.
Contact: 01242 602123.
Orchards, soft fruit and home-pressed apple juice
Hayles Fruit Farm lies on the outskirts of Winchcombe, below the Cotswold escarpment. According to the farm, Lord Sudeley planted the first orchards here in 1880, one of five around Winchcombe, and Hayles is the only one that survives. The land first grew apples and cob nuts, and some of the original cob nuts and a Bramley tree can still be seen on the farm’s nature trail. The Harrell family has looked after the 134-acre farm since 1950. Its fruit is pressed and bottled on site as apple juice and cider.
The farm shop stocks home-grown and locally sourced goods, including seasonal fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese, preserves, oils, cakes and cordials, alongside the farm’s own apple juice and Badger’s Cider. There is also an outdoor store selling barbecues and outdoor kit. The Orchard Kitchen café serves breakfast, brunch, light bites, homemade bakes and barista coffee, with vegan and gluten-free choices. There is a campsite on the farm too.
Visiting and buying
The farm website says the farm shop is open daily 9am to 5pm, closed on Mondays. The Orchard Kitchen is open 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with brunch until 3pm; weekends are walk-in only. Pick-your-own runs roughly from June to October, with strawberries, plums, apples, pears and pumpkins in their seasons, so check the farm’s Facebook page or phone before travelling for a crop. Ask which fruit and vegetables on the day are from the farm itself.
Hayles Fruit Farm: website and opening hours.
The Organic Farm Shop
Map and location
The Organic Farm Shop, Abbey Home Farm, Burford Road, Cirencester, GL7 5HF. View The Organic Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01285 640441.
Abbey Home Farm’s own organic meat and dairy
The Organic Farm Shop is on Abbey Home Farm, just outside Cirencester. The farm’s history page explains that the land was once part of the Cirencester Abbey estate and was bought by Dr Richard Master in 1564; the Chester-Master family are his descendants. Will and Hilary Chester-Master began converting the farm to organic methods in 1990, and it now runs as a mixed organic farm with cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, cereals, vegetables and soft fruit, alongside conservation work and holiday accommodation.
The shop says every foodstuff it sells is certified organic. From the farm itself come beef, pork, bacon, ham, chicken and sausages, three cheeses, unhomogenised milk, yoghurt and cream, and vegetables and soft fruit grown on the surrounding land, plus honey from the farm’s hives. It also stocks store-cupboard goods, household products, books and gifts. The organic café serves mainly vegetarian food, with a farm-reared meat roast on Sundays.
Visiting and buying
The farm website lists shop hours as Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm and Monday 9am to 12.30pm. The café is open Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to 3.30pm, and is closed on Mondays. The farm advises against using sat nav to find it, so use the map on its ‘how to find us’ page. It has a separate page for Christmas and New Year hours. Ask which meat and vegetables are from Abbey Home Farm that week.
The Organic Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Over Farm Market
Map and location
Over Farm, Over, Gloucester, GL2 8DB. View Over Farm Market on the map.
Contact: 01452 341510.
Pumpkins, strawberries and asparagus beside the Severn
Over Farm sits on the A40 just west of Gloucester, across the river Severn from the city. The farm’s own history says Roger moved here from Tewkesbury in the 1920s, and the farm has passed down five generations since. Rob and Sue opened Over Farm Market in 1982, pick-your-own strawberries began in the late 1980s and pumpkins were first planted in the 1990s. Rees now farms the land, which once carried cattle, sheep and vegetables and now grows soft fruit, sunflowers and thousands of pumpkins a year.
Much of the produce comes from the 170-acre family farm, including pumpkins, squash, rhubarb, strawberries and asparagus in season. The shop also has a butchery counter with traditional cuts, bread, baguettes and pastries baked daily, and a deli with cheese, pies, sausage rolls, jams and chutneys. The café serves hot food and homemade cakes, with coffee from the local roaster Ethical Addictions. There is a farm park and a wedding barn on site.
Visiting and buying
The farm website says Over Farm Market is open 9am to 5pm every day, and until 6pm Thursday to Saturday during British Summer Time. The café is open 9am to 4pm every day. October is pumpkin season, with ticketed events and a farm park open at weekends and half-term, so expect it to be busy then and check the website for event tickets. It is a short drive from central Gloucester and a natural stop on the way to or from the Forest of Dean; ask which fruit and vegetables on the shelves are home-grown.
Over Farm Market: website and opening hours.
Eastington Farm Shop
Map and location
Middlehall Farm, Bath Road, Eastington, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 3AY. View Eastington Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01453 823 655.
Milk, ice cream and beef from Middlehall Farm
Eastington Farm Shop opened in 2019 at Middlehall Farm, a fourth-generation dairy farm in Eastington, near Stonehouse and Stroud. It is owned and run by Hannah Clarke and Ed Spencer as a family business. The farm milks a dairy herd of around 360 cows, and the shop sells the farm’s own fresh milk, homemade ice cream made from it and home-reared beef. The shop holds Taste of the West Gold awards for 2022 and 2025 and is a member of Made in Gloucestershire.
Alongside the farm’s own dairy and beef, including cuts such as shin, skirt and brisket, the shop stocks local and artisan goods from Gloucestershire and nearby producers, a cheese of the month and refill essentials. A coffee bar serves coffee with homemade bakes. The shop also runs an online shop for orders, and holds seasonal events, including pumpkin picking in the autumn.
Visiting and buying
The shop website lists opening hours as Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 3pm, closed on Mondays. Pumpkin picking is a booked event, so reserve a slot on the website rather than turning up. Eastington is a short drive from junction 13 of the M5, which makes it an easy stop on a north-south journey through the county. Ask which items are from Middlehall Farm and which come from other Gloucestershire producers.
Eastington Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Wotton Farm Shop
Map and location
Wotton Farm Shop, Bradley Road, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, GL12 7DT. View Wotton Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01453 521546.
Family farm with butchery, nursery and home-grown pumpkins
Wotton Farm Shop is on Bradley Road on the edge of Wotton-under-Edge, in the south of the county below the Cotswold edge. The farm has been in the Grimes family for generations and has changed over the years. It is now run by Paul and Kate Grimes: Paul looks after the farm, and Kate runs the shop’s displays and gift range. The family grows pumpkins on the farm for October, and its nursery grows many of its plants from seed, including hanging baskets.
The shop sells seasonal fruit and vegetables, with loose veg displayed outside the entrance, and meat sourced locally and cured in its onsite butchery. A deli counter has cheese, olives and ham sliced to order. Named suppliers include Cottage Bakery and Hobbs House for bread, Patsy’s cakes and Beau’s Bakehouse for vegan cakes, and some wine from North Nibley about a mile away. The Potting Shed café uses the shop’s own sausages and bacon.
Visiting and buying
The shop website lists hours as Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and bank holidays 10am to 4pm, closed on Sundays. You can phone ahead to reserve a fresh chicken for a Sunday roast. Home-grown pumpkins are on sale in October, and the shop also sells Christmas trees in season. Wotton-under-Edge is on the Cotswold Way, so the shop is handy for walkers as well as drivers. Ask which produce is from the farm itself and which is bought in locally.
Wotton Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Knowing a farm shop you can return to is also one of the most practical ways to be ready for disruption. Read The Be Ready Campaign: A UK Guide to Stocking Your Home With Healthy, Local Food, and use the Be Ready Map to find more local food across the UK.
Plan your farm visit, produce, quantities and picking dates
Choose one or two farms or farm shops that fit your route. Write down what you want, how much you need and what you will do with it when you get home. If one crop is unavailable, decide whether to choose a different farm, change the meal or return another day.
- Confirm the crop, public opening and any booking requirement.
- Ask whether you can pick yourself or buy already picked.
- Check the price unit, payment method and containers.
- Ask about access, parking and the correct visitor entrance.
Farm shop and fruit-picking questions
Where can I buy local food in Gloucestershire?
Good farm shops in Gloucestershire include Hayles Fruit Farm near Winchcombe, The Organic Farm Shop at Abbey Home Farm near Cirencester, Over Farm Market at Over near Gloucester, Eastington Farm Shop near Stonehouse and Wotton Farm Shop at Wotton-under-Edge. Each sells some produce from its own farm.
Are all these farms in the same town?
No. Gloucestershire covers a wide area, and this guide spreads its choices across the county. Each farm section gives its location so you can compare the journey before you set off.
Can I pick at every farm or market?
No. Farm shops and markets may sell ready-picked food without opening fields to visitors. Ask the individual business about picking access, the crop and any booking requirement.
Plan your farm shopping with My Shopping List and Harvest Checker
Open My Shopping List to record produce, quantities and estimated costs. Mark items as bought when you collect them and keep the plan for your next trip.
Use Harvest Checker after a grower gives you a picking window. Enter those dates and compare them with your visit date. The tool uses your entries; it does not fetch live availability from farms.
My Shopping List
Keep the produce you actually need in one place before you set off.
Use My Shopping ListHarvest Checker
Compare your visit with dates confirmed by the grower. This does not check live stock.
Use Harvest CheckerUse the tools with your My Ideal World account. Guest and free-account limits apply; paid members have unlimited tool access.
Explore more farm shops and picking farms in My Ideal World. Browse the Farm Shops app below or beside this article, then check the grower’s current crop and opening before visiting.
Sources
- Hayles Fruit Farm , farm shop page
- Hayles Fruit Farm , about us
- Hayles Fruit Farm , contact and opening hours
- The Organic Farm Shop , shop and opening hours
- The Organic Farm Shop , Abbey Home Farm history
- Over Farm Market , farm shop page
- Over Farm Market , about us
- Eastington Farm Shop , official website
- Eastington Farm Shop , about us
- Wotton Farm Shop , the shop
- Wotton Farm Shop , contact and opening hours
Research reviewed 25 October 2026. Farm and visitor sources support the descriptions above. Historical information is identified where relevant; no firsthand visit, current stock check or certification is claimed.