This guide compares five Essex farm shops spread from the north-west of the county to the Thames estuary: Priors Hall Farm at Lindsell near Great Dunmow, Mitchell’s Farm Shop at Elmstead Market east of Colchester, Lathcoats Farm at Galleywood on the edge of Chelmsford, Calcott Hall Farm on the Ongar Road outside Brentwood, and The Green Barn Farm at North Benfleet. Each has its own strengths, so the useful question is which shop has the food you need, and where it was grown or reared.
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?
Essex is a big county, so it makes sense to pick the shop nearest to you or on a journey you already make. Priors Hall suits Uttlesford and the Dunmow, Thaxted and Stansted side of the county, and is the one to choose for a full butchery counter. Mitchell’s serves Colchester and the Tendring villages and is a straightforward everyday shop. Lathcoats, just south of Chelmsford, is the fruit farm of the group, with its own apples and pick your own. Calcott Hall is handy for Brentwood and the A128, with a butcher and fishmonger under one roof, and The Green Barn serves Basildon, Benfleet and the A130 corridor.
Opening days differ: Lathcoats is closed on Sundays, Calcott Hall is closed on Mondays and Mitchell’s closes at 4pm. Check the shop’s own website before a long drive, especially around bank holidays, and ask staff which items come from the farm itself and which are bought in from neighbouring 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.
- Priors Hall Farm , Menhinick family farm at Lindsell since 1942
- Mitchell’s Farm Shop , A century of Mitchell family farming
- Lathcoats Farm , Taylor family fruit farm since 1912
- Calcott Hall Farm , McTurk family farm shop since 1975
- The Green Barn Farm , North Benfleet farm with Aberdeen Angus beef
Priors Hall Farm
Map and location
Priors Hall Farm, Lindsell, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 3QR. View Priors Hall Farm on the map.
Contact: 01371 870 256.
Four generations of farming and butchery at Lindsell
Priors Hall Farm sits in the countryside at Lindsell, north of Great Dunmow, and the Menhinick family have farmed there since 1942. The farm’s own history describes how one generation started out with a flock of sheep, the next moved into cattle and then, around forty years ago, introduced the pig herd that the business became known for. The family now say they source their free-range pork from another farm kept to an equally high standard, so ask in the shop which meat is from Priors Hall and which comes from partner farms.
The farm shop is built around a wide butchery counter, with beef, lamb, pork, chicken and turkey, sausages and burgers, bacon and gammon, roasting joints and seasonal game. The farm also cures and smokes some of its own products. Alongside the meat there are cooked meats and cheeses, condiments and fresh produce, and the shop is licensed to sell beer, wine and spirits. A greengrocer in the barn opposite and a café and restaurant on the yard complete the visit.
Visiting and buying
The Priors Hall farm shop page gives opening hours of Monday to Saturday 7am to 4pm and Sunday 8am to 2pm, closed on bank holidays. The early start makes it easy to call in before work or before a weekend outing. Lindsell is a small village, so allow time for country lanes from Dunmow or Thaxted. The farm also takes online orders for meat, which is useful if you want a particular joint ready for collection.
Priors Hall Farm: website and opening hours.
Mitchell’s Farm Shop
Map and location
School Road, Elmstead Market, Colchester, CO7 7EY. View Mitchell’s Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01206 820110.
Potatoes and arable crops at Elmstead Market
The Mitchell family have farmed at Elmstead Market, a few miles east of Colchester, for around 100 years, and Ian and Christine run the farm today. Over that time the farm has kept livestock and grown top fruit, and it now grows potatoes and mixed arable crops. Selling the farm’s produce directly to customers began in 1995, when the farm shop opened on School Road. It remains a family-run shop, and the potatoes are the clearest example of food grown on the farm itself.
The shop stocks fresh and frozen meat, fruit and vegetables, bread, milk, eggs and cheese. Its website names many of its suppliers: pork and buffalo from neighbouring Sunnymead Farm, bacon, sausages and ham from Wicks Manor near Maldon, frozen fruit from Williamsons Farms at Manningtree, jams from Tiptree, ice cream from Lakenham Creamery, beers from Colchester Brewery and Adnams, and Thorrington Mill wines. There are also ready meals, puddings, gifts and hampers.
Visiting and buying
Mitchell’s website says the shop is open 9am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday. It is not listed as open on Sundays, so plan a weekday or Saturday visit. Elmstead Market is on the A133 between Colchester and Clacton, which makes the shop an easy stop for anyone heading to or from the Tendring coast. Ask which potatoes and vegetables are from the Mitchells’ own fields, as these change through the year.
Mitchell’s Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Lathcoats Farm
Map and location
Lathcoats Farm, Beehive Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 8LX. View Lathcoats Farm on the map.
Contact: 01245 353021.
Over 50 apple varieties grown at Galleywood
Lathcoats Farm at Galleywood, on the southern edge of Chelmsford, has been run by the Taylor family since Lawrence Taylor bought it in 1912 and began planting fruit trees. He sent apples to Covent Garden by train. His son Maurice carried the business on, Maurice’s sons Stephen and Philip run the farm today, and a fourth generation has now joined. The farm grows more than 50 varieties of English apple and nine types of soft fruit, and opens its fields for pick your own in season, with pumpkins in autumn and Christmas trees from November.
The farm shop sells Lathcoats’ own apples, apple juices and ciders alongside produce from other local suppliers. Its range covers fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, with fresh fish available from Wednesday to Saturday, as well as bread, dairy, farm-made ice cream, pies and pastries, plants, and wine and beer from Essex producers. The Bee Shed Coffee House on the farm serves coffee, breakfast, light lunches, afternoon tea and homemade cake.
Visiting and buying
Lathcoats’ website gives farm shop hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, with the Bee Shed Coffee House open 9am to 4pm. The farm is closed on Sundays and bank holidays. Pick your own hours vary with the crop and the weather, so check the farm’s daily pick your own update before you travel. Galleywood is only a few minutes from Chelmsford city centre, and apples are at their best from late summer into autumn.
Lathcoats Farm: website and opening hours.
Calcott Hall Farm
Map and location
Ongar Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9HS. View Calcott Hall Farm on the map.
Contact: 01277 264164.
From a former dairy to vegetables and fruit
The McTurk family moved from Ayrshire to South Weald in 1890 to farm dairy cattle, and Calcott Hall itself was a dairy farm until the 1970s. Andrew took over in 1974 and began growing vegetables and fruit, starting with pick-your-own strawberries and selling potatoes and sweetcorn from boxes. The farm shop opened in 1975 and moved into an old Essex barn in 1983. Andrew and Janet’s sons, Peter and Stuart, joined the family business in 2005, and the farm still runs a pick-your-own pumpkin patch in autumn.
The shop sells fresh fruit and vegetables, including English apples in season, with several independent counters under the same roof. N S Risdons butchers has run the butchery counter since 2009, and Star Fishmongers has run the fresh fish counter since 2018. The Barnyard Café, opened in 2016, serves handmade food, and Brentwood Brewery is based in a refurbished barn on the farm. A Calcott Card loyalty scheme is available for regular customers.
Visiting and buying
Calcott Hall’s website gives shop hours of Tuesday to Saturday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Sunday 10am to 2pm, closed on Mondays. The Barnyard Café is open Tuesday to Saturday 8.30am to 4.30pm. The farm notes that it can only be reached from the A128 Ongar Road, not directly from the A12, so set your route accordingly. Ask which vegetables and fruit are grown on the farm, as this varies through the season.
Calcott Hall Farm: website and opening hours.
The Green Barn Farm
Map and location
The Green Barn Farm, North Benfleet Hall, Benfleet, Essex. View The Green Barn Farm on the map.
Contact: 07930 169290.
A North Benfleet Hall family farm since 1919
The Green Barn Farm is part of North Benfleet Hall, a farm bought by Robert Wilson in 1919. His daughter Audrey and her husband James Lyon returned to farm it in 1960, and after James’s death Audrey farmed with Robert and John until 2014. Robert and John farm at North Benfleet today. The farm keeps its own Aberdeen Angus herd, and its shop sells beef from those cattle. There are also cows, goats, pigs, rabbits, ducks and guinea pigs for children to meet at weekends and during seasonal events.
The farm shop stocks farm-fresh vegetables, artisan cheeses and handmade treats, alongside the farm’s own Aberdeen Angus beef and locally made drinks. The café on site serves coffee, cake and breakfasts. Through the year the farm runs family events such as pumpkin picking, a maze and 4×4 rides, which can be booked through its website. Dogs on a lead are welcome in both the shop and the café.
Visiting and buying
The Green Barn’s website gives opening hours of Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. The farm says the shop has no postcode of its own and that the farm office postcode will not lead you there, so follow its directions: it is off the A130 after the Sadlers Farm roundabout. It is handy for Basildon, Benfleet, Rayleigh and Southend. Ask which vegetables are from the farm’s own fields.
The Green Barn Farm: 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 Essex?
Good Essex farm shops include Priors Hall Farm at Lindsell near Great Dunmow, Mitchell’s Farm Shop at Elmstead Market near Colchester, Lathcoats Farm at Galleywood near Chelmsford, Calcott Hall Farm outside Brentwood and The Green Barn Farm at North Benfleet. Check each shop’s website for current opening hours before you travel.
Are all these farms in the same town?
No. Essex 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
- Priors Hall Farm , farm shop page
- Priors Hall Farm , about us
- Priors Hall Farm , contact
- Mitchell’s Farm Shop , official website
- Mitchell’s Farm Shop , product ranges
- Lathcoats Farm , our history
- Lathcoats Farm , contact
- Calcott Hall Farm , history
- Calcott Hall Farm , contact
- The Green Barn Farm , about us
- The Green Barn Farm , farm shop
- The Green Barn Farm , FAQs
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.