For farm shops in Leicester and the surrounding area, compare Stoughton Grange on the city's eastern edge with Attfield's in Whetstone and Farndon Fields in Market Harborough. All three are family-run, and each grows or rears some of what it sells. 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?
Stoughton Grange is the closest of the three to the city, just off Gartree Road. Attfield's is a working farm shop in Whetstone, south of Leicester, and Farndon Fields grows much of its own produce outside Market Harborough. Those are different journeys. Choose a shop you can realistically return to, and ask which foods are local instead of assuming the label applies to every shelf.
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.
- Stoughton Grange Farm Shop , On the city's eastern edge
- Attfield's Farm Shop , A Whetstone working farm since 1960
- Farndon Fields Farm Shop , More than 40 crops grown on the farm
Stoughton Grange Farm Shop
Map and location
Gartree Road, Stoughton, Leicester LE2 2FB. View Stoughton Grange Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 0116 344 0064.
A converted dairy on the city's eastern edge
Stoughton Grange is a family-run farm shop set in the former milking parlour of the farm's dairy. It sells meat, poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables, dairy, bread and cakes, with a 50-foot butchery counter, a deli, cake and cheese counters and a café. Some fresh produce is grown in polytunnels on site.
The shop puts the emphasis on Leicestershire and East Midlands producers, including Kingarth Dairy, Fosse Meadows Farm and Hambleton Bakery, and its butchers make pies, sausage rolls and Scotch eggs on site. The same site has a small-batch gin distillery that uses botanicals from the surrounding woodland, and the Cow & Plough pub, whose one-acre kitchen garden supplies much of its menu.
Visiting and buying
Visit Leicester lists opening hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday, but that listing covers 2023 and 2024, so confirm current times before travelling. Ask which produce is grown on the farm or in the polytunnels, and which comes from other suppliers.
Stoughton Grange Farm Shop: Visit Leicester visitor information.
Attfield's Farm Shop
Map and location
Lodge Farm, Countesthorpe Road, Whetstone, Leicester LE8 6LD. View Attfield's Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 0116 277 1476.
A Whetstone working farm since 1960
Attfield's has been selling food from Lodge Farm since 1960. Its range covers locally farmed meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, eggs from its own free-range hens, cakes, jams and preserves. Visit Leicester notes that almost all of the produce is grown locally or on the farm, with very few items travelling more than 30 miles to reach the shelves.
The farm also sells pet food, animal feed, solid fuels and heat logs, and has a café serving breakfasts, lunches and cakes.
Visiting and buying
The shop opens from 9am to 5.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm on Tuesday, 8.30am to 5pm on Saturday and 9am to 3pm on Sunday. The café opens 9am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday and 9am to 3pm on Sunday. Check the website for holiday closures, and ask which items come from the farm itself.
Attfield's Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Farndon Fields Farm Shop
Map and location
Farndon Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9NP. View Farndon Fields Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01858 464838.
More than 40 crops grown on the farm
Farndon Fields is a family-run farm and farm shop just outside Market Harborough, run by Kevin and Milly Stokes since the 1980s. The farm grows more than 40 varieties of fresh produce, including the potatoes it is best known for and strawberries in season, and its website keeps a list of what is currently grown on the farm.
Alongside the farm's own produce, the shop has a bakery, groceries, frozen foods, a drinks cupboard and a garden section. The Farmer's Kitchen café serves breakfasts, lunches and afternoon teas with a seasonal menu.
Visiting and buying
The shop opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays and bank holidays. It is a separate journey from Leicester, roughly 15 miles to the south-east, so it suits a planned trip or a stop when you are already in the Harborough area. Check the grown-on-the-farm list before you go if you want something specific.
Farndon Fields 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 around Leicester?
Stoughton Grange, Attfield's and Farndon Fields are three places to compare. Ask each about the particular produce you want, its source and current opening.
Are all these farms in the same town?
This guide includes the named area and nearby alternatives. Each farm section gives its location so you can compare the journey. A wider-area option is not necessarily inside the town in your search.
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
- Stoughton Grange Farm Shop , Visit Leicester
- Attfield's Farm Shop
- Attfield's Farm Shop , Visit Leicester
- Farndon Fields Farm Shop
Research reviewed 24 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.