North Ayrshire takes in the Clyde coast from Largs to Irvine, the farmland around Beith and the Isle of Arran. This guide covers six places to buy food direct: Fencebay at Fairlie and Auchengree near Beith on the mainland, and on Arran, Woodside’s organic croft, the honesty box at Clachaig Farm, Bellevue Farm at Blackwaterfoot and Arran Milk’s vending machines.
You do not need to live on a farm to eat closer to one. A single stop you can return to, a short shopping list and a cool bag are a good start, and most of these places will tell you what came from their own land if you ask.
Which farm shop or picking farm should you choose?
On the mainland, Fencebay at Fairlie is the choice for smoked fish and bacon, with a farmers’ market on the last Sunday of the month. Auchengree near Beith is a butchery farm shop with a tea room, open every day.
On Arran, Woodside’s self-service shop sells organic croft vegetables and eggs, Clachaig’s honesty box sells its own meat and vegetables from January to November, and Bellevue sells its own meat by appointment. Arran Milk’s machines are open round the clock.
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.
- Fencebay Farm Shop & Smokehouse , Smoked fish and cured meats on the coast at Fairlie
- Auchengree Farm Shop & Tea Room , A butchery farm shop and tea room near Beith
- Woodside Arran Farm Shop , Organic croft vegetables and eggs on Arran
- The Honesty Box at Clachaig Farm , Farm-gate meat, vegetables and eggs at Kilmory
- Bellevue Farm , Own beef, lamb, pork, goat and eggs at Blackwaterfoot
- Arran Milk , Island milk from vending machines around Arran
Fencebay Farm Shop & Smokehouse
Map and location
Fencefoot Farm, Irvine Road, Fairlie KA29 0EG. View Fencebay Farm Shop & Smokehouse on the map.
Contact: 01475 568 918.
A farm shop, smokery and restaurant
Fencebay is a farm shop, smokery and restaurant on the Ayrshire coast at Fencefoot Farm. It produces its own range of locally farmed fish and meat, cured and smoked by traditional methods, including smoked salmon, dry-cured smoked bacon, kippers and gravadlax.
It also sells hampers, and its Catch at Fins restaurant serves seafood from around Ayrshire. A farmers’ market is held on site on the last Sunday of the month, from about 10am to 2pm.
Visiting and buying
The farm shop opens Monday 9.30am to 1pm, Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 4pm.
You can order online and collect. Book the restaurant by phone on 01475 568 989.
Fencebay Farm Shop & Smokehouse: website and opening hours.
Auchengree Farm Shop & Tea Room
Map and location
Meikle Auchengree Farm, Auchengree Road, Glengarnock, Beith KA14 3BU. View Auchengree Farm Shop & Tea Room on the map.
Contact: 01294 834625.
A working farm with a butchery
Auchengree is a butchery and farm shop on a working farm near Glengarnock, owned by Trevor and Anne Beckett, who added the tea-room extension. It sells beef, lamb, pork, chicken, sausages and puddings, meat boxes, pies and ready meals.
It also has gluten-free products and a South African range including biltong and boerewors.
Visiting and buying
The shop opens Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 10.30am to 4.30pm.
Tea-room tables must be booked by phone.
Auchengree Farm Shop & Tea Room: website and opening hours.
Woodside Arran Farm Shop
Map and location
Woodside Croft, Kildonan, Isle of Arran KA27 8SE. View Woodside Arran Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 07841 074236.
A 13-acre organic croft
Woodside Arran is a not-for-profit social enterprise on a 13-acre organic croft, certified by SOPA, founded in 2017 by Andy and Jenny. It has a market garden, a 100-tree orchard and about 170 laying hens.
The self-service shop sells the croft’s own vegetables, eggs, fruit and herbs, plus Arran Mushrooms and Arran Dairies milk.
Visiting and buying
The self-service vending shop is open seven days a week. Its site also gives a Brodick shop address on Main Street (KA27 8AG), so check which location you want before you go.
Use what3words ///sidelined.motorist.wimp to find the croft.
Woodside Arran Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
The Honesty Box at Clachaig Farm
Map and location
Clachaig Farm, Kilmory, Isle of Arran KA27 8PG. View The Honesty Box at Clachaig Farm on the map.
Contact: 01770 870526.
Traditional breeds and an honesty box
Clachaig Farm, in the south of Arran, raises traditional British livestock breeds for meat and grows vegetables.
Its meat, vegetables and its own eggs are sold through an honesty box on the farm.
Visiting and buying
The honesty box is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from January to November. It is closed in December.
Bring cash or check the payment options on the box. You can also call 07711 196049.
The Honesty Box at Clachaig Farm: website and opening hours.
Bellevue Farm
Map and location
Bellevue Farm, Blackwaterfoot, Isle of Arran KA27 8EX. View Bellevue Farm on the map.
Contact: 07740 986803.
A mixed farm on Arran’s west coast
Bellevue Farm keeps its own cows, sheep, pigs and goats, and has recently started rearing its own pork and goat meat. It sells beef, lamb, pork, goat meat and eggs from several breeds of hen.
The farm also grows malting barley for Arran’s distillery and is a member of Quality Meat Scotland.
Visiting and buying
Sales run 10am to 4pm, currently by appointment, all year. Call or email bellevuefarmcottages@btinternet.com ahead.
Farm-to-fork farm tours are also available.
Bellevue Farm: website and opening hours.
Arran Milk
Map and location
Arran Dairies, Market Road, Brodick, Isle of Arran KA27 8ED. View Arran Milk on the map.
Contact: 01770 302374.
Milk from cows grazing on Arran
Arran Milk is fresh milk from cows grazing on Arran, sold through vending machines around the island by Arran Dairies, which also churns ice cream in its small dairy beside Brodick Bay.
It is the easiest way to buy island milk direct, and pairs well with a stop at one of Arran’s farm-gate shops.
Visiting and buying
The vending machines in Brodick and Blackwaterfoot run 24 hours a day, all year. Other machines follow the hours of the shops that host them.
Other machine locations are posted on Arran Dairies’ social media. Bring a bottle.
Arran Milk: 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 North Ayrshire?
On the mainland, try Fencebay at Fairlie and Auchengree near Beith. On Arran, try Woodside’s farm shop, Clachaig Farm’s honesty box, Bellevue Farm and Arran Milk’s vending machines.
Can I buy farm produce on Arran?
Yes. Woodside, Clachaig and Bellevue all sell food from their own land, and Arran Milk’s machines sell island milk.
Is there a farmers’ market in North Ayrshire?
Fencebay holds a farmers’ market on the last Sunday of the month, from about 10am to 2pm.
Sources
- Fencebay Farm Shop & Smokehouse
- Auchengree Farm Shop & Tea Room
- Woodside Arran Farm Shop
- The Honesty Box at Clachaig Farm
- Bellevue Farm
- Arran Milk
- Fencebay contact
- Bellevue Farm, Visit Arran
- The Honesty Box, Ayrshire and Arran
Research reviewed 27 October 2026. Farm and visitor sources support the descriptions above. No firsthand visit, current stock check or certification is claimed.