Shropshire is a large, mostly rural county, so the farm shop you choose often depends on which way you are travelling. This guide compares five: Battlefield 1403 just north of Shrewsbury, Babbinswood Farm at Whittington near Oswestry, the Oteley Estate farm shop on the mere at Ellesmere, Fordhall Organic Farm outside Market Drayton and Apley Farm Shop at Norton near Shifnal. Each sells local food, but the useful question is which one 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?
If you live in or around Shrewsbury, Battlefield 1403 is the quickest trip, with a large shop, butchery, deli and café open seven days a week. To the north-west, Babbinswood Farm near Oswestry and the Oteley Estate at Ellesmere are small and farm-focused, with organic dairy and vegetables at Babbinswood and the estate's own grass-fed beef at Oteley. In the north-east, Fordhall Organic Farm near Market Drayton sells meat from its own pasture-fed cattle, sheep and pigs. For Telford, Shifnal and Bridgnorth, Apley Farm Shop is the biggest all-rounder, with a butchery, bakery and café on the Apley Estate.
Opening days vary a great deal. Babbinswood, Oteley and Fordhall are closed on some weekdays, while Battlefield 1403 and Apley open daily. Check the hours below before a long drive, especially in winter and over Christmas, and ask staff which items come from the farm itself and which are bought in from neighbours.
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.
- Battlefield 1403 , Farm shop on the Battle of Shrewsbury site
- Babbinswood Farm , Organic family farm and micro-dairy near Oswestry
- Oteley Farm Shop & Cafe , Estate-reared beef beside the mere at Ellesmere
- Fordhall Organic Farm , Community-owned organic farm near Market Drayton
- Apley Farm Shop , Estate farm shop in a former wartime dairy
Battlefield 1403
Map and location
Battlefield 1403, Shrewsbury, SY4 3DB. View Battlefield 1403 on the map.
Contact: 01939 210 905.
Sixth-generation farmland on a medieval battlefield
Battlefield 1403 sits on the site of the Battle of Shrewsbury, just north of the town, and is part of the Albrighton Estate. According to its website, the family has farmed here since 1853, when William Hanbury Sparrow bought the estate; Albright Hussey Farm was added in 1919 and Battlefield Farm in 1999, and the current owners are the sixth generation. The land is farmed with wildlife in mind, with six-metre conservation headlands and hedges. There is also an exhibition about the 1403 battle, and in autumn the farm opens for pick-your-own pumpkins.
The farm shop sells local food and drink, with a butchery counter, a deli and an award-winning café, Sparrow's Café, which says many of its ingredients come from the shop. The butchery stocks sausages and cuts of beef, chicken and lamb, sourced from within Shropshire and neighbouring counties where possible, and staff will cut, trim and stuff meat to order. There is a children's play area, and a bird of prey centre on site is run separately.
Visiting and buying
The website lists opening hours of Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm, and Sundays and bank holidays 10am to 4pm. The butchery counter is staffed Monday to Saturday only; for Sunday collection, order by 5pm on the Friday. It is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday. Dogs are welcome outside and in the courtyard but not in the shop. The site is a short drive north of Shrewsbury town centre. Ask at the counter which meat comes from the estate itself.
Battlefield 1403: website and opening hours.
Babbinswood Farm
Map and location
Babbinswood Farm, Whittington, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4PF. View Babbinswood Farm on the map.
Contact: 07769607404.
Cow-with-calf organic dairy and market garden
Babbinswood Farm, at Whittington just east of Oswestry, has been in the same family for generations; Casha, who runs the farm with her husband Adam, is the fifth generation to farm here. The farm began converting to organic in 2000 and was certified in 2002. In 2017 Casha set up The Little Dairy, a cow-with-calf micro-dairy where calves stay with their mothers until they are naturally weaned at six to twelve months. The farm also has an organic market garden and community garden, and rears pasture-fed beef, lamb and hogget. A community benefit society has been formed to help secure the farm’s future.
The small farm shop sells the farm’s organic fruit and vegetables, milk, cream, yoghurt, soft cheese and milkshakes from The Little Dairy, along with its own beef, lamb and hogget. It also stocks organic sourdough bread, organic cakes and savoury snacks, and cupboard staples. There is no café, but takeaway organic hot drinks are served and you can sit in the courtyard. Orders can be placed online for collection.
Visiting and buying
The website lists farm shop hours of Tuesday 10am to 5pm, Wednesday 10am to 3pm, Thursday 11am to 5pm, and Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm. On Sunday and Monday it is click and collect only, with orders emailed before 10am for collection the same day. This is a small working farm, so it is worth checking the website before you go, particularly as the farm’s ownership plans are still being settled. Ask which vegetables are from the farm’s own garden that week.
Babbinswood Farm: website and opening hours.
Oteley Farm Shop & Cafe
Map and location
Oteley Estate, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 0PB. View Oteley Farm Shop & Cafe on the map.
Contact: 07346 147395.
Grass-fed Shorthorn and Highland cattle on a historic estate
The Oteley Estate lies on the shores of the mere at Ellesmere in north Shropshire and has been in the same family for more than 500 years. Its website says the house has been both a country house and an army hospital camp. Today the estate rears Beef Shorthorn and Highland cattle, which are grass-fed and roam freely rather than being fed on grain. The estate says its animals are born, raised and sold on the estate, either directly to customers or to local shops. Its website also mentions Shropshire-raised lamb and pork.
The farm shop sells the estate’s meat, including meat boxes with a selection of joints, so it is a good stop if you want to stock the freezer. The café serves coffee, cakes and hot food, with its menu available on the website. Ellesmere town and its meres are close by for a walk before or after.
Visiting and buying
The website lists Farm Shop and Cafe hours of Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm, so it is closed from Monday to Wednesday. The published address is that of the estate office, so check the website for directions before you set off. Hours are shorter than at most Shropshire farm shops, so arrive in good time if you want a particular cut or a meat box, and ask which meat is from the estate’s own herds that week.
Oteley Farm Shop & Cafe: website and opening hours.
Fordhall Organic Farm
Map and location
Tern Hill Road, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 3PS. View Fordhall Organic Farm on the map.
Contact: 01630 317531.
Organic since the 1940s, community-owned since 2006
Fordhall Farm, just outside Market Drayton, has been farmed organically and free of chemicals since the 1940s, under the late Arthur Hollins. In 2006 more than 8,000 people supported his children, Charlotte and Ben Hollins, to save the tenanted farm and family home from industrial development, and it has been community-owned ever since. Ben is the tenant farmer on a 100-year tenancy. Cattle and sheep graze diverse pastures all year round under the farm’s foggage system, and free-range pigs, including Gloucester Old Spots, are also reared here.
The farm shop sells Fordhall’s own meat from its on-site butchery, with full traceability, along with Fordhall honey, organic and free-range eggs, local cheeses, loose organic fruit and vegetables, milk, preserves and bread. Sausage rolls, pork pies and pastries are made in the on-site bakery with the farm’s own free-range pork, and bacon is oak-smoked in the farm’s smokery. Arthur’s Farm Kitchen café serves food on site.
Visiting and buying
The website lists farm shop hours of Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, and Sundays and bank holidays 10am to 4pm. The café is open 10am to 4pm. Mondays are not listed, so assume it is closed then, and the farm closes from 25 December to 1 January. There are farm trails to walk, which makes it a good half-day outing. Ask at the butchery which cuts are from the farm’s own animals and which items are bought in.
Fordhall Organic Farm: website and opening hours.
Apley Farm Shop
Map and location
Apley Farm Shop, Norton, Shifnal, Shropshire, TF11 9EF. View Apley Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01952 581002.
Estate beef and venison from the Apley Estate
Apley Farm Shop is on the Apley Estate, between Shifnal and Bridgnorth and within easy reach of Telford. The estate covers around 8,000 acres, and its farms work over 2,000 acres, mainly arable crops and beef cattle. The shop is in Stockton Buildings, which during the Second World War housed a dairy producing milk, butter and Apley cheese. The estate was bought in 1867 by the ironfounder William Orme Foster and is now owned by Lord Hamilton of Dalzell. Each autumn a home-grown pumpkin field is part of its Haunted Harvest event.
The in-house butchery sells beef matured for 30 days from British White cattle at Oldington Farm, one of the estate’s tenant farms, along with free-range pork from Packington’s, and venison, partridge and pheasant from the estate in season. The shop also sells fruit and vegetables, cheese from the deli, cakes and pastries from the on-site bakery, drinks and hampers. Apley Kitchen café serves coffee from Fab-brew-less.
Visiting and buying
The website lists opening hours of Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, and Sunday 9.30am to 4pm, and advises checking its Facebook page for changed hours, events and offers. Venison is usually available from October to March. There are children’s activities and other concessions on site, so weekends can be busy. Ask the butchery team which meat is from the estate and its tenant farms.
Apley 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 Shropshire?
Good options include Battlefield 1403 near Shrewsbury, Babbinswood Farm near Oswestry, the Oteley Estate farm shop at Ellesmere, Fordhall Organic Farm near Market Drayton and Apley Farm Shop near Shifnal. Fordhall, Oteley and Babbinswood sell a large share of their own produce.
Are all these farms in the same town?
No. Shropshire 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
- Battlefield 1403 , About us
- Battlefield 1403 , Farming and land
- Battlefield 1403 , FAQs and opening hours
- Babbinswood Farm , Official website
- Babbinswood Farm , The story so far
- Oteley Estate , Farm shop and cafe
- Oteley Estate , Contact
- Fordhall Organic Farm , Official website
- Fordhall Organic Farm , Farm shop
- Apley Farm Shop , Official website
- Apley Farm Shop , Butchery
- Apley Estate , Our heritage
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.