This guide compares five farm shops across South Yorkshire: Whirlow Hall Farm on the south-west edge of Sheffield, Our Cow Molly at Dungworth above the city, Cannon Hall Farm at Cawthorne near Barnsley, Rob Royd Farm Shop at Worsbrough on the south side of Barnsley, and Barnby Dun Farm Shop north-east of Doncaster. Each has a different mix of home-reared meat, dairy, bakery and local stock, 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?
Sheffield has two very different farms on its western edge. Whirlow Hall Farm is the one for rare and native breed meat raised on the farm, with a café and animals for children. Our Cow Molly at Dungworth is a dairy farm, best for ice cream and milk from its own herd. Barnsley has the two biggest operations: Cannon Hall Farm at Cawthorne, a full day out with a large butchery, bakery and deli, and Rob Royd at Worsbrough for a quieter shop with butchery and a restaurant. Doncaster's Barnby Dun Farm Shop suits a village shop for bread, seasonal fruit and veg, meat and gifts.
We could not verify a stand-alone farm shop with published hours in Rotherham. Nether Haugh Farm near Wentworth sells its own beef, pork, lamb, turkeys and honey online with click and collect, and in September 2026 said its Graysons Farmers & Butchers shop would open at Wentworth Garden Centre in October 2026, so check with the farm before travelling.
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.
- Whirlow Hall Farm , Sheffield charity farm with rare-breed meat
- Our Cow Molly , Dungworth dairy farm since 1947
- Cannon Hall Farm Shop , Cawthorne family farm and award-winning butchery
- Rob Royd Farm Shop , Worsbrough butchery, bakery and restaurant
- Barnby Dun Farm Shop , Village farm shop north-east of Doncaster
Whirlow Hall Farm
Map and location
Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, Whirlow Lane, Sheffield, S11 9QF. View Whirlow Hall Farm on the map.
Contact: 0114 312 2511.
Native breed meat from a 140-acre charity farm
Whirlow Hall Farm Trust is an educational charity set up by Michael Hill and Alan Aikin in 1979, on a 140-acre working farm on the south-west edge of Sheffield. The trust gives children and young people who struggle in mainstream education real farm jobs and outdoor learning. The farm shop was set up in 2010 to sell produce raised on the farm to the local community, and in 2016 the butchery was brought in house. The focus is on rare and native breed meat born and raised on the farm, and profits from the shop and café are gift aided to support the trust’s educational work.
The shop sells meat from the farm’s own livestock, including meat boxes, and when supply needs topping up it works with local farmers from Yorkshire and Derbyshire. It also sells Whirlow Wine made from grapes grown in the farm’s own vineyard, cards with photographs taken on the farm, animal feed for visitors and, in season, Christmas trees. The Barn Café serves breakfasts, sandwiches, specials, cakes and deli items, and its menu uses produce from the farm and local producers.
Visiting and buying
The trust’s website says the farm, play area, café and shop are open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, with no entry fee (except some special events) and free on-site parking. The Barn Café is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm, and closed Monday and Tuesday. The website does not give separate shop hours, so ring ahead if you are making a special trip. Ask which cuts and boxes are from the farm’s own animals, as some meat comes from other Yorkshire and Derbyshire farms.
Whirlow Hall Farm: website and opening hours.
Our Cow Molly
Map and location
Cliffe House Farm, Hill Top Road, Dungworth, Sheffield, S6 6GW. View Our Cow Molly on the map.
Contact: 0114 233 2683.
Ice cream from the farm’s own dairy herd
Our Cow Molly is a family dairy farm at Dungworth, a small village on the hills on the north-west edge of Sheffield, just outside the Peak District. Hector Andrew started the dairy farm in 1947 and delivered bottled milk around Sheffield, and the family have kept the farm going since. They began making ice cream in 2007, using milk and cream from the farm’s own cows plus other quality ingredients, and the farm’s bottled milk is sold in shops and cafés across Sheffield.
The farm shop and ice cream parlour sell cones and sundaes from a scooping cabinet, with take-home tubs in 1-litre and 120ml sizes. Flavours listed include Just Molly, chocolate, strawberry, mint choc chip, Bakewell tart, lemon and ginger, and sorbets such as pink grapefruit. You can sit in the parlour or on the benches outside and look at the view. A separate vending machine shop sits on the farm, and the farm also runs a doorstep milk delivery service.
Visiting and buying
The farm’s website says the ice cream parlour is open 11am to 5pm every day during the school holidays, and the vending machine shop is open 8am to 8pm every day. Parlour hours outside school holidays are not listed, so check the website or the farm’s Facebook page before a term-time visit. Dungworth is about six miles north-west of Sheffield city centre. For ice cream enquiries call 0114 233 2683; for milk enquiries call 0114 233 3697.
Our Cow Molly: website and opening hours.
Cannon Hall Farm Shop
Map and location
Cannon Hall Farm, Cannon Hall, Cawthorne, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 4AT. View Cannon Hall Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01226 792746.
Home-reared beef, pork and lamb at Cawthorne
The Nicholson family had farmed Bank End Farm at Worsbrough since 1650 until the council bought the land for housing. Charlie Nicholson then bought Cannon Hall Farm, a 126-acre holding in the Pennine foothills at Cawthorne, and when he died within a year his son Roger, then 16, took over. The family kept cattle, sheep and turkeys, and opened the farm to visitors on Good Friday 1989. Today it is a large family-run attraction, and the farm still produces beef, pork and lamb, which it sells with its own sausages, bacon and pies through the farm shop.
The shop started with two butchers and a single meat counter and now has a butchery, a deli counter and ready meals made daily by its own chefs, and artisan bakers working on site each morning on sourdough, pork pies, cakes and bakes. It also sells jams, preserves, chocolates, gin, cookware and gifts. Fruit and vegetables are sourced as locally as possible in season. It was named Farm Shop of the Year at the Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2019.
Visiting and buying
The farm’s website gives farm shop hours of 8am to 5.15pm, and says the site is open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The farm attraction itself opens 10am to 6pm, with last admission at 5.15pm. Cawthorne is about five miles west of Barnsley and close to junction 37 of the M1. Go early in the day for the widest choice at the bakery, and ask which meat is from the farm’s own herd.
Cannon Hall Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Rob Royd Farm Shop
Map and location
Genn Lane, Worsbrough, S70 6NW. View Rob Royd Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01226 248662.
Local and home-reared meat at Worsbrough
Rob Royd Farm Shop describes itself as a high-quality farm shop and restaurant at Worsbrough, on the southern edge of Barnsley, a short drive from junction 36 of the M1. Its butchery specialises in local and home-reared meats, and its own staff make deli food on site every day. The website does not give the history of the farm or say which animals are raised there, so if provenance matters to you, ask at the counter which cuts are home-reared and which come from neighbouring farms.
The shop has a butchery counter, a bakery and a delicatessen, where pies, cooked meats, salads, ready meals and hot and cold lunchtime specials are made fresh daily. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch from a changing menu of freshly cooked dishes, with a children’s menu. Christmas orders for 2026 are taken through the online shop.
Visiting and buying
The shop’s website lists shop hours of Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 4.30pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm, and it is closed on Sunday and Monday. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 3pm. Worsbrough is about two miles south of Barnsley town centre. Order Christmas meat early, and ask which meat on the counter has been reared on the farm.
Rob Royd Farm Shop: website and opening hours.
Barnby Dun Farm Shop
Map and location
Well Green, High Street, Barnby Dun, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN3 1DU. View Barnby Dun Farm Shop on the map.
Contact: 01302 885227.
Local growers and makers in Barnby Dun
Barnby Dun Farm Shop is in the village of Barnby Dun, about five miles north-east of Doncaster town centre beside the River Don and the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. It has no website of its own; it is listed by Visit Doncaster, the official tourism site, which describes a shop built on quality produce, friendly service and support for local growers and makers. The listing does not say whether the shop grows or rears any of its own food, so ask which items come from the farm itself and which from nearby suppliers.
According to the Visit Doncaster listing, the shop sells fresh bread, seasonal fruit and vegetables, artisan jams and chutneys, and meats, along with food gifts. It suits a weekly shop as well as picking up presents, and it is popular with villagers and visitors. Its Facebook and Instagram pages, linked from the listing, are the place to look for seasonal stock and any changes.
Visiting and buying
Visit Doncaster lists opening hours of Wednesday to Saturday 8.30am to 4.30pm and Sunday 9am to 2pm, with the shop closed on Monday and Tuesday. These hours come from the tourism listing rather than the shop itself, and the listing carries no date, so ring 01302 885227 or check the shop’s Facebook page to confirm before you travel. If you are coming from Doncaster, combine the trip with a walk along the canal towpath.
Barnby Dun Farm Shop: Visit Doncaster listing 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 South Yorkshire?
Good farm shops in South Yorkshire include Whirlow Hall Farm and Our Cow Molly in Sheffield, Cannon Hall Farm Shop at Cawthorne and Rob Royd Farm Shop at Worsbrough near Barnsley, and Barnby Dun Farm Shop near Doncaster. Check opening days before you go, as several close early in the week.
Are all these farms in the same town?
No. South Yorkshire 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
- Whirlow Hall Farm , Whirlow Farm Shop about page
- Whirlow Hall Farm , Whirlow Hall Farm Trust visit page
- Whirlow Hall Farm , The Barn Cafe opening times
- Whirlow Hall Farm , Charity Commission register (address)
- Our Cow Molly , Our Cow Molly about us
- Our Cow Molly , Our Cow Molly find us
- Cannon Hall Farm Shop , Cannon Hall Farm website
- Cannon Hall Farm Shop , Cannon Hall Farm history
- Cannon Hall Farm Shop , Cannon Hall Farm opening hours
- Rob Royd Farm Shop , Rob Royd Farm Shop website
- Barnby Dun Farm Shop , Visit Doncaster
- Nether Haugh Farm , Nether Haugh Farm website
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.