Is there anything more evocative of a British summer than the taste of a freshly picked strawberry? Shiny, ruby nuggets of freshness that have spent the day basking on a bed of straw in the sunshine – tasting even sweeter if you have wrestled them off the plant yourself. If sunshine could be bottled, I’m sure it would taste of freshly picked strawberries.
Well, Warren’s Farm Shop knows a thing or two about strawberries with the current farmer being the fifth generation to grow fruit on the sunny slopes of the Mendip Hills. The old roadside stall has recently been replaced with an all-singing, all-dancing glass-fronted building displaying the fresh fruit and vegetables in refrigerated counters, keeping it fresh and perfect for the customers. The large, sliding glass doors open up to welcome you into the sparkling, new shop.
Obviously, strawberries are on offer for as much of the year as possible (often starting as early as March and going on to the autumnal varieties sometimes as late as December!) but as the seasons change, there are also raspberries, broad beans, runner beans, new potatoes, squash, marrow and pumpkins, all grown on the sprawling farm which is the backdrop to this farm shop, so food miles are as low as they can be.
Also grown on site in large greenhouses is a beautiful selection of bedding plants. These healthy little petunias, marigolds and cosmos are glorious for hanging baskets or pots on the patio. They even have anthirrinums (also known as snapdragons). Who didn’t love pulling the flowers off their mother’s plants and pressing the delicate petals together to make a fire-breathing dragon?!!
Within the shop (just off the A371 between Rodney Stoke and Draycott), apart from the mouth-watering fruit, you will find meringues and scones to accompany the strawberries and a healthily stocked dairy section with cream, butter and milk. Locally sourced meat is for sale at the weekends and bread, cakes and coffee throughout the week.
The “pick your own” season starts in June so the public are enjoying the luscious strawberries picked straight from the plant right now. Open every day from 9am til 5pm and throughout the summer holidays, this is a wonderful activity to do with the children, and introduce them to the glory of a fresh, English strawberry – just make sure the fruit makes it into the punnet before going into their mouths!
Keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates about picking availability.
