Darts Farm, Topsham, Devon
Darts Farm near Topsham started out in the 1970s as one of the first pick-your-own services in this neck of the woods; fast forward 50 years and now it’s a popular South West foodie destination, with lifestyles quickly gathering speed in its wake. Massive strides, yes, but it’s still a working farm where sustainability is right at the forefront; these guys are keeping it real, so every morning someone is out there in the fields, picking what’s fresh, tending to the animals, caring for the soil.
It has to be said, Darts Farm is an amazing place, a feast for the eyes and the belly! There are shelves and baskets bursting with all kinds of delights from local suppliers and artisans, so you’d be wise to make sure there’s plenty of room in the boot of your car. There’s not much you can’t buy here, and it’s all top quality – fruit and veg fresh from the fields, meat from animals that were raised in the lush pastures of the West Country, jams, pickles, chutneys, pies, pasties, cakes, desserts, cheese, craft beers, small batch gins and ciders, and freshly baked bread to entice you. Buy fish from the daily catch brought in on the local boats, and if you have time to stop for lunch, tuck into fish and chips fresh out of the fryer.
There are food shacks, cafes and a restaurant on site and even a cellar bar where they do drinks and tastings. Breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas and anything in between – if your tummy’s rumbling, go fill it. Then you can either have a browse around the other shops, the likes of Fired Earth, Cotswold, Aga and Orange Tree, or you can take a stroll through the vegetable fields, or to the wetlands where you can take five to absorb the silence in the bird hide. Something else you can do at Darts Farm, though it may require a bit of organisation, is coarse fishing, and hire bikes for a ride along the Exe estuary. Diversification at its best.
Open: Mon-Sat 8.00am - 7.00pm Sun 9.30am - 4.30pm
T: 01392 878200 All information correct at the time of writing