Can’t get to Wimbledon but want the ‘quintessential English experience’? Try picking your own strawberries at one of South Devon’s Pick Your Own Fruit farms says Grazing Kate
Neither gifted with a racquet nor having the funds or connections to wangle tickets to Centre Court matches, the best way for me to enjoy the quintessential English summer day is to find a Pick Your Own strawberry farm.
Shute Fruit in Bishopsteigton opened their farm gates for the season on Friday, June 18. They are currently offering Pick Your Own (PYO) strawberries and ready-cut new season broad beans.
The farm is run by Lori Reich and David Lamboll and is situated in a magnificent location, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the banks of the Teign Estuary. Lori is well known on the farmers’ market and food festival circuit for her award-winning jams, chutneys and for her cookery demonstrations. She is a mine of information about other local food producers and passionate about her favourite home-style recipes.
The Shute Fruit website provides useful information on how to make microwave strawberry jam. This is ideal if, like me, you find that once you’ve started picking strawberries, it’s very difficult to stop and you end up with punnet-loads more than you can eat fresh.
You can check the website to see what crops are available – this is updated daily. There are some benches for you to enjoy the sunshine, the passing trains, the wildlife and your fruit feast (after paying at the caravan with makeshift shop counter), perhaps with a punnet of ice cream or clotted cream?
On the opposite side of the River Teign, Netherton PYO will be a prolific soft fruit producer for the next two months or so.
A trip to Netherton can be a great family afternoon out – most kids, parents and grandparents love the thrill of seeking out the largest, weirdest or sweetest fruit – there can certainly be a competitive element. It’s also great to remind children where their food comes from and how lucky we are in Devon to have such bounty on our doorsteps. Netherton also provides a tea shack and picnic benches offering homemade cakes, clotted cream, ice creams, teas and coffees and (rather cleverly) jam sugar to take home for your preserves.
The season is so short, I’m going to make the most of them over the next few months and try to visit them on a weekly basis. So, whether it’s tennis or football, let’s remember to take a break from all the sport on television and get out in the sunshine, pick fresh berries and enjoy the fruits of the local farmers’ labours – it’s almost as healthy as playing tennis.
Another PYO that I haven’t yet visited in the South Devon area is Boyces Nursery and Fruit Farm at Shillingford St George, nr Exeter – comments welcome.
(an extract of an article first published on Grazing Kate’s site)
(image: courtesy of Grazing Kate)
Come and enjoy Devon – book a hotel and get away!
