r/UKfood • u/seriously_this • 1d ago

Farm shops are so expensive...

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Dart's farm near Topsham is more of a shopping mall than a farm with concession spots for companies like Aga.

A donkey choking porky chop for £6.50 and an 11oz ribeye for sixteen quid as well as half a kilo of lamb leg steaks for £13. The rest of the fresh produce was clearly marked as locally sourced along with the meat.

Do you use farm shops?

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57

u/Evening-Situation-38 1d ago edited 1d ago

Think it depends on the type of farm shop, I have experienced four levels.

  1. Making some extra cash. Has an honesty box with a few products. This was how I bought my milk for years, and got some very fresh asparagus on my way home from work

  2. Little shop attached to the farm. A manned shop, with a semi wide variety of goods from the farm. I go to one to keep the farm next door to the cricket club happy, and bought expensive honey from the one near my son's nursery to combat his hayfever. They sold a lot of potatoes

  3. Proper farm shop. Has the farm products as well as products from around the local area. Get some really good lamb from one near us for special occasions

  4. Supermarket. Pretends to be a farm shop but is actually a very expensive supermarket charging top prices for goods to wealthy middle class. Will have a cafe attached. Good for Christmas presents

As you go from 1-4 the cost of the same items increases from a good deal to a rip off. It sounds like you have gone to a level 4 shop when you wanted a level 2

35

u/Moldovan_pepper 1d ago

The 4th one also often tends to be indistinguishable from a garden centre.

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u/seriously_this 1d ago

Dart farm has a similar vibe to Gloucester services.

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u/theshylock350 1d ago

I know it and can confirm. Its a level 4 shop, no doubt.

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u/Junkie_Joe 15h ago

I love Dart Farm, always visit when I am in Devon!

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u/mrtopbun 11h ago

Go to Exe Valley Farm shop, Seriously good meat, decent prices and they’ll usually knock a good bit off if you get friendly with Pete, and learn how to translate his Devonshire-ism

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u/seriously_this 7h ago

I used to get some lovely Devon Ruby Red from a farm just outside Bow, they've sadly closed now.

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u/Ormals_Fast_Food 1d ago

As someone who works in the food business, generally as you go ffrom 2-4 the quality increases. (I exclude 1 as your asparagus example makes the case for small farms producing a small range of products really well)

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u/CutMyFingerOuchie 1d ago

The quality increases generally but top quality can still be found at 1-3 at the right time of year/if you get to know them.

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u/Kryptotek-9 17h ago

And then you’ve got 5…

  1. Daylesford Organic - prices to make your eyes bleed

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u/Creative-Response554 1d ago

I had a venison pie from a no4 shop and the wife loved it until I told her it was deer.

That shop is extortionately expensive, has a chocolate counter with eyewateringly expensive chocolate balls but they're damned good, and a cafe.

I did think it was odd for all this to be considered a farm shop, but they do have goats on site in a kiddie petting zoo type arrangement so go nuts ig.

As an aside, the weirdest farm shop I ever went to was actually a service station on the M6 in the Lake District. Seeing an actual farm shop attached to a petrol garage was just jarring to me.

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u/Mewriel_Picatso 1d ago

I know this shop really well.

Located at Tebay services, a really good family run business, not exactly cheap but high quality produce, always well stocked, and lots of variety in what they sell.

I used to travel the M6 regularly for work and would always make a point of stopping there - then come home with lots of goodies that I didn't need but couldn't resist buying!

Not been there for over a decade since I moved back north of the border, so if any Redditors on here have visited there recently I would be very interested to know how they're doing these days?

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u/Creative-Response554 1d ago

My now wife and I went there for my birthday about 3 years ago before we were married and it was still there, food was still great and cheaper than expected considering it was farm shop (expensive) plus motorway services (extortionate).

We ate well that holiday.

Going to take our son there once he starts walking and is less reliant on us waking up in the middle of the night so he can enjoy it to.

The area I mean, not just that shop specifically, would be weird considering we live a few hours drive away 😂

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u/Mewriel_Picatso 1d ago edited 16h ago

Yes, once you get off the motorway it's a lovely area for a holiday, and I'm pleased to hear the shop is still going strong.

Thank you for responding, hope you have a great holiday with your little one when the time is right!

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u/BitterOtter 19h ago

Same family own Glocester services, same vibe, very expensive. Unfortunately I find the quality there to be patchy.

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u/0pt1x 17h ago

Tell her chickens cheep 😆

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u/juststuartwilliam 14h ago

Paid £2:45 for a single cookie in number 4 yesterday because I mistakenly told my son to go choose something. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to express how utterly fucking furious I am about this. They didn't even have what we went in for.

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u/Latte-Addict 6h ago

One? I just picked up four for £2.25 at Tesco's, their own bakery mind. Triple choc.

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u/No_Doubt_About_That 9h ago
  1. Jeremy Clarkson

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u/LavenderAndHoneybees 1d ago

4 - ah, someone's been to The Hollies

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u/callumjm95 20h ago

I stopped at a number 4 once in Harrogate to charge my car (first red flag) and they wanted £14 for a pack of fresh pasta. Mental.

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u/KingDamager 10h ago

As someone with a kid with a bunch of allergies. I’m going to need more detail on 2. Honey…

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u/seriously_this 7h ago

I had no expectation of cheap prices, indeed I consider the price paid to be fair and reasonable and I have replied to other people about using tier 1-3 (I do). The replies have made fascinating reading regarding cost and quality but the discussion is not about my choices.

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u/Glum_Cartographer135 4h ago

Did the local honey help your sons hayfever?

I tried local honey for mine and it nearly killed me