2024 Kent Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Kent in 2024, by county

Below are the PYO orchards and farms for blackberries and other brambles that we know of in this area. Not all areas have blackberries and other brambles orchards or farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Kent

• Broomfield Farm - Meopham PYO - Apples, blackberries, Christmas trees, currants (red and black), flowers, gooseberries, pears, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), rhubarb, winter squash, strawberries, Other fruit or veg, U-pick and already picked, concessions / refreshment stand, restrooms
  Broomfield Farm, Ifield Road, Meopham, DA13 0QH. Phone: 07521242190. Email: hello@meophamfruit.co.uk. Open: Friday 10am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Open: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: You can find Broomfield Farm along the A227 in Meopham. If you are travelling from the A2 / Gravesend direction you will find us on the right hand side after Meopham Green. If you are travelling from the M25/M20 Culverstone direction you will find us on the left hand side after Meopham Vets. Our Gooseberry season typically starts in May, followed closely by the Strawberry season which usually lasts from the end of May until early July; Pick Your Own Sunflowers should be available in August, with our apples and pears available in the Autumn; Pumpkins are available at the end of October;. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. We grow a range of fruit. Gooseberries, strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries, currants, plums, apples, pears, squash and pumpkins. As well as sunflowers and Christmas trees. We also have a Pop Up Tearooms on site, open the same days as PYO.We have decided to concentrate our efforts on Foxendown Farm having rented out Broomfield Farm to David Brown. David will be continue to grow a range of fruit with a strong emphasis on Pick Your Own. In addition to the contact information above, these work, too:  dpbrown21@yahoo.co.uk and Tel: 07504 974517. (UPDATED: July 06, 2018, JBS) (ADDED: June 27, 2018)
• Chilton Manor Farm - Strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries, black and red currants, pumpkins, gooseberries, apples, pears
  Highstead Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, England, UK. Phone: 01795 425963. Email: info@chiltonmanorfarm.co.uk. Open: June to October; see this page for their harvest calendar. In addition to the PYO, they have a farm shop is only open during PYO season selling pre-picked fruit and own vegetables. They also have pumpkins (not PYO). Facilities: Ample parking, nearby pub, easy access for disabled, toilets. In October, Pick and Pay apples and pears open every day. Pumpkins available to pick every day from Sat 23rd October 10am to 4pm daily No need to book just come along bring wellies if wet and a strong bag to take your pumpkins home in.. The farm shop is well stocked with our own fresh picked fruit, local vegetables, potatoes, salads as well as all the other things you might need for the coming week including Korkers sausages, Duskin apple juice, Homemade cakes, pies and local jam.  Chilton Manor Farm Facebook Page. (UPDATED: 03 October 2021, JBS) 
• Farmers Farm Shop - raspberries,
  Little Court Lodge Farm, Tonbridge Road, Teston near Maidstone. Phone: 01622 813950. Directions: On the A26 (Tunbridge to Maidstone Road) in Teston close to the Teston Country Park. The farm shop also has Raspberries, apple, plums, sweetcorn, runnerbeans, blackberries. Locally produced fruit and vegetables, free range eggs, pure fruit juice, cakes, sweet pies, preserves, confectionery and Christmas Trees. Facilities: Ample parking, nearby pub, easy access for disabled, Halloween and Christmas promotions, opposite Teston Country Park. Be sure to call before you go - I haven't seen an update about them in years.
• Felderland PYO Farm - Apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, flowers, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), winter squash, strawberries,
  Deal Road, Worth, Deal, CT14 0BJ. Phone: 01304 611820. Email: felderlandpyo@bardsley-england.com. Open: Monday CLOSED Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, ApplePay. Set in 23 acres, Felderland Farm is one of the largest pick your own (PYO) farms in Kent and grows a wide range of seasonal produce. Can also buy cakes, ice cream dairy products etc. Pumpkins for sale in the farmshop in October.  Felderland Farm is one of the largest pick your own (PYO) farms in Kent and grows a wide range of seasonal produce.
  Click here for our Facebook page.
  Click here for our Instagram page.
  (UPDATED: February 05, 2023)
• Garden House Orchards - Strawberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Loganberries, blackberries, Blackcurrants, Redcurrants, Rhubarb, Victoria Plums, and a variety of apples, although Cox are our main crop.
  Castle Road, Saltwood, Hythe, Kent CT21 4EH. Phone: 01303 260163. You can also pick your own Christmas tree in December (althought we will dig it up for you)! (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 10, 2015, JBS)
• Hewitts Farm - Strawberries, Gooseberries, Spinach, Raspberries, Broad Beans, Peas, pumpkins, Cabbage, Beetroot, French Beans, Cauliflower, Broccolli, Various Plums and Apples
  Hewitts Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 7QR. Phone: 01959 534666. ALternate phone: +44 (0) 7768 105669. Email: hewittsfarmorders@gmail.com. Open: every day throughout the year, closing only for a few days over the Christmas and new year period; During the summer we are open 9am - 5:30pm 7 days a week; All customers must have entered the farm before 5:00pm to give enough time to pick fruit before we close at 5:30pm. 'Pick Your Own' usually begins in June with stawberries, gooseberries and spinach. (Weather depending). We have a wide selection of fruits and vegetables to pick your own through out the season. According to a visitor: Hewitts was up to 20 years ago the largest farm in Europe. Now much of it is golf courses but they still grow Strawberries, Gooseberries, Spinach, Raspberries, Broad Beans, Peas, Cabbage, Beetroot, French Beans, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Various Plums and Apples etc. (all in roughly chronological order). They are only 1 minute away from the nearest M25 junction (number 4). Sundays is always immensely busy! They also have a BBQ area. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: July 9, 2020, JBS)
• Hicks Forstal Farm Shop - currants (red and black), gooseberries, raspberries (red), strawberries, U-pick and already picked
  Hicks Forstal Road, Hoath, Canterbury, CT3 4NAEmail: hicksforstalfarm@btinternet.com. Open: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Directions: Between Canterbury and Herne Bay in Herne Common just of the A291. Payment: Cash, only. (ADDED: June 05, 2011)
• Lower Hardres Farm Shop - Gooseberries, Raspberries, Tayberries, Red currants, Black currants, Plums, blackberries, Pears
  13 Butts Court, Lower Hardres, Canterbury, Kent CT4 5NT. Phone: 01227 700 947. Email: info@lowerhardresfarmshop.co.uk. Open: pick your own fruit from June till September, call for hours and crop availability. Pick your own means minimum packaging and zero food miles (apart from those you clock up when taking your harvest home). Growers also keep pesticides to a minimum, with biodiversity and beneficial insects encouraged by growing a wide range of varieties and crops. Throughout all the seasons of the year Lower Hardres Farm Shop always has a superb array of salads, vegetables and fruit - delivered fresh every day and sourced locally where possible for the freshest produce. We are committed to providing fresh, unadulterated food, produced without damaging the environment, selling local products wherever possible. Also, we aim to provide food at prices affordable by customers with a real interest in good, healthy food. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. the team at Lower Hardres Farm Shop make sure that all our products are fresh and locally sourced. In addition to stocking fresh produce from our farm and tender meat from our in-house butcher, we also have local ciders, cheeses, breads and other household products from reputable brands.  Note that they no longer grow strawberries. (UPDATED: 13 July 2020 JBS)
• Lower Ladysden Farm - asparagus, blackberries, onions, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red),raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), strawberries,
  Lower Ladysden Farm, Winchet Hill, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1JX . Phone: 07947646010. Email: chris@lowerladysden.co.uk. Open: 7 days a week Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5pm Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Directions: A21 0.00 Start out on Tonbridge Bypass 2.59 At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A21 Signposted Hastings, Tunbridge Wells 5.46 At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A21 Signposted Hastings 5.63 At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A21 A262 8.62 At Forstal Farm Roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A262 Signposted Goudhurst, Horsmonden B2079 At crossroads turn left onto North Road - B2079 Signposted Marden, Horsmonden Bear right onto the B2079. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Click here for our Facebook page. (UPDATED: June 18, 2018, JBS) (ADDED: January 04, 2012)
• Stanhill Farm - Pick Your Own strawberries, Raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, sunflowers, Runner beans, Broad beans, tomatoes, sweetcorn, pumpkins - all subject to seasonal availability.
  Birchwood Road Wilmington, Dartford, DA2 7HD. Phone: 01322 669 711. Email: info@stanhillfarm.co.uk. Open: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday and Bank Holidays from 10 am to 3:30 pm, June to October; Please note, this is subject to change according to weather or crop availability. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: For sat nav use DA2 7HD or please see the directions page of our website. Maize Maze / Corn Maze is open from mid July until end of September; Pumpkin Patch (pre cut) is open from early October until end of October. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, AmEx. Click here for our Facebook page. We also have a Maize Maze (charges apply), picnic area and a fully stocked farm shop which stocks 20-30 varieties of locally grown fruit and vegetables each year. The Farm Shop is open all year. (UPDATED: June 20, 2018, JBS) (UPDATED: August 10, 2017)
• Stonepitts Farm - strawberries, raspberries, Christmas trees
  Seal Chart, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0ER. Phone:01732 763123. Email: info@stonepitts.com. Directions: Click here for directions. Open: every day during the summer season in the months of June, July, and August, from 9am to 6pm. 2016 makes 60 years of PYO at Stonepitts and have 3 further Strawberry varieties in the pipeline for this major celebration. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
• Valley Arch PYO - strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, black/redcurrants, apples, pears, peas, broad beans, rench beans, runner beans, cauliflowers, cabbage, marrows, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, herbs
  Next to Millbrook Garden Centre, Station Road, Southfleet. PPhone: 01474 832207. Directions: A2, take exit for Gravesend West, follow B262 to Millbrook Garden Centre. PYO Open: May-September.  (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
• Yew Tree Farm - Gooseberries, black/red currants, Raspberries, plums
  Located on the B2046, Chillenden, Canterbury, Kent, England, UK. Phone: 0214. Directions: Take the A2 to the B2046 towards Wingham. Family farm growing a large range of fruit and vegetables and livestock. Farm shop opened in 1970.  The farm shop also has their own potatoes, apples, pears, plums, Raspberries, strawberries, French/runner beans, carrots, lettuce, courgette, pumpkin, squash, celeriac, calabrese, cauliflower, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, parsley, asparagus, rhubarb, spinach, sweetcorn. Fruit and veg, free range eggs, pure fruit juice, preserves, confectionery. Ample parking, nearby pub, easy access for disabled, toilets, Florest shop, calor gas.

 

Brambleberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

If you are getting ready to pick some brambles, either at a farm or along the roadside, you might want some useful information first! Brambles are both wild and domestic blackberries as well as similar sprawling berries, which typically includes the various hybrids like Loganberries, Tayberries, Boysenberries, and raspberries. Brambles typically peak during July, but it can range from early June through October, especially since new everbearing varieties like the American PrimeArk blackberries have been commercialized.

Varieties of Brambleberries, Blackberries, Raspberries and Hybrids

There almost countless variants of brambles. See this page for detailed descriptions of many bramble varieties found at British farms and orchards.

 

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the plastic storage containers.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Bramble berries

1. There are two types of brambles to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick brambles or blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black, or a purple. Of course, there are a few varieties that are yellow orange or red when ripe, too. Typically, the should feel firm and plump and readily separate from the plant with a gentle tug. .
2.  Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
3. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it!
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup (228 ml) of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forgage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals. A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!