Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Greater London and Surrey, England in 2024, by county
Below are the PYO orchards and farms for strawberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas have strawberries 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.
Greater London
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Parkside Farm - beetroot, blackberries, broad beans, corn
(sweet), courgettes, cucumbers, currants (red and black), green beans,
onions, plums, raspberries, winter squash, strawberries, tayberries,
tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, restrooms,
picnic area
Hadley Road, Enfield, EN2 8LA. Phone: 020 8367 2035. Fax: 020 8367 2035. Open: June to September; Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm), Sunday from 9am-5pm (last entry 4pm) Closed Mondays October; Times May vary Ring 020 8367 2035 to check. Season starts sometime in early June (depending on weather!) with strawberries carrying on until the middle of October with a wide range of soft fruit and vegetable crops. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Junction J24/M25, Take A1005 towards Enfield, Turn right after Royal Chase Hotel into Oak Avenue, Right again at T junction into Hadley Road and Parkside Farm is 1/4 mile on right. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Other Vegetables; Spinach, Swiss Chard. Parkside Farm has just won the FARMA National Pick Your Own of the Year Award for 2009. Most of our strawberries are now grown on "Table-Tops" (ie at waist height) which saves all that bending! We grow nearly 20 different fruits and vegetables which are grown exclusively for Pick-Your-Own between June and October. We pride ourselves on the quality of our produce, which is "as fresh as it gets"! Crops include “table-top” strawberries (no bending required), raspberries, beans and sweetcorn. The farm is set in the beautiful rolling greenbelt countryside just to the north of Enfield, and yet is easily accessible from all the surrounding areas. The 2013 season will inevitably be later than usual, with the first of the strawberries not expected until mid June at the earliest. The good news might be that we are much less likely to suffer from frost damage in late spring, as all the crops are so far behind! Minimum Charge; This will be increasing in 2013 to £3 per adult/child, which just means that everyone entering the field has to spend atleast £3 on PYO fruit/veg. Ample Car Parking, Toilets (including Disabled), Containers Available, Picnic Area, Debit Cards accepted. Typical crop availability is shown in the chart at right. (always phone before you go to check availability).
(UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)(UPDATED: January 19, 2009)
A visitor writes on July 26, 2013: "We went to Parkside and it was brilliant!!!!!! The experience was fantastic! It was my first time and I was absolutely excited. The farm was very nice, the staff explained stuff and gave us the tubs. We picked strawberries, beetroot (really nice sized) courgettes and French beans and broad beans. Three of us went with a toddler & a baby and the min. purchase was 8 pounds (2 each, inc the toddler) . I absolutely loved the experience and will deffo go again(and again), but to a diff farm perhaps. :o) "
Surrey
-
Avalon Garden Centre and PYO - blueberries,
currants (red and black), gooseberries, raspberries (red), raspberries
(Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries
(Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black),
raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), rhubarb,
strawberries, tayberries,
Tilford Road, Churt, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 2ll. Phone: 01428 604842. Email: avalongardencentre@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5:30 pm and Sunday 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Well stocked local Garden Centre. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)(UPDATED: July 22, 2010) -
Crockford Bridge Farm Shop and Pick Your Own - asparagus, beans, broad beans, carrots, Christmas trees, corn (sweet), currants (red and black), gooseberries, other berries, peas, pumpkins, raspberries, rhubarb, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables
New Haw Road, Addlestone, Nr. Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 2BU. Phone: 01932 853 886 . Email: general@crockfordbridgefarm.co.uk. Open: Our hours are Monday 9.00 am to 5.30 Tuesday 9.00 am to 5.30 Wednesday 9.00 am to 5.30 Thursday 9.00 am to 6.00 Friday 9.00 am to 6.00 Saturday 9.00 am to 6.00 Sunday 10.00 am to 5.00. Directions: Grid ref: TQ055638. From the A3: Exit the A3 at the Cobham (Painshill) junction and take the A245 towards Byfleet. You will soon come to traffic lights, which you cross staying on the A245. Go straight across the first roundabout (don't head towards Weybridge on Brooklands Rd). When you come to the 2nd roundabout you turn right into Sopwith Drive heading towards the Brooklands Shopping Centre. At the 3rd roundabout turn left and go past M&S and Tesco. Go straight across the 4th roundabout towards Addlestone & Chertsey on the A318. Continue on A318 and you will see the signs for the farm on your right. Directions From Woking & M25 Exit M25 at junction 11, take the A317 towards Chertsey. Take the 3rd exit at the next roundabout, down the A318. Cross 2 sets of traffic lights and look for the signs for the farm on your left (shortly after Lance Owen Vauxhall garage). We’re expecting our asparagus to be ready from April, please keep checking our Facebook page for updates.
Typical Harvest dates:
(Weather and other conditions affect many crops, so be sure to call before you come to confirm that they'll have what you want!
Rhubarb April May June July
Asparagus April May June
Strawberries June July August September
Gooseberries June July
Redcurrants June July
Blackcurrants June July
Raspberries June July August September
Spinach June July August
Mangetout June July
Carrots June July August
Broad Beans June July
Courgettes June July Peas June July
Marrows July August
Tomatoes July August
French Beans July August
Runner Beans July August
Sweetcorn August September
Squashes August September
Pumpkins August September October
Christmas Trees Nov Dec
Other crops are Spinach, Mangetout, Courgettes, Marrows, French Beans, Runner Beans
(UPDATED: 20 October 2020 JBS) - Flower Farm PYO
- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, plums, asparagus, runner beans,
rhubarb, pumpkins and sweet corn
Oxted Road A25, Godstone, Surrey RH9 8DE. Phone: 01883 742288. Email: info@flowerfarmshop.co.uk. Open: daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: 0.5 miles south of J6/M25, situated on A25 0.5 miles east of Godstone 25 acres of PYO. Flower Farm has offered pick your own crops since 1975 and grows a wide range of crops including. The season for English strawberries now extends from mid June until the beginning of August by making use of many different varieties. PYO season: Rhubarb from April to September; Asparagus in May; Strawberries from June to August; Raspberries from June to August; Blackberries from June to August; Runner Beans in September; Corn on the cob in September; Victoria Plums from September to October. The season for English strawberries now extends from mid June until the beginning of August by making use of many different varieties. Flower Farm has offered pick your own crops since 1975 and grows a wide range of crops including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, asparagus, runner beans, rhubarb and sweet corn. How does the fruit picking work? When you come to the farm, simply enter the shop and inform our team that you would like to go picking, you will then be handed a punnet to place your fruit into, then return to the shop after you have been picking to pay for your produce it’s as simple as that! Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)
A visitor writes on June 21, 2009: "I Picked strawberries today that were very nice. Good, well-stocked farm shop with butcher too. " -
Garson
Farm
- Huge selection
of fruit and vegetables for PYO, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, plums, asparagus, runner beans, rhubarb, pumpkins
West End Lane, Esher, Surrey. Phone: 01372 464389. Alternate Phone: 01372 464778. Email: pyo@garsons.co.uk. Open: June until October; BOOK your Farm Pass today by clicking HERE. The largest ´pick your own´ farm in the UK, which also has an extensive shop/grocery store and a plant centre (nursery) . Easy to reach from the A3 and M25. As well as having the largest and most comprehensive Pick Your Own Farm in the UK, Garsons has a modern Garden Centre with Restaurant and a Farm Shop selling local and speciality foods. Garsons Pick Your Own farm grow 28 crops totaling 76 varieties - ensuring the picking season lasts from June until October. Take your pick from perfectly ripe soft fruits including strawberries and raspberries, fresh vegetables such as courgettes and peas and even beautiful seasonal sunflowers. All crops are easily accessible by car, and there is plenty of free parking on site, so enjoy a great day out in the fresh air with the family. For a full list of our crops and varieties see our Crops & Calendar, and view our Map and Crop Availability to see what's currently picking. We have taken the decision this year to introduce a minimum spend of £4 per adult for our pick-your-own fields, this is the equivalent of around 800g of Strawberries for example.
Rhubarb April - September;
Asparagus (ready picked) May;
Strawberries June - July;
Raspberries July - August;
Blackberries July - August;
Victoria Plums July - August:
Corn on the cob August - September;
Runner Beans September.
(UPDATED: 20 October 2020 JBS)
Notes: I used to live just down the street (West End Lane). This is one I used to visit quite often! Blake -
Secretts Farm - asparagus, beetroot, blackberries, broad beans,
carrots, corn (sweet), courgettes, currants (red and black), flowers,
gooseberries, green beans, loganberries, other berries, peas, plums,
pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), rhubarb,
strawberries, other vegetables, gift shop, concessions / refreshment stand,
restrooms, picnic area (bring your own food)
Chapel Lane, Milford, GU8 5HU. Phone: 01483 520500. Email: greg@secretts.co.uk. Open: Always call before you come to check availability; May to September for the summer season from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Our on site cafe is also open selling hot and cold drinks, light meals and ‘pick n mix’ kids lunchboxes. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. Our farm shop has won the Muddy Surrey award for best farm shop 4 yrs in a row. Our 150 acre farm was established in 1938 and is still producing a wide range of heritage vegetables such as carrots and beetroot. Known as top growers of vegetables and salad crops in the county, we are also suppliers of award winning fresh produce to top restaurants in the South East of England. Recently we have added a craft beer collection featuring Surrey based and National craft breweries. It’s the biggest and best craft beer collection in Surrey with over 100 beers from 35 breweries. Our craft gin collection is also a big hit. In addition our onsite Butchers, Tea Room, English Wine Merchant and Ethical Clothing and Gift Shop make Secretts a perfect lifestyle destination. Our extensive grounds are also perfect for summer picnics and leisurely strolls. Free car parking is available on site at the farm shop and pick your own. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS) (ADDED: August 2, 2008). -
Sutton
Green Garden Centre and PYO Farm - strawberries, farmshop
Guildford Road, Sutton Green, Woking, Surrey GU4 7QA. Phone: 01483 237832. Email: info@sutton-green-garden-centre.co.uk. Open: Monday to Saturday: 9 am to 5.30 pm, Sunday: 10 am to 4.30 pm. Our Focus is on growing our own fruit and veg which is available daily in Noel's Farm Shop or you can pick your own. (UPDATED: 11 July 2020, JBS)
Strawberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Strawberries typically begin from mid- May in the south and central England, and a couple of weeks later in the north and Scotland. They typically continue through June and into July. Beyond that, some farms plant later bearing varieties, day neutral varieties and "everbearers, so they may have strawberries to pick until frost. But to be sure of a good harvest, go early in the season, from mid May through June.
Of course, it highly depends upon microclimates (earlier in warmer western coastal areas) and the varieties planted by each farm. The timing, quality and quantity of the strawberry crop varies considerably, so always check with the farm's website or Facebook page - or even call them before you go to the farm.
Before you leave to go to the farm:
- Always call before you go to the farm - strawberries are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
-
Leave
early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
-
Most growers furnish picking containers designed
for strawberries, 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
strawberries 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 Glad storage containers like the one at right. -
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 Strawberries
- Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
- With the stem broken about one-half inch from
the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.
- Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.
- Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
- Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.
General Picking Tips
Whether you pick strawberries from your garden or at
a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
-
Be careful that your feet and knees do not
damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
- Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part
the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
- To help the farmers, also remove from the plants
berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and place them
between the rows behind you. If they are left in the plants, the rot will
quickly spread to other berries.
- Berries to be used immediately may be picked any
time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the
early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the
day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
- Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine 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. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few
days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright colour and fresh flavor
and tends to shrivel.
- For interesting and fun strawberry facts and trivia from the California Strawberry Commission, click here!
When you get home
- DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
- Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
- Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) See this page about how to freeze strawberries.
- If you like the strawberries you picked, ask the farm what variety they planted, and not the weather conditions the week or two before. The flavor of a strawberry is affected by the variety, the weather and the degree of ripeness when picked.
- Now, get ready to make strawberry jam. It is VERY easy - especially with our free strawberry jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy.
Strawberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Strawberries
- How to freeze strawberries!
- Strawberry jam (with pectin) (uses less sugar or honey and less cooking)
- Strawberry jam (without pectin) (requires much more sugar and cooking)
- Strawberry (and other berry) jams without sugar
- Strawberry jelly
- Strawberry-rhubarb jam!
- Homemade strawberry ice cream (regular, low fat, nonfat, low sugar, vanilla and even gelato)
- Canning strawberries
- Make gourmet chocolate-covered strawberries
- How to make fruit juice - strawberry and other berries
- Strawberry pie filling
- Strawberry pie
- Easy Rhubarb-Strawberry pie
- Fig-strawberry jam
- Fig-strawberry jam, made with Jello gelatin
Strawberry Facts, Measurements and Tips
-
Picking the best strawberries:
Select firm, fully red berries. Strawberries DO NOT continue ripen after
they are picked! In the photo, only the berry on
the far right is
completely ripe. - Strawberry festivals: Most areas that grow strawberries have a strawberry festival, at which you can taste all kinds of fresh strawberry foods, pies, jams, cakes - and most commonly, fresh strawberry shortcake. To find out where and when there is one near you, see this page for a list of strawberry festivals in the UK!
- Strawberries measurements: government agriculture
websites tell us that
1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and
1 quart of fresh strawberries weighs 1 lbs to 1.25 lbs (or 450 to 600 g). Of course, the weight varies on variety and weather conditions.
1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings, although I'll admit my son can eat 1 pint by himself! - How much to pick? In general, 1 quart of fresh, whole, just-picked strawberries = approximately 3.5 cups (828 g) hulled, whole berries. In other words, removing the caps/hulls and the occasional mushy berry means you lose 1/4 cup to 1/2 (60 g to 120 g))(it depends how much fruit you remove with the hull) or about 7 to 12% of every quart you pick.
- One cup of strawberries contains only about 50 calories
- U-pick strawberries are much healthier than store-bought. Consumer reports says store bought strawberries have so many pesticide and fungicide residues on they, that they don't recommend you eat them at all!
- U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. 1 lbs (450 g) of fresh strawberries is about 2/3 of a quart/liter.
- It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart, if the berries are reasonably plentiful
- The strawberry plant adapts to wide variety of soil conditions, but does not tolerate drought well, and the berries quickly rot if the weather is rainy. For this reason, the plants are usually grown on raised beds through plastic mulch!
- Cultivation of strawberries began in Europe in the 1300's, but the berry only became very popular in the early 1900's in California.
- Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as strawberries 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 grow your own strawberries? Here's an article about how to: Strawberries are an Excellent Fruit for the Home Garden, HYG-1424-98!
- See this page for many more fun and interesting strawberry facts, nutritional information and trivia
Other weird strawberry facts
- Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
- Strawberries were originally called strewberries because the fruit was 'strewn' amongst the leaves of the plant.
More conversions
1 pint (2 cups) of fresh whole strawberries
- = about 8 oz (1/2 lb, 225 g) of strawberries
- = 2.25 cups of sliced strawberries
- = 1 cup pureed strawberries
- = 12-14 large strawberries
2 quarts of fresh strawberries are needed for a 9" pie
A 10 oz / 280gpackage of frozen berries is about the same as 1 cup of sliced fresh strawberries
| Strawberries - Average 2024 (most recent ) retail price per pound and per cup equivalent, | ||||||
| Form | Average retail price | Preparation yield factor | Size of a cup equivalent | Unit | Average price per cup equivalent | |
| Fresh *1 | per kilogram | 0.94 | 0.320 | Kg | ||
| Frozen *2 | per kilogram | 1 | 0.331 | Kg | ||
| 1 - Includes regular strawberries. Excludes jumbo and long-stemmed varieties. The Standard Reference (SR) reports that inedible caps and stems account for 6 percent of the retail weight, implying a preparation yield of 94 percent, when strawberries are eaten raw. | ||||||
| 2 - Excludes strawberries with added sugar or other sweeteners. Includes unsweetened strawberries. Consumers are assumed to eat the berries in frozen form without further preparation. | ||||||
| Source: USDA, Economic Research Service calculations from 2020 Circana (formerly Information Resources, Inc. [IRI]) OmniMarket Core Outlets (formerly InfoScan) data; the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR), Legacy Release; and the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED) 201718 as well as the FPED's accompanying Methodology and User Guide. | ||||||