Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Northwest 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.
Cheshire
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Claremont Farm Limited - Pick Your Own strawberries,
Raspberries, Tayberries, Red & Blackcurrants, Green, Red and Golden
Gooseberries, Hayrides
Old Clatterbridge Road, Bebington, Wirral, Cheshire, UK CH63 4JB. Phone: 151 334 1133. Open: 10 am to 6 pm daily. Directions: By car: From either Liverpool or Chester on the M53, leave at junction 4 (signposted Bebington, Bromborough, Clatterbridge, Neston), then, at the roundabout take the exit heading towards Bebington / Bromborough. Take the first right onto Old Clatterbridge Road, go past the old farm lane on the left and it’s just a little further down on the left hand side. By public transport: The nearest train station is Spital Station. We also have a bus stop at the end of Old Clatterbridge Road at the junction with Brimstage Road, or we’re just a short walk from Clatterbridge Hospital. Payment: Cash, Cheque. In 2018, the Strawberries were £3.50/kg. The Gooseberries are £2.75/kg. The rest of the fruit will ripen a couple of weeks after the strawberries (which makes it mid July) , so keep an eye on our Instagram or FB page for updates. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. On the weekends we offer a FREE tractor ride to the best picking spots! Pick Your Own (PYO) is seasonal and usually runs from the middle of June to nearly the end of July. We do not accept cards in the field. And if all that fruit and open space isn’t enough, then on the weekends we offer a FREE tractor ride to the best picking spots! There are no toilet facilities in the field. We have access along the headland to the fruit for disabled pickers, although this can become tricky in wet weather. Dogs are welcome in the fields, but they must be kept out of the fruit areas at all time and kept on a lead. (UPDATED: May 14 2019, JBS) -
Eddisbury Fruit Farm
- Apples, strawberries, other berries, plums, raspberries (Autumn, red), Cider mill
(fresh apple cider made on the premises)
Eddisbury Fruit Farm, Yeld Lane, Kelsall, Cheshire, UK CW60TE. Phone: 0795 5073024. Email: info@eddisbury.co.uk. Open: 10am till 4pm every day from the 25th August till 25th of September. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Eddisbury fruit farm is just a few minutes walk from delemere forrest, and situated at the bottom of yeld lane. For a map to our farm, click here. All available from 25th of August- 25th September: -Eating apples (Katy, James Grieve, discovery) -Cooking apples (bramley, howgate) -Victoria plums -Damsons -Blackberries -Redcurrants. Payment: Cash, only. Apples, plums, damsons, blackberries and redcurrant available to pick. We also sell apple juice and cider which is made on the farm from the apples on the farm. (ADDED: September 03, 2016) (UPDATED: June 13, 2014, from their website) (UPDATED: April 14, 2009) -
Kenyon Hall Farm - blackberries, broad beans, corn (sweet),
currants (red and black), gooseberries, green beans, onions, other berries,
peas, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries
(Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow),
raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring,
black), raspberries (Autumn, black), strawberries, tayberries,
Kenyon Hall Farm, Winwick Lane Croft, Warrington, Cheshire, UK WA3 7ED. Phone: 01925 763646. Email: theshop@kenyonhall.co.uk . Open: June to October, every day from 9;38 am to 5;30. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: We're just off J22 of the M6. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. U-pick fruit, vegetables and flowers. The Pick Your Own farm shop is after August for the summer and open again in the last week of October for Pumpkins and Squashes, and then at Easter for Asparagus and on for the summer. (UPDATED: May 14, 2019, JBS) (UPDATED: April 01, 2016) -
Malpas Pick Your Own Strawberries and Pumpkins
Libbys Patch - strawberries, Pumpkin patch, Corn mazes,
Ivy House Farm, Dodds Lane, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 7JN. Phone: 07973919333. Alternate phone: 01948 860326. Email: malpaspumpkins@gmail.com. Open: see their website for current year's dates. We have a field full of pumpkins, small to large. Find the one you want and its yours, make soup, pie or just for carving! Enter the field through our monstrous maize maze! Choose your perfect pumpkin, but will you find your way out to our spooky goings on? Fancy dress is fun and welcome. BEST BRING YOUR WELLIES. Join us for our spooky field fun days everyday during half term Will you find the way out of our monstrous maze? Come in fancy dress. Children's crafts and games available at pocket money prices! Lucky dip, creepy crafts, revolting refreshments, scary sweeties, ghastly games! Click here for a link to our Facebook page. - Pikelow Farm
- Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, possibly other berries
School Lane, Marton, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9HD. Phone: 01260 224231. -
Poynton Fruit Farm -
Uses
integrated pest management practices, blackberries,
currants (red and black), gooseberries, loganberries, potatoes, raspberries
(Spring, black), rhubarb, strawberries, Turkeys, Fresh eggs, restrooms
Coppice Road,, Poynton, SK12 1SW. Phone: 0125 879401. Email: ffarm@treeworkers.com. Open: Mid June - end of July, Wednesday from 1 pm to 6 pm; Weekends from 10 am to 2 pm, opening times may vary depending on the availability of the fruits. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From the roundabout in the centre of Poynton proceed up Park Lane and as the road splits take the right hand road (this is a continuation of the road you are on), we are approximately half a mile on the right hand side. For a map to our farm, click here. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. We are a family run pick your own fruit farm, we use as little herbicide as possible to ensure you get the best tasting fruit available. There is a 391 bus from Stockport which stops very close to the entrance. Click here for our Facebook page. (UPDATED: June 28, 2019) -
Woore Fruit Farm - Apples, beets,
blackberries, broad beans, carrots, currants (red and black), gooseberries,
onions, pears, peas, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tayberries,
picnic area
Newcastle Road Woore, Crewe, Cheshire, UK CW3 9RE. Phone: 01630 647042. Open: Open every Day 9;30 to 7pm. strawberries, from June to September, under cover at table top height. Payment: Cash, Check. (UPDATED: July 10, 2015, JBS) (UPDATED: May 26, 2008)
Greater Manchester
Lancashire
- The Farm Shop at Claytons Strawberry Farm -
strawberries,
gooseberries, raspberries, black currants, red currants and pea pods
Course Lane, Newburgh, Wigan, Lancashire WN8 7UB. Phone: 01257 462695. They also do hanging baskets and flowers and there new potatoes at the Farm Shop. Ask for peter or David for the tip of the day
A visitor writes on August 25, 2008: "I think it closed for good last Thursday. We called a last Tuesday and were told this by the shop. It would be well to check"
Merseyside
-
Claremont Farm - blackberries, raspberries (black),
strawberries, tayberries, Other fruit or veg,
Old Clatterbridge Road, Bebington, Wirral, ch634jb. Phone: 01513341906. Email: thefamily@claremontfarm.co.uk. Open: June and July 7 days a week 10am to 6pm. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: From either Liverpool or Chester on the M53, leave at junction 4 (signposted Bebington, Bromborough, Clatterbridge, Neston), then at the roundabout take exit heading towards Bebington / Bromborough, take the first right onto Old Clatterbridge Road, then first left up Farm Lane. Click here for a map and directions. Soft fruit picking June and July early strawberries available in the farm shop from late Mid May asparagus End April - June 21st Wirral Food and Drink festival August bank holiday weekend Chef n farmer evenings, cookery workshops available all year. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard. Other Pick Your Own Fruit-red and blackcurrants Gooseberries (green, golden and red) Vegetables-Potatoes, Sprouts, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage ( savoy, drumhead, summer and red),Kale, Beetroot Specialty Crops, Asparagus, Indoor strawberries, Rhubarb, Pumpkins, Sweetcorn, Courgettes and Courgettes flowers. (UPDATED: June 13, 2014, from their website) (ADDED: February 20, 2010) -
Sandhill Strawberry Farm - strawberries, raspberries
Warrington road, Rainhill, Prescot, Merseyside L35 6PG. Phone 0151 493 2022. Open: 7 days per week: May 'till early August from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. (*For information on crops ready to pick, ring us). Direc tions: next to Junction 7 M62 - at Rainhill Stoops. (ADDED: July 10, 2015, 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) 2017–18 as well as the FPED's accompanying Methodology and User Guide. | ||||||