Tomato U-Pick Orchards in Greater London and Surrey, England in 2024, by county
Below are the PYO orchards and farms for tomatoes that we know of in this area. Not all areas have tomatoes 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
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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)
Tomato Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Pick tomatoes that are firm and free of blemishes. Cracking is common in very hot weather, especially after a rain, and if you intend to use the
tomatoes within 1 day, that will be ok.
During hot summer weather, pick the tomatoes when they have a healthy pink/red (or yellow or orange depending on the variety) color and let them finish the last day or two of ripening indoors. Tomatoes do not need to be in the sunlight in order to ripen. If you have green fruit on the plants in the fall when frost is approaching, pick the tomatoes and store them in a cool, dark place to ripen.
Tomato Varieties
In general paste or Roma-type tomatoes are the best to using for canning, as they have thicker, meatier walls and far less water. And cherry tomatoes are the worst to use, as they are mostly water. But you can use any type you can get hold of. You may just have to cook them down longer to boil off excess water. See our Master list of tomato varieties
Growing tomatoes
- Master list of tomato varieties
- Master List of Heirloom Tomato Varieties
- How to Grow Tomatoes in Your Yard or Patio - Everything you need to know
- Detailed directions to starting tomatoes from seed
- Master List of Roma and Paste Tomato Varieties for the Home Garden
- Master list of disease-resistant tomato varieties
- Tomato plant diseases
Canning, Freezing, Drying, Preserving Tomatoes and more!
Below are links to pages with easy and reliable directions about how to can, preserve, freeze and make other goodies from tomatoes. Some of these require a Pressure Canner to prevent potential spoilage and
food poisoning, due to the low acid content of the food. For others, you
can use a water bath canner OR a Pressure Canner. I've noted what's
required for each, below, following each entry, with
W for water bath,
P for Pressure canner, and
W, P for either may be used!
And don't miss: Answers to common tomato canning problems and see this page about what to do with your unripe green tomatoes!
Prepping tomatoes
Canning tomatoes (in water bath canners )
- How to can tomatoes using a water bath canner - W
- Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
- Bruschetta - W
- Tomato sauce - W
- Tomato paste - W
- Barbecue sauce (BBQ sauce) - W
- Chili sauce from your own tomatoes and peppers - W
- Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
- Tomato Preserves- W
- Tomato salsa - W
- Spaghetti sauce - without meat - W, P
- Spiced Green tomatoes- W
- Pickled Green Tomatoes - W - another pickled green tomato recipe, this one sweet
- Ketchup.. or if you prefer... How to make catsup - W, P
- NEW! SUPER-EASY homemade ketchup recipe - W
- Salsa from your unripe, GREEN tomatoes! - W
- Tomatillo salsa - W
- How to make roasted tomatoes, boiling water bath canner version - W
Canning Tomatoes in Pressure canners
- Canned tomatoes using a Pressure Canner - P
- Baked Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce - P
- Canning your own chili con carne (with meat) - P
- How to make roasted tomatoes, pressure canner version - P
- Spaghetti sauce - with meat - P
- Stewed tomatoes - P
- Tomato soup or tomato-basil soup - P
- Tomato sauce - P
- Tomato juice - P
- Tomato juice, like V8 - P
Freezing Tomatoes
- How to freeze tomatoes from you garden or the farm; for that fresh taste this winter!
- Space-saving prepping and freezing extra tomatoes from your garden to can later
Drying tomatoes
- NEW! How to make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Food drying basics and principles
- How to dry your own herbs
- Food Dehydrators - models, specs and pricing information
Ripening green tomatoes in your garage or basement
If you want to bring your green tomatoes indoors before a freeze in the Fall, and ripen them, see:
And if you'd like to start you own tomatoes from seed (you can save a small fortune and grow the heirloom varieties you like) see this page for easy directions for growing your own tomato plants from seed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Canning, Freezing and Preserving Tomatoes
Click here for farmshops in this area