This is one of those places that, if somebody didn’t tell you about it, you would probably never know it existed. This is a shame as The Organic Farm Shop (and restaurant) at Abbey Home Farm near Cirencester is a special place. So let me, let you in on the secret…
When you are at The Organic Farm Shop you are aware that you are in a place where food is sacred and the people growing and serving the food really care about it. It has even won awards such as ‘Best Cafe in the South West of England’ and Editor’s Choice for the south and south west of England from Les Routiers. I met a friend there for lunch the other day and really enjoyed the vibrant food and the location as it feels a bit like a little country oasis.
In the cafe, the main meal (£9.95) changes daily as it depends on what is in season and what they can harvest from their organic gardens and fields. During the week it is vegetarian but they serve their own farm meat at the weekends as the farm also rears livestock including grass-fed beef, sheep, pigs and chickens. The cafe is child-friendly but they do have a no-dog policy on the cafe side of the farm (to protect the stock) although there is a permissive footpath with a lovely circular walk where you can walk your dog.
Of course, once you have had your lovely lunch you can then be tempted by the food in the farm shop. A great place to stock up if you are in the campervan. You can buy their own organic meat (great for BBQs) and there are lots of colourful veg to choose from. I have to say that the veg I bought there had a lot more flavour than those you get in the supermarket and the fennel bulb I bought was so intense I could only eat small amounts at a time. It just goes to show you how de-natured our mass-produced food often is.
But the centre has a lot more going on than just great veg. They hold conferences and cooking courses there and you can even camp there between April and September on their ‘Green Field’, leave-no-trace campsite.
This site is definitely worth a visit if you are holidaying in Wiltshire or it’s a great place to stop for lunch, as a little en route treat, if you are passing through on your way to somewhere else. However please note that your sat nav may take you to the private entrance to the farm and you want to enter by the track from the B4425 Burford Road, not the Stow Road one.