In days gone by, the only way to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables was to pick it for yourself. Today, thanks to supermarkets, this task is no longer necessary and is now merely a fun way to spend a few hours out in the sunshine. Here's a quick guide to the places across the county where you can still grab a basket and get your own locally grown produce.
• White House Farm, Rackheath
This 300-acre arable farm on the outskirts of Norwich offers a pick your own fruit site, where for a minimum cost of £2 you can load your basket with all the produce on offer. Currently available to pick are strawberries and raspberries, but throughout the year they also have blackberries, gooseberries, apples, currants, plums, pears and cherries.
• Wiveton Hall Farm, Wiveton
Wiveton Hall Farm, where recent BBC Two documentary Normal For Norfolk was filmed, has a designated area where visitors can pick their own strawberries and raspberries between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 4pm over the weekend. The farm grows a range of fruit and vegetables for use in their on-site cafe, as well as for their roadside stall which is open between May and August.
• Drove Orchards, Hunstanton
Between Holme and Thornham you'll find Drove Orchards, which boasts approximately 40 acres of orchards in which 150 varieties of apples, pears and other soft fruit are grown. The fruit available for picking varies depending on season and weather, and currently includes gooseberries. To check what's on offer before you visit call 01485 525652.
• Fairgreen Farms, Middleton
At Fairgreen Farms it's all about the blueberries and starting mid-July, visitors are encouraged to spend quality time picking some of the super fruit. The blueberries are £5 per Kilogram and during harvest the farm is open from 9am to 5.30pm between Monday and Saturday. Outside of harvest times they are closed, so make sure to check the website for more information before you go.
• The Tacons, Rollesby
The Tacons Farm Shop and PYO is open daily, with seasonal pick your own taking place from 10am to 5.30pm. Fruit grown for picking includes blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries. Currently the only fruit available is gooseberries, due to recent adverse weather conditions.
• Hillfield Nursery and Farm Shop, Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe
Hillfield boasts an extensive range of fruit just waiting to be picked between May and October. Their full list includes, rhubarb, worcesterberries, redcurrants, strawberries, gooseberries, tayberries, sunberries, blackcurrants, josterberries, damsons, gages, raspberries, plums, pears, quinces and medlars and over 200 varieties of apples. Of these, rhubarb, strawberries, tayberries and sunberries are now available for picking.
• Sandringham Estate, Sandringham
The first orchards were planted at Sandringham by King George VI and the Estate has been producing apples ever since, many of which are used to make the apple juice which is served at Buckingham Palace Garden Parties and receptions. During the apple harvest in autumn, visitors are invited to pick their own apples from The Royal Fruit Farm.
• Blofield PYO, Blofield, Norwich
This pick your own site, located adjacent to Norwich Camping and Leisure is open Tuesday to Sunday and offers a range of fruit including blackberries, tayberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries between June and September. They also offer sweet peas which can be picked in bunches and make fresh fruit smoothies for visitors from the berries that have been picked.
• S & J Carnell (The Orchards), King's Lynn
Based on the outskirts of King's Lynn, this family run business has been growing blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries for 15 years, all of which are available for visitors to pick themselves. Whitecurrants and redcurrants should also become available over the coming month.
• Groveland Farm Shop, Roughton
Groveland Farm is a family run farm in Felbrigg that produces its own fruit, vegetables and apple juice. From May to September they also run a pick your own site, which is located next to their Farm Shop in Roughton and is open from 10am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 3.30pm on Sunday. Their range of soft fruits include blackcurrants and blueberries and this year they are also adding tomatoes.
• Where do you go to pick your own produce in Norfolk? Let us know in the comments below.
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