Pick Your Own
This summer in the UK I decided to try my luck in gardening and started growing my own herbs mid-April, and they bloomed and how! That inspired me to grow other fruits and vegetables in my little gardening space. Believe me when I say that fresh organic produce has its own freshness and beauty. That thought made me research some local farms near me and I came across the Parkside farm in Enfield. It was a 20min drive from my house, so we decided to give it a try. They have a website which features all the current fruits and vegetables available during different times of summer, also one has to book a slot online as there are no on-the-spot tickets available. The tickets come live two days in advance only and retail for £4 per person and £3 towards the end of the season when they are lesser varieties to pick. So I booked my tickets on Thursday in order to visit on Saturday. Upon arrival, we were asked to wear a mask and produce the online ticket, and scan it at the counter. They provided us with empty cardboard boxes to fill up the pickings. I loved the idea of using cardboard as an eco-friendly option!
There are sanitizers provided at the entrance, and several boards to help with directions. We started with table strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. And then headed to pick some spinach, swiss chard, french beans, broad beans, and courgettes. In my latest visit in August 2020, we picked lesser strawberries and more plums. We were lucky to get some corn, spinach, French beans, orange/confection/kombucha squashes, and marrow. Once done we proceeded to the checkout place right behind the entrance. And they weigh each box of produce and then minus the ticket amount from the total! So for me and my husband, the ticket amount of £8 was deducted from the total, how awesome. We ended up paying £18 for the first visit and £24 for another visit. What a bargain!
I absolutely loved my experience, it is indeed very refreshing. But be prepared to walk about 6000 steps, it's quite a good workout to walk across the farm and bending to pick your veggies! I would also highly recommend this farm if you have toddlers because it is truly a learning experience.
