Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, birthplace of Winston Churchill, is staggeringly grand, its English Baroque facade sitting sensationally amid the Capability Brown-designed grounds. But even if you never set foot inside the house (though you should, of course), the gardens are worth the visit – and the high ticket price – alone. While it doesn’t have its own farm shop per se, the general shop has much in the way of food to offer. We like its brand-new selection of three gins, which have been created in collaboration with Bicester-based Sky Wave Gin distillery. They say, ‘Created to showcase both the history and innovation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the trio of gins all feature ingredients nurtured and carefully handpicked from the gardens within the Estate.’ Shop the selection here.
Chatsworth Farm Shop
The late Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, was a trailblazer when it came to sharing the produce from her estate with the public. Way back in 1972, it occurred to her that the visitors who came to marvel at the grounds might too like to walk away with the beef and lamb reared on the estate. But it wasn’t until 1976 that she had managed to convince everyone and the shop finally opened, originally in a small part of the 9th Duke’s Shire horse stallion building. Over time, it expanded exponentially, and soon they began to sell prepared food, alongside the most popular item of all: eggs from Duchess Deborah’s chickens. Today, it continues to stock everything from seasonal fruit and veg to traditional butchery showcasing estate-reared meat. We’d happily take all of its preserves for our store cupboards. Shop the selection here.
Windsor Farm Shop
Depending on who you believe, Windsor Castle was reputedly the late Queen’s favourite royal residence. It was where she spent the pandemic, broadcasting encouraging messages of solidarity to the nation and, indeed, it is where she is buried. She spent much time with her family within its hefty stone walls – and it was her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who, in 2001, came up with the idea of selling high quality goods from the Royal Estates and other small local suppliers. The Royal Estate at Windsor operates a mixed farm, complete with 200 pedigree Jersey milking cows, a pedigree Sussex beef herd, 140 breeding sows, 1500 Lohmann Brown hens, 1000 acres of arable land and 2000 acres of grassland mainly used to feed the livestock. Visitors can buy an array of hampers, settle in for coffee, or come away with some superior quality beef, lamb or pork. Explore more here.
Highgrove
When King Charles III – then the Prince of Wales – first came to Highgrove in 1980, its now-famous gardens comprised a ‘a neglected kitchen garden, an overgrown copse, some pastureland and a few hollow oaks.’ Forty-three years on, some 40,000 visitors come each year to admire the grounds, which are scrupulously sustainably managed. There are many highlights to explore, including the Sundial Garden and the Thyme Walk – but chiefly, we love the kitchen gardens and their abundant produce. From confectionary to biscuits to preserves, you can shop the full range here.
Castle Howard
Yorkshire’s Castle Howard will forever hold a special place in our hearts for doubling as Brideshead in the incomparable 1981 Granada production of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited. Designed by John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor, it is all drama and resplendence; simply, you cannot visit without uttering the words, ‘I had been there before. I knew all about it’ on a loop. But in between prancing around and pretending to be Jeremy Irons, do make time for the farm shop, which sells locally sourced produce from wonderful butchery to gin to cheeses and cooked meats. Explore the full range here.
Rhug Estate
Rhug Estate brings North Wales to your door with its wide range of products from its own herds and produce, plus from local Welsh suppliers and small businesses. Find organic meat, fine cheese and other Welsh and gourmet delicacies, wine and spirits in its online shop. Of course, a visit to Rhug is not to be missed as the estate has a cafe, farm shop and a drive-through takeaway, not forgetting the magnificent mountain walks on its doorstep. Rhug Estate has also made its name in the world of skincare with Wild Beauty, using organic and foraged ingredients from the estate, that have been well received by the beauty industry. Explore the full range of produce here.
By Nancy Alsop
August 2023
