Darts Farm, Topsham, Devon
Back in 1971 Darts Farm near Topsham in Devon was a small pick-your-own farm shop, one of the first of its kind around. Since then it's grown to become one of the South West’s best known foodie destinations. Go there and you’ll find a cornucopia of goodies from renowned suppliers and artisans; there’s a butchery, a food hall that has an array of fruit and vegetables, and just about everything you can think of – pies and pasties, freshly baked bread, homemade desserts, jams, pickles and chutneys, local gins and ciders, and more cheese than you can shake a stick at. There’s even a fish shed where you can buy the daily catch from local boats, and tuck into seriously good fish and chips.
And that’s the other thing; Dart Farm is a great place to come for something to eat; you can go to the Shack for bowl food, burgers, sandwiches, or coffee from Exe Coffee Roasters, or there’s the restaurant where service kicks off at 8.00 am with cooked breakfasts and runs right through to lunches and afternoon tea. Whatever you eat here you can be assured it’s made from the best local ingredients, but even better is that the Dart Farm ethos embraces that whole sustainability thing, they show huge commitment to the community and to nature, with the main focus shining big and bright on fresh, local and seasonal. Don’t forget it’s still a working farm; every morning someone’s up picking fresh from the fields (they grow over 50 kinds of fruit and veg here), the Ruby Red cattle still graze the lush pastures, they still use traditional farming methods to get the best from the very fertile soil.
Besides the farm shop and the food and drink there’s a big lifestyle aspect to Dart Fresh too, with the likes of Aga, Fired Earth, Cotswold and Orange Tree. You can find most things here – toys, gifts, things for the home and garden, even fresh flowers; they’ve got it all going on. If browsing around the shoppy bits isn’t your idea of fun and you’d rather be outdoors, go and have a wander around; explore the footpaths through the vegetable fields, go to the bird hide in the wetlands and enjoy the silence. With a bit of planning you can hire bikes and go for a ride along the Exe Estuary – pick a good day and you’re in for a real treat; pop in the deli and get your picnic lunch sorted before you set off.
Open: Mon-Sat 8.00am - 7.00pm Sun 9.30am - 4.30pm
T: 01392 878200 All information correct at the time of writing