Buying from farm shops

A farm shop sells produce straight from a farm. Some also sell groceries, drinks and deli food made by other local producers. Farm shops have an association of their own, the Farm Retail Association.

This site is not a directory of farm shops. It has no connection with any farm shop, or with the Your Farm Shop directory that used to be at this address.

Fruit through the seasons

British Apples & Pears, the growers' association, says the British apple season begins in August. Pears start in August too, with Williams from the middle of the month, Conference from September and Comice and Concorde from October. Many British apples, and some pears, stay on sale all year thanks to modern storage.

What a label has to show

All packed food has to carry a label with certain information, the Food Standards Agency says. It usually has to show a best before or use by date. Food gets a use by date when eating it later would be a safety risk, and selling food after that date is a criminal offence.

A label has to say where the food comes from if the words or pictures could mislead. GOV.UK's example is food in a tartan wrapper that was not made in Scotland. Fresh, chilled and frozen meat, including beef, pork, lamb and poultry, has to show its country of origin, or where it was reared and slaughtered.

Food sold loose still has to come with its name and information on whether it contains any of the 14 allergens the law names. The shop can give this in writing, or it can point customers to where they can ask, such as a member of staff.

Claims such as local

Heart of the South West Trading Standards checked 15 butchers and farm shops in Devon, Somerset and Torbay. In December 2025 it reported that only two met the rules. Some imported meat was on sale as local or free range, which its head of service called illegal. Trading Standards says misleading or unclear labelling is a criminal offence.

Trading Standards officers suggest asking the seller about vague phrases such as locally sourced. That phrase can mean the meat came from a local wholesaler but was imported from abroad. In England and Wales, anyone who thinks a label is misleading can tell Trading Standards. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, people contact their local food safety team.

Hygiene ratings

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a council food safety officer inspects places that sell food and gives a hygiene rating from 5 down to 0. The rating appears on a sticker at the premises and online. It shows what the officer found on the day of the inspection.

Raw milk

Most milk drunk in the UK is heat treated to kill harmful bacteria. Raw milk goes from the animal to the bottle with no treatment. The Food Standards Agency's advice is that raw milk and cream may contain harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning. It says people aged 65 or over, pregnant women, infants and small children, and anyone whose immune system is weakened should not drink it.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, raw cow's milk can only be sold directly to the customer. The seller has to be a registered farm, at the farm gate or online, or a milk round. Sales of raw milk and raw cream are banned in Scotland.

Visiting a working farm

Animals naturally carry germs, and some of them can pass to people, according to the Health and Safety Executive. Two examples are E. coli O157 and Cryptosporidium, and young children and older people are most at risk. The Executive tells farms that invite visitors to provide running water, soap and paper towels. It says gels and wipes are no substitute for washing hands on a farm, and it tells farms not to allow eating where animals can be touched.

In England and Wales, the Countryside Code asks visitors to leave gates as they find them and to park without blocking gateways. It asks them to follow the farmer's directions when animals are being moved, and to keep dogs under control and in sight.

Useful links