Best Northumberland farm shops to visit this summer

These are the places readers turn to when they are stocking a holiday cottage, sorting a family barbecue or just looking for an excuse to get out for a drive while the sun is shining.

Brocksbushes Farm Shop, near Corbridge

Brocksbushes is one of those farm shops that feels like a day out in its own right.

Just off the A69 near Corbridge, it combines a big farm shop and tea room with seasonal pick‑your‑own fields and play areas for children.

In summer the focus is on soft fruit, with rows of strawberries and raspberries ready to be picked, plus shelves of jams, chutneys and bakes made using what has grown on site.

Visitors talk about it as somewhere that works for the whole family: you can pick fruit, grab lunch in the café, and still have time to browse for pies, cheeses and treats to take home.

It is the kind of place that ends up on the yearly “we must go back” list once you have been once, especially if you are based in the Tyne Valley or heading along Hadrian’s Wall.

@brocksbushes It’s officially strawberry picking season and we’re so excited! The strawberry fields open tomorrow! 🍓🫶 #pyo #pyofruit #pyostrawberries #strawberries #strawberryseason #pickyourown #northumberland #brocksbushes #fruitpicking #newcastle #hexham #corbridge #fyp #foryoupage ♬ Show Me Love – WizTheMc & bees & honey

Moorhouse Farm Shop, near Stannington

Moorhouse Farm Shop, just outside Morpeth, is built firmly around its own livestock.

The farm rears beef, pork and lamb for the butchery counter, which has become a go‑to for people planning summer barbecues and Sunday lunches. Counters are lined with sausages, burgers, kebabs and roasting joints, backed up by pies, ready meals and plenty of local store‑cupboard staples.

Alongside the shop is a busy coffee shop serving breakfasts, lunches and home‑baked cakes, with outdoor seating that comes into its own on warmer days.

For anyone breaking a journey on the A1 or heading to a coastal cottage, it works as both a refuelling stop and a place to stock the fridge with Northumberland meat and dairy.

Blagdon Farm Shop, Blagdon

Blagdon Farm Shop is the one many people automatically aim for when they want “something decent” rather than a supermarket detour off the A1.

Set in the stone courtyard at the Milkhope Centre, it focuses on local meat, deli produce and a solid range of regional suppliers.

Fridges and counters are full of North East beef, pork and lamb, alongside sausages, pies, cheeses and salads that lend themselves perfectly to summer gatherings.

It has the feel of a place that takes its sourcing seriously without being precious about it.

Regulars pull in to pick up specific sausages or a joint for a special occasion; others call in for a general browse and leave with more than they planned.

With a café and other independent shops on the same site, it is easy to turn a quick top‑up into a longer potter when the weather is good.

Smaller stops and summer favourites

Beyond the bigger names, there are plenty of smaller Northumberland farm shops and producers that come into their own once the days lengthen.

Some are little more than a well‑stocked shed and an honesty box at the end of a lane; others combine a compact shop with a tearoom looking out over fields. Many add ice cream, picnic boxes or simple children’s activities during the school holidays.

These quieter spots are often where you find the most direct link between field and counter: trays of eggs from the hens you can see from the car park, salads and veg that were lifted that morning, and cakes baked in the kitchen next door.

For readers who like to build their own food trail, stringing a couple of these together with a walk or a beach stop can turn an ordinary Saturday into something that feels a bit more like a mini‑break.

Making the most of farm shops this summer

If you are planning a staycation, a week in a holiday cottage or just a run up the Northumberland coast, it is worth plotting a farm shop into the route.

Calling in at the start of a break to pick up meat, fruit, bread and cheese means the fridge is full of local food from day one, and topping up later in the week is a good excuse to get back out for another drive.

Most farm shops keep their websites and social channels updated with opening hours, pick‑your‑own dates and any special summer events, from tasting days to children’s trails.

It is worth checking before you set off so you can time your visit around the best of the season – whether that is the first proper strawberries, new‑season lamb or simply a slice of cake eaten in the sunshine while you decide what to put on the grill that night.