10 of the best farm shops in Shropshire

Nudging up against Wales, and stretching from open farmland to the peaks of its beautiful hills, Shropshire is a corner of the UK that’s rather quiet about its food culture – but there is an enormous amount to discover. And the county’s farm shops do it proud.

1. Apley Farm Shop
Location: Stockton
Shop hours: 9.30am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 4pm Sunday

Such a family-friendly location, with tonnes to see and do. Alongside the farm shop are a kitchen/cafe, playbarn, nature trail, and regular events that attract younger visitors and their parents.

Concessions on site include gift shops, a dog park, function rooms and more.

Every stage of the build, across Apley, has been carried out with immense respect for not only the historical, heritage buildings, but also the 18th Century parkland – restored under the guidance of specialists and Natural England.

And the team are very in tune with nature, considering environmental stewardship a vital part of their roles, looking after soil, reducing carbon footprint, encouraging biodiversity, and managing woodlands.

The farm shop’s primary job is to showcase its butchery, where the skilled butchers hand cut game from the estate, Shropshire spring lamb, award-winning 30-day matured beef from one of their tenant farmers (Oldington Farm), and award-winning Packington Farm free-range pork.

These are supported by a raft of carefully chosen products from other independents, including seasonal fruit and vegetable growers, distillers, brewers, and preserve makers.

The deli and bakery is also a huge draw, for its Apley pork pies, pasties, sausage rolls, handmade cakes and puddings, smoked game meats and charcuterie, and Apley Cheshire cheese – first made here in 1956.

2. Ludlow Farm Shop
Location: Bromfield (near Ludlow)
Shop hours: 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, 10a, to 4.30pm Sunday

This is so much more than a farm shop – it’s a destination. Positioned near super foodie Ludlow off a main trunk road, the site is also home to an award-winning distillery, pub, gift shop, cafe/restaurant, takeaway… and even a sculpture trail.

It’s easy to lose a couple of hours or more on a visit.

We love the thoughtful and beautiful way the shop is curated and arranged throughout, creating a real journey of food and drink, and the way so many in-house made products are incorporated, such as a ‘preserves wheel’ where chutneys, jams and pickles can be sampled straight out of the jar.

There’s hardly a section in store that doesn’t have the Ludlow Farm Shop stamp on it, from cheeses and butchery, to coffee and chutney.

The onsite dairy makes cheeses, including the famed Ludlow Blue and soft Cheese With No Name amongst others, the butchery crafts its own sausages, bacon, hams, burgers, meals solutions and more. There are homemade Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, quiches and pies.

And the farm shop’s bakery pulls a staggering 20 or more types of biscuits (don’t miss the Shrewsbury biscuits) every week, as well as breads, cakes, scones and traybakes.

You’ll discover loads of makers from Shropshire and the neighbouring counties. And you’ll definitely leave with more than you went in for!

3. Battlefield 1403
Location: Shrewsbury
Shop hours: 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm Sunday

Another farm shop offering a lovely day out. Part of the Albrighton Estate, it’s joined by a museum, falconry centre, ride-ons for children, a cafe, nature trail, and takeaway coffee and ice cream outlet (seasonally).

The shop is set around an attractive courtyard, in restored brick buildings, and is known for its commitment to sourcing locally, ensuring traceability, and trying to have as low food miles as possible.

At the butchery meat is cut to order, and comes from trusted local farmers. There’s fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese and dairy. Bread comes in fresh on a regular basis from Smith’s Bakery of Oswestry. And the deli brims with good things made in the kitchen (be it Scotch eggs, sausage rolls or salads) supplemented by local artisan pies, traditional cheeses and more.

4. Churncote Farm Shop
Location: Shrewsbury
Shop hours: 10am to 5pm Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 5pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 3pm Sunday

A traditional farm shop and butchery run by the Clarke family for nearly 25 years in a converted cowshed, just a short drive from Shrewsbury town centre.

They take a lot of pride in choosing food and drink as locally as possible to stock the shop, which is filled with lovely things to eat, from cheese and honey, to butter, ready meals, oils, spices, and homemade cakes and biscuits.

The large butchery counter is a particular draw here, bringing together prime and frugal cuts of the farm’s own 21-day hung beef and lamb, plus local pork, free range chicken and seasonal game. They’re especially known for their meal solutions (such as beef parcels stuffed with chilli), and inventive sausages, ranging from venison, port and cranberry, to merguez.

5. Oteley Estate
Location: Ellesmere
Shop hours: 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Sunday

The estate has been in the same family for more than 500 years. In most recent times, it’s been best known for rearing native Shorthorn and Highland cattle – the raison d’etre of the farm shop, where all manner of beef cuts and products are available both fresh and frozen, as well as seasonal produce, essentials, and plenty of treats.

The cows at Oteley are purely fed on the estate’s pastures year-round, with no intensive practices. This low stress, natural environment naturally results in excellent quality beef.

Sheep and pigs are also grazed on the land.

While picking up your joint of ribeye for the weekend, your eyes are sure to be turned by the hot counter, filled with warm sausage rolls and pies, or towards the cafe, where their produce is turned into lots of delicious plates – from incredible baps, to sandwiches. The homemade cakes are a delight.

6. Maynard’s Farm
Location: Weston-under-Redcastle
Shop hours: 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday

The Cunningham family have been known for their award-winning pork products for 25 years. You’ll find a huge range of their Red Tractor assured bacon, sausages and more in store – the bacon being crafted with their house cure (using local salt from Northwich Salt Mines), and smoked in their own smokehouse over locally sourced wood shavings.

Gammon is sweet cured and also smoked over oak, and only the best cuts of shoulder and belly of pork are used for their award-winning sausages.

The farm shop is handily located off the A49 between Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, boasting all the good things above, as well as free-range meat, local cheese and dairy, seasonal fruit and veg, pies, organic eggs, homemade cakes and traybakes, local ales and wines, and loads of gifting ideas.

7. Quatt Farm Shop & Cafe
Location: Bridgnorth
Shop hours: 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, 8am to 5pm Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday, 10am to 4pm Sunday

Family-run Quatt Farm Shop is stocked with everything you need to cook up a storm – cheeses, bacon and sausages, meat prepared by the butchery, sauces and dips, charcuterie, eggs…

And the cafe (which has its own lovely garden) is a very nice place to stop for breakfast, lunch, a light snack or cakes, with plenty for vegetarians and vegans, as well as dairy and gluten-free options where possible.

Perhaps one of its highlights, though, is the deli counter, which is always packed to the rafters with quick homemade meal solutions that change through the seasons. Grab a deeply fulled quiche or a few samosas to serve alongside salad for lunch at the weekend. Or stop in to buy a slice of lasagne if you’ve got a busy weeknight ahead.

When the weather is good, if time allows, you might want to stay for a spell to stroll along the four-mile Captain Geoffrey’s Estate Walk – warming up with a coffee and cake afterwards, of course.

8. Moor Farm Shop
Location: Baschurch
Shop hours: 9am to 5.30pm Friday and Saturday

The Timmis family have farmed here for more than a century, always with an eye on how to best look after their environment – harvesting rainwater, investing in solar panels, and planting over 2,000 trees.

They rear their own regenerative pedigree Hereford cattle from a herd established over 100 years ago. The herd are grass fed and strip grazed, giving them a rich, nutritious, natural diet, while caring for the soil.

Gloucester Old Spot, Black and Large White pigs are also reared on the farm, alongside chickens for eggs.

All meat is hand cut by the in-house butchery team for the shop – some of it landing in the kitchen and bakery’s deli items, be that pasties and quiches, or sausage rolls, also available to eat on site in the cafe.

You’ll find all the basics you need here, and more, from a huge array of chutneys and pickles, to drinks, honey, local ice creams and puddings and fruit and vegetables. 

And don’t leave without something sweet from the homemade baked selection, which is always so inventive. Think anything from American-style snickerdoodles, to almond croissant cookies, or white chocolate and Turkish delight rocky road.

9. Babbinswood Farm
Location: Oswestry
Shop hours: 2pm to 5pm Tuesday, 11am to 2pm Wednesday, 11am to 5pm Thursday, 10am to 5pm Saturday

There’s an ongoing campaign to save the farm that’s the beating heart of this farm shop at the moment, with the current tenants (the fifth generation of the Jones family to manage the land), having registered a community benefit society and Crowdfunding to keep it running as a community endeavour.

This is quite a remarkable place, working with nature to look after 180 acres of organic soil, a community garden, a herd of dairy cows manged using the calf with cow method, Woodland Trust listed trees, a heritage orchard and more.

Support it all by donating and becoming a community member, or by visiting the shop where you’ll find 100% pasture fed organic beef, lamb, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, organic bakes, sourdough bread, and other organic essentials. Takeaway hot drinks are available too.

10. Homedene Farm Shop
Location: Shawbury
Shop hours: 9am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday

Probably the only farm shop in the UK where you can watch helicopters take off and land –thanks to the family-run business looking out to RAF Shawbury. 

Once you’ve got over the thrill of watching the skies, fill your baskets in the shop with local meat, preserves, fruit and veg, fresh bread and cakes, and all the general groceries you could want or need.

There’s a large cafe (also offering takeaways), as well as a plant centre on site, where four decades of know-how go into growing shrubs, bedding plants and more, year-round.

The business is also known for its family-friendly events, such as its Santa’s Grotto.