Considering taking the family to a pick your own strawberries, Suffolk has a great selection for you to choose from, there’s nothing tastier than fresh strawberries you have picked yourself, so if you are looking for the best Pick Your Own Suffolk has to offer, read on.
Going along to a PYO Strawberry patch is great fun for the entire family, although it can be tough on the knees when bending down to the ground! Some places have started to move away from growing them in the ground and instead are growing them on tabletops, we haven’t given that a go yet, but it sounds like a great idea for those that struggle on the ground.
Best Strawberry Picking in Suffolk To Visit
Friday Street Farm
Location : Farnham, Suffolk IP17 1JX
With over 10 polytunnels holding five seasonal varieties of strawberries, as well as bushes of summer and autumn fruiting raspberries, you can pick whatever you want, whatever the weather.
The Friday Street Farm team also hand pick punnets to sell in store, so if you’re short on time you can still enjoy that ‘just picked’ freshness.
The strawberry varieties are chosen specifically for the UK climate to get the perfect taste.
They help them along with a lot of tlc throughout the year including weeding, watering and feeding. All strawberries are on tables for easy gathering and plenty hang down for children to reach too.
Currently, the strawberries are not quite ready for PYO, they will update social media as soon as they are ready to be picked.
Check out all the latest information on their website and facebook page
If you are a fan of other soft fruits then check out…
High House Fruit Farm
Location : Sudbourne, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2BL
The High House season begins in the spring with rhubarb and asparagus. Soft fruits start to ripen in June followed by cherries and plums as the summer progresses. The main crop of apples is gathered in the autumn.
They grow Cox, Russet, Discovery and Bramley apples, as well as some heritage varieties including James Grieve, Worcester Pearmain, Blenheim Orange, Charles Ross and Ribston Pippin.
They sell all their produce locally. At the farm shop you can buy ready-picked fruit in season or, if you prefer, you can ‘Pick Your Own’. You can also buy the fruit and juices in local shops and restaurants, and at farmers’ markets.
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO PYO STRAWBERRIES AT HIGH HOUSE BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER PYO CHOICES.
Check out all the latest information on their website and facebook page
Strawberry Picking Tips
- When you arrive, try heading to the the furthest part of the field, you will discover lots of fruit that nobody has touched yet, as many tend to head straight for the first few rows.
- Always pick ripe strawberries, some look ripe but are only half ripe, and they are not like other fruit that ripen the longer you leave them, so check that the entire strawberry is red before picking.
- Don’t pull the strawberry off, if you do this you will pull out the plug and the strawberry will be bruised and go off quickly, hold the stem above and break it off from there.
- Don’t put strawberries in the fridge, they will lose their flavour, eat them as quickly as possible and best eaten warm (never a problem in our house!)
- It’s best to try a strawberry to ensure they are ripe, but remember it is the farmers living, so just one should be fine, although at present it’s definitely worth checking what the rules are regarding restrictions.
- This year I have seen many places already say their strawberries won’t be ready until late June, so it might be worth getting in contact the day before you plan to visit, to check they are open and the strawberries are ready to be picked.
Check out Strawberry Picking in Norfolk and Strawberry picking in Essex for more over the border