What started out as a few crates of home-grown veg sold at the farm gate has come a long, long way. Peterley Manor Farm is barely recognisable from the derelict poultry farm it was in the 80s. It now boasts a gorgeous (and Muddy Award winning) café, a nursery, pick-your-own, one of the region’s best-stocked farm shops with butchers, a wild spa and fitness classes, making it something of a destination for catching up and stocking up. It’s so good, even Kate Middleton is a fan.

Sashay over to The Barn Kitchen in the converted tractor barn. Gone are the oil drums and pallets. Instead, it’s a rustic chic hideaway with distressed leather sofas, salvaged wood, statement tiles, and cushions. When it comes to the menu, cast away any garden centre café cliches because this place is all about elevated small plates and seasonal mains that’ll have your mouth watering.

The provenance is the key to the flavour – meat is sourced within 15 miles of the farm and the milk and cheese couldn’t get more local. As for The Barn Kitchen – this is a place that doesn’t do shortcuts. From hot smoked Chalkstream trout and Rectory Farm asparagus to slow ferment flatbreads topped with seasonal pickings from the Kitchen Garden. Expect scratch-cooked dishes, Friday evening burgers and small plates (served until 9pm with the bar open until 10.30pm), a brilliant afternoon tea (kiddie options available), and a warm welcome to furry friends, inside and out.

The farm shop itself has been greatly expanded in recent years, and rewards a proper browse. The butchery runs on a whole carcass, zero waste philosophy, the cheese room spans everything from delicate softs to farmhouse cheddars, and the deli counter delivers daily — sausage rolls, arancini, herby labneh, and homemade salsa verde, alongside the Peterley own range of preserves, baked goods and pantry staples. Freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade cakes, artisan wines, local ales and ciders complete the picture – along with a pottery corner and artisan tableware that make the shop a destination in its own right. When the season allows, pick-your-own returns too – strawberries, pumpkins, plums and sunflowers among them.

Next door, the well-stocked plant nursery has everything from bedding plants, perennials and compost to colourful ceramic pots, hanging baskets and charming home and garden gifts. Come December, it transforms into a festive wonderland, with homegrown Christmas trees, wreaths, holly, and mistletoe galore. There’s also a shabby chic herb house with little home and garden gifts like pots, house plants, zinc planters and the like.

The festive season is a real highlight, with artisan Christmas markets, butchery pre-order, seasonal tasting and plenty of festive cheer. The rest of the year is just as lively, thanks to a packed programme of wellness sessions, workshops, super clubs, bootcamps, private events and even a children’s nursery – making Peterley far more than just a farm shop.