Great inner city London farms

If you are a big animal lover, Spitalfields is for you. You can volunteer at the farm or book the venue for parties. Regular visits are free, and you can go between Tuesday and Sunday. They have the admirable ethical aims “to explore and promote the benefits of healthy and sustainable lifestyles” and “to provide children and young people with a safe, stimulating and inclusive space in which to play and to connect with nature.”
Guess what else they have? A charming on-site tea hut where you can grab a bite to eat! All the food is freshly prepared on the farm, and the hut is open from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Sunday.

Slightly further out from central London, we have Ferny Hill Farm. Located in Barnet, it’s open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays and has an expansive tearoom. The tearoom is a converted Elizabethan threshing barn, and many of its original features have been preserved. There is also an open outdoor area.
The ingredients in the dishes are all locally produced, and you can order traditional breakfasts, lunches, snacks and refreshments.

The three Gladwin brothers run The Shed, and each plays an essential role in the business. Each one is either a restaurateur, a farmer or a chef. Their professions have allowed them to run a farm to plate family business. Ethics is central to everything this trio does, and they take a zero-waste approach to create their dishes. Even their wines are sourced by their Sussex vineyard. The menu itself sounds delicious! The spiced braised venison and the mushroom marmite eclairs in particular sound heavenly.
This restaurant isn’t situated within the Gladwin farm that provides its produce. Still, the aesthetic and atmosphere within the venue look just like a farm-based restaurant, and the impressive ethical business model the Gladwins have established deserves a mention.

Take a relatively short journey out from London, and you will find yourself at Smallford Farm Shop. Foodies will be intrigued to hear that Smallford has an Italian kitchen café. This café serves breakfast classics like smashed avocado on sourdough and eggs benedict, and French toast. If you fancy a lunch instead, you can treat yourself to a Smallford’s burger of the week or, if you’re visiting on a Sunday, the team can fix you a roast dinner.
Their Italian cuisine doesn’t disappoint either, handmade ravioli is one of their specialities.
Last but certainly not least, Smallford serves freshly squeezed juice and smoothies. If you think that was a lot to digest, you should see the full menu!

A family-run farm that has survived four generations, Newton Farm Café is a visually stunning venue. This rustic place features aesthetic wooden ceiling crossbeams and large glass windows with a great view of the countryside. You can also pop into the shop or the butchery during your visit. If you’re visiting on a Wednesday, then you could buy some fresh fish at a stall run by ‘Fishman with A Difference’.
Saturday is an all-day breakfast day, with healthy options like homemade granola bowls, alongside signature breakfast baps and many egg options. Of course, there is a full English breakfast too! If you wanted to order from the lunch menu, you can choose from creamy wild mushrooms, Cornish fish of the day and loads more.

Vauxhall City Farm hosts multiple events and could make for a great family day trip followed by a meal in the café. Some past events include ‘Own a Pony Day’ and ‘Sheep and Scarf Workshop’. The café is located right outside Vauxhall City Farm and it’s open seven days a week from 10:30 – 16:00. You’ll get a cute view of some ducks and the community gardens from the café, too.