We visited Tibbs Farm in the picturesque Tillingham Valley, just outside Rye for the first time last July and we loved it. Pick Your Own fruit places are such fun. You can have a couple of hours out in the East Sussex sunshine having fun as a family and take home some tasty produce too. We're determined to get along to Tibbs Farm at least a couple of times this year, once restrictions lift.
Pick Your Own Fruit
Tibbs Farm has been running as a PYO for decades now and you can tell, as their operation is slick. There is great variety in what they grow too. We went there for raspberries last year but keep an eye on their Instagram page that they update regularly and you'll see what is ready for picking and when. Looking at last year the schedule was roughly as follows (but of course each year can be different depending on the weather, rainfall etc) -
- Early June for gooseberries (a whole host of varieties, some of which are sweet enough to eat like a grape)
- Early to mid-June for strawberries,
- Quickly followed by tayberries from mid-June
- Loganberries end of June
- Blackcurrants and chillies in mid-July
- Early August for plums
Their picking season opened on 11th June 2020 last year, so I am planning for similar this year and already have a weekend in my diary, so I don't forget!
I absolutely love that they have such a variety of soft fruits, some that I've not heard of before like the tummelberry. Then there are the boysenberry, loganberry and tayberry that I've heard of but never tried. Maybe this year!
According to their Instagram last year the soft fruit picking season was basically over by 10th August with just Victoria plums to come.
When you go to visit for some fruit in the summer, you can either take your own containers or head for the farm stall and pick up some empty punnets. Then head out and pick what you fancy. I love that they have a try better you buy policy and you can sample the fruit before you pick loads and buy them. Of course, they ask you to be reasonable and just sample a couple and then pay for the bulk of your fruit. A farm like this can only sustain by customers being honest.
The fruit is sold by weight and you'll be able to see the price per kg for each of the different fruit types at the farm stall. You can also buy pre-picked punnets if you are tight on time.
Once the fruit picking season starts they'll be open 9am - 6pm each day, but keep an eye on their Facebook or Instagram pages for regular updates.
Cafe and Farm Shop
As well as all the wonderful PYO fruit a cafe opened last year and of course due to the strangeness of the Coronavirus and lockdown they haven't been able to open fully as they envisioned as yet, but we had take-away food in their garden last year and it was excellent. They normally seem to have wonderful sweet treats using the things that grow on their land, so I am looking forward to trying some more things this year.
Also, I hope they'll bring back their Tibbs Farm ice cream like they did last year, as they used their fresh-picked berries to mix with vanilla ice-cream and it was super delicious!
I haven't seen the farm shop as yet, but I know they are developing one, so I'll add some details here, once I've been along and seen for myself.
What else is at Tibbs Farm?
When we visited last year they had some pigs and we could go and see them in their pen, but much of the year they have sheep grazing the grass. They also grow hops and have Christmas trees too. It's great they have different things to sustain the farm at different points of the year.
You can also take a walk and enjoy the amazing hilltop views.
Useful Information
- Address: Tibbs Farm, Udimore, Rye East Sussex, TN31 6AR
- Telephone: tibbsfarmrye@gmail.com
- Email: 07596741680
- Opening Hours: Currently 10am - 4pm Tuesday to Sunday for take-away
- Looking to open the outdoor eating area from 12th April 2021 in line with Government guidelines
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