Millets Farm, just outside Abingdon, is a treasure trove of family fun and great farm produce. Where else in Oxfordshire can you choose from two hundred cheeses or embark on a torchlight journey in a ten acre maze? Where else can you fish off the banks of a serene lake, surrounded by Dexter cattle and Kune Kune pigs, whilst the children watch and feed the wild fowl, including swans, and watch a flock of fan-tailed doves living around the stables? Where else can kids burn off their excess energy, fight the terrifying ‘Junk Monster’, and then join mum and dad to pick their own strawberries for a home-made smoothie?
Why trudge off to the big supermarkets when you have a great, local, family run business which has thought of everything possible to make shopping a great experience? Introduce your children to the wonders of Pick Your Own from the second week in June until September / early October. Watch their faces as they choose their produce; let them weigh it and carry it home.
In the summer, the maze opens, from July through to September. Watch the kids battle with “Renegade”, the superhero, and rescue the planet from the attack of the “Junk Monsters”, with a life size “Junk Monster” in the maze which will be a great hit with the kids. The maze also opens up at night for the torchlight events, attracting older children / adults from 7.30 to 10.30pm – get lost in the dark AND have a great BBQ!
The Farm Shop is open all day through the summer from 9am to 6pm. The Produce Area sells the majority of the Farm’s own home grown fare, picked in the morning, fresh from the fields. The on site bakery ensures fresh produce every day, with fresh baked bread, cakes and other gloriously naughty treats. There is also a butcher and fishmonger and the dry goods area has a plethora of products for your pantry or store cupboard. And to finish off, there is a wide range of beers, ciders, fresh juices including apple juice made from Millets’ own apples.
Millets also has The Farmhouse Restaurant, a cafeteria style restaurant, above which is The Lake View Restaurant where Sunday lunches are served (this area is also used for wedding receptions and conferences). Frost’s Garden Centre is open daily and there is also the Children’s Farm Zoo, including alpacas, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses. Phoebe Wood is a ten-acre site comprising woodland and wetland walks along the banks of the River Ock, as well as picnic facilities.
Millet’s Farm is a wonder, and you should make sure it’s at the top of your list to visit this summer. And don’t forget future events such as Open Farm Sunday in June, the FlyBall Dog Show in July, The Bullnose Rally in September and Halloween Howl in October – and Santa’s visit with sleigh rides in December.
See the website for further details about Millets Farm – great family fun in a safe and welcoming environment.
