Inspiration

From farm-to-fork: a few of the best farm shops and markets in Kent

Guest Expert

5 min read

They’re an assembly point for locals and visitors, a chance to learn more about an area’s specialties and the best place to uncover news and events. That’s why markets and farm shops hold a special place in people’s hearts. Happily, Kent has a fine selection where you can pick up organic fruit and veg, homemade cakes and antique furniture, freshly butchered joints and local wines. Some have cafés, others art exhibitions, workshops and even whisky tasting sessions. Harbourside Whitstable market is charming and you can enjoy a quayside stroll with your fried fish - it’s a local delicacy. One farm has even installed a vending machine for eggs and other treats so you can visit night or day!

Tagged with:

kent

Lower Ladysden

A family-run farm and award-winning farm shop near Marsden in the heart of the fertile Kent countryside. With fresh fruit and vegetables to pick yourself in season and a shop stocked with everyday essentials, treats, homemade jams and juices, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for homemade meals. It’s a lively sort of place, locals hire it out for events and celebrations, school children visit the farm, and you’ll find recipe ideas on their website.

Stay nearby at Hensill Farmhouse >

Silcocks

In the village of St Michaels, a beautifully beamed, light and airy farm shop offering a range of local produce plus fine meats from an organic butcher. The charming café serves tea, coffee, homemade cakes, sweet treats, light lunches and breakfast. Sit out in the courtyard with your dog if the weather is balmy, beside the cosy wood-burner on chilly days. They often have art exhibitions in the function room.

Stay nearby at Beacon Hall House >

Macknade

Macknade is a family affair. For over 175 years the family have been rooted in the area, initially farming the land before focusing on bringing communities together around a shared love of food and drink. On the outskirts of Faversham, their flagship store is home to a vast food hall, butchery, delicatessen, café, wine store, food village and events space. Come for whisky tasting experiences, fermenting workshops, and crafting sessions in the café. Pick up larder essentials and browse hundreds of unique and interesting wines, many locally bottled, and whip up a feast back at home.

Stay nearby at Hegdale Barn >

Faversham Market

Historic Faversham has an astonishingly pretty old centre and Abbey Street is one of the best-preserved medieval streets in the country. It also has a rich history of markets, with a recording in the Domesday Book. Check out Charter Market on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays for local produce, household items, plants, collectibles and other interesting bits and pieces. Faversham Arts, Crafts and Food Market, held on the first and third Saturday of the month in Preston Street and Faversham Antiques and Vintage Market in the Marketplace and Court Street on the first Sunday of every month, except January and September.

Stay nearby at Heron House >

Harbour Market Whitstable

Lining the pretty, working harbour and dock in picturesque Whitstable, a quirky fishing town dotted with pastel-hued beach huts on the northeast coast, this lively, community based, open-air market is run by two artisan traders. Showcasing a smorgasbord of local, hand-crafted goods and fine art plus tempting food stalls serving a range of cuisines, you won’t leave empty handed. Sample the fried fish, it’s a local delicacy, and you can’t get fresher than this. Wander down to the quayside with your spoils where seafaring types are busy working on boats.

Stay nearby at The Cook’s Cottage >

The Egg Machine

Could this be the future of farm shops? The Egg Machine on Ashford Farm is a farm shop with a twist. A 24-hour vending machine filled with a range of local farm products, from meat to eggs, changing regularly with the seasons. Visit day or night! Inspired by a trip to Holland where the owners’ met a local farmer selling strawberries and prosecco via machine, the idea came to fruition, and has since proved very popular.

Stay nearby at Hereford Oast >

View all our special places to stay in Kent >

Carmen McCormack

Guest Expert

Carmen is a freelance writer specialising in travel. She once lived in a bus in north Wales, skipped off to study in Barcelona, and now calls Bristol home. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she can be found reading (a lot), lake swimming (a little), and pottering on the allotment with husband and two kiddos. She’s currently dreaming about cold cerveza and torta in Mexico.

View more articles by this author