New places to eat when you stay on the farm...

One of the most important jobs I have is to keep updated our list of the best places to eat out when you stay on the farm (it's a hard life!).

This week the job is to update the website with the new places which have opened and need adding to our lists on the website and in our farm newspaper.

The big new opening has been the Farmers Arms which offers a fish and chip shop (big tick), pub (yes please) and restaurant (thumbs up).  In the interest of research we have sampled all three heavily and can honestly say everything offered by the team at Farmers Arms is outstanding, we can't wait to hear guests' views this year, it also has a private dining room for large groups which I know is going to be useful.

Second is a venue in Bude Temple which offers an eclectic mix of cafe, bar and fashion and homeware store.  They offer coffee, cake, lunch, dinner or just pop in for a cocktail.  Best of all they offer vegan, gluten free and lots of veggie options and if you're looking for friendly service beachside, this is the place we'd recommend.

Both of these places are being added to our recommended lists, let us know if you have a favourite which needs adding on!
 www.berridonfarm.co.uk

Bring your dog!

We love dogs on the farm and Roger and Betty are very much part of the farm family.  But we have never accepted dogs with our guests for various reasons.

This year however we are going to get more in the canine spirit and welcome dogs for bookings in Spekes and Welcombe cabins during April, May and June, just to see how popular it is.

Do let us know if you think this is something you’d like to be involved with this year.  All we ask is that dogs are kept on the lead while in the camping field and by the farmyard, and that dogs obviously scoop after their dogs!  There is a limit of one small dog per cabin (we won’t have one of their fairground signs, ‘are you tall enough for this ride?’ but class a small dog as the kind of chap that can sit on your lap without your legs going numb.

We are lucky enough to live in an area with loads to do for dogs, there are lots of walks and obviously dog friendly beaches with no restrictions all year around including Sandmouth and Black Rock Beach.

Do pack up your dog bed, a variety of balls to play catch and your pooch and plan your glamping with pet stay this summer.

Five reasons to come and stay at Berridon Farm

Five good reasons to come and stay at Berridon Farm

1. Everything is included

Everything that you will need for your holiday has been included, so you should only have to bring clothes, your swimsuit, sun tan lotion, that book you’ve been promising yourself you’d find time to read, and maybe a mac and a pair of wellingtons, just in case!  Our cabins are designed for you to enjoy a simpler way of life without compromising on comfort.  You will find fresh bed linen, pillows, duvets, a kitchen pack and firelighters and candles all in your cabin on your arrival

2. Enjoy family time

Rediscover the fun of just being together as a family.  Put away the devices and enjoy a game of Monopoly, Scrabble and Uno.  Enjoy a family candlelit dinner.  Swap stories and share discoveries from the day by the camp fire.  Plan surfing lessons, or just find an off the beaten track beach and paddle in the shallows.

3. Take it easy

Every morning we bake coissants, pain au chocolate or delicious baguettes.  You can order homemade pies, soups and casseroles for reheating in your cabin.  Simply let us know before you arrive or mark your choices on an order form in the farm pantry before 5pm the night before and they’ll be in the fridge for you the next day.  In the pantry just write your purchases on your clip board and settle the bill at the end of your stay.

4. Time to relax

Each cabin has a veranda to sit back and relax on.  Put your feet up, pour a glass of wine or make a cup of coffee and watch the sun set over the meadow. Enjoy a soak in the woodburning hot tub.  Explore our 50 acre farm and adjacent woodland

5. Have an Adventure!

We are perfectly placed to explore the North Devon area.  Our farm newspaper will give you ideas of things to do and places to visit and explore.  Surf, cycle, wakeboard, kite-surf, fish or just relax… it’s completely up to you.

I thought I'd share this montage of images which I think sums up the farm experience pretty well.

What's missing on here is piglets, I am currently on a mission to find a couple of weaners (piglets) which is making me feel very warm inside.  Pigs really are the sweetest animals to have on the farm, they will happily clear bits of rough ground, gobble up vegetable trimmings from the garden and are happy and friendly to the extreme.

So if you happen to have a couple of rare-breed piglets ready to go to a new home do get in touch!

NEW #SurfBerridon breaks this May

Make 2017 the year that you finally master surfing with a special watersports break in the west country.

The new special couples surfing break at Berridon Farm offers three nights (arrive Friday, leave Monday) in a frontier style cabin with cosy wood-burning stove and a surfing lesson on both the Saturday and the Sunday, complete with wetsuit and surfboard hire.

Surfing lessons are taken on the beautiful sandy beaches of Bude in North Cornwall, just a short drive from the farm.

By the end of the weekend you should both be able to catch a wave and be confident enough to tackle the surf together.

#SurfBerridon breaks take place every weekend during May 2017 at a cost of £450 for two to include accommodation, two two hour surf lessons per person and Sunday breakfast in the Barn.

Group bookings

Our first bookings every year are for groups who want the whole camp site.  We have a group who are returning for their fourth consecutive weekend this summer, as friends scatter this is their one chance to catch up and see their children continue their friendships through the generations.

For groups the pull is having the entire site to hang out on, lots of space for impromptu frisbee or swingball tournaments and switching off the phones and turning on the chatter of friendship.

Every cabin now has a firepit outside for campfires into the night.  And the wood burning pizza oven can be used for a big communal dinner in the barn.  We've also got a couple of big birthday parties booked in - we love helping people celebrate their special days!

back to the blog!

I have so neglected the blog but have made it my new year's resolution to document life on the farm!

We're busy here getting ready for the new season doing the fun stuff such as choosing blankets, researching lighting and confirming bookings for the year ahead.

All of these things are done while indoors as the weather has been misty and damp outside for the last few days.