Lathcoats Farm Ticket Portal

FAQs / Help

PYO - How do the fruit voucher works?

Every person needs a fruit voucher to pick at the farm (except babes in arms)

A fruit vouchers costs £3, £2 of this will be refunded at the till point as long as £2 worth of fruit is picked

You will need to show your voucher at the entrance and then again when you exit to redeem your £2

Late Season Vouchers reflect the quantity of fruit/veg available and are a reduced price of £1, with £0.50 redeemable from your harvest.

PYO - Does my child need a voucher?

With the exception of babes in arms all attendants must be covered by a fruit voucher. Anyone not covered by a fruit voucher will be refused entry.

PYO - I am over 65 or have a disability, is there a time I can attend without booking?

On weekdays the following people can attend without booking, as long as we are open (check our latest news page to make sure we are before visiting):

9-10am

Over 65s only

People with a disablity and their family/carers

 

3-4pm (fields close at 4:30pm) TERM TIME ONLY

school children and their families

 

PYO - Do I need to book in advance?

Yes, fruit vouchers must be shown on arrival.

You will not be able to access the fields without a fruit voucher, there are no sales at the gate.

PYO - What are the opening hours?

We will only open if we have enough fruit to offer

During peak season we aim to open routinely on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

IF we are open out usual PYO hours are 9-4:30 - you MUST have a fruit voucher to enter

PYO - What can I pick and how much?

Various crops are available at different times, see our cropping calendar for a rough guide (everything is later this year!). Check our PYO Latest News Page to find out what's available on the day.

  • Strawberries
  • Gooseberries
  • Blackcurrants, Redcurrants
  • Plums, Cherries
  • Raspberries, Yellow Raspberries, Loganberries, Boysenberries
  • Sunflowers, Dahlias
  • Courgettes, Dwarf Beans, Sweetcorn, Cucumbers, Runner Beans

Later in the year:

  • Cobnuts (end of August)
  • Apples (October)
  • Pumpkins (October)
  • Christmas Trees (September - December)

 

PYO - Where can I find the various crops?

Please download our map.

There will also be signposts around the pick your own fields.

Please ensure you do not walk past any No Entry signs or roped off areas as we are a working farm and machinery may be operating.

PYO - Can we use our own containers?

You are welcome to use our containers that you may have bought from us in previous years. They are very durable, and you can use them again and again.

Should you bring another container we will have to weigh it before entry enabling us to deduct the right amount from your final purchase.

PYO - Do you supply containers?

Yes, you will be required to pay for any containers when entering the fields. Containers purchased are non-refundable, you can always pick up more if needed.

PYO - Can we eat fruit while we pick?

No. Growing fruit takes time, money and a lot of care, please respect our workforces efforts by paying for all your fruit picked before consuming it. Many Pick Your Own farms have now closed because of customer consumption prior to paying.

We recommend washing your fruit prior to consumption.

PYO - Do I have to pay for all I pick?

Yes - You are welcome to check the cost of your fruit during your visit to ensure you don't over spend. Please make sure children are supervised so they are picking ripe edible fruit.

Please do not dispose of fruit in the field - this encourages pests and diseases which can have a detrimental affect on the rest of the crop.

PYO - What is the best way to pick a strawberry?

For maximum shelf life try to avoid handling the red flesh. Instead, pinch the stalk off between your thumbnail and forefinger. Leave the stalks in until just before serving. As with all fruits, pick only ripe ones – they taste better!

PYO - What’s the best way to store the fruit I pick?

The Storing and freezing website may contain information of interest to PYO customers. However we recommend consuming or processing our fruit as soon as possible to enjoy them at their best!

PYO - Can we go anywhere?

No, some areas are off limits – we will sign post areas that are off limits. Please do not pass signs, fences etc as these are in place for your health and safety.

PYO - Can we have a picnic?

Picnics are not allowed anywhere on the farm.

The Bee Shed Coffee House provides delicious breakfast, lunch and coffee and cakes. The Bee Shack is also operating in the animal area on peak days serving takeaway drinks, cakes and scooped ice cream!

PYO - Can I bring my dog?

Dogs (with the exception of guide dogs) are not allowed in the pick your own fields for hygiene and health & safety reasons

PYO - Do you accept coach parties?

No. Unfortunately we don’t have the car parking space or the facilities.

 

PYO - Question still not answered?

Visit our PYO page for everything you need to know.

If you still can't find what you're looking for send us an email to info@eapples.co.uk.

The Orchard Experience - What is it?

 A chance to experience fruit growing first hand as part of a family run, commercial fruit growing enterprise.

The Orchard Experience - What does it include?

As part of your experience you will be invited to the farm for a guided tour at Blossom in Spring and at Harvest in late Summer. After the Blossom Walk you will be welcomed to The Bee Shed cafe to enjoy your complimentary drink and cake. After the Harvest Walk you will have the opportunity to taste a selection of our apple juices and cider.

Depening on the package you choose you will then be able to pick the fruits of our labour;

1. 5kg of Apples - includes up to 5kg of apples from our PYO orchard (multi variety including Lathcoats Red, Joyce's Choice, Braeburn and more)

2. Your very own Cox apple tree - includes all the fruit from your allocated tree (usually in excess of 10kg)

3. Your very own Bramley apple tree - includes all the fruit from your allocated tree (usually in excess of 13kg)

The Orchard Experience - When will the visits be?

The exact dates will depend on the season but the first will be during blossom time (April/May), the second towards harvest (September). When you sign up your email address and name will be added to a mailing list. This is how we will communicate with you when the exact dates will be.

Make sure you add our email address (info@eapples.co.uk) to your 'email address book' to ensure our communications don't end up in your junk box!

The Orchard Experience - Can we just pick apples?

Of course, but we hope that the visits will make it a richer experience.

The Orchard Experience - Who is the experience suitable for?

Anyone who is interested in farming, supporting local business, learning about fruit growing and of course those who enjoy eating and cooking apples!

The Orchard Experience - How much does it cost?

For the guided tours, newsletters, apple juice and tasting sessions, drink/cake for up to 2 people it costs:

1. 5kg of Apples is £30

2. To rent a Cox apple tree is £37.50

3. To rent a Bramley apple tree is £42.50

*These prices are for the 2024 season.

The Orchard Experience - How do I sign up?

Visit our booking page to register for the Orchard Experience.

Registrations are open from 1st December to the 31st March - The Orchard Experience then runs from April to October.

The Orchard Experience - When will I be allocated a tree?

If you have purchased a rent a Cox or Bramley tree it will be allocated towards the end of July when the fruit has set.

If you have purchased 5kg of apples you will not be allocated a tree - you will potentially visit the PYO Orchard during the walks, however come October you will be given access to the PYO orchard to harvest your apples.

The Orchard Experience - When is the blossom walk?

We cannot say for sure until much nearer the time but it usually takes place towards the end of April or beginning of May.

We will send an email to registrants and a booking link to sign up for Blossom Walk sessions around mid to late April, if you are expecting to receive an email and haven't been contacted by mid-April please get in touch via info@eapples.co.uk.

Make sure you add our email address (info@eapples.co.uk) to your 'email address book' to ensure our communications don't end up in your junk folder.

The Orchard Experience - Do we get loads of apples at the end of it?

You might, but you might not!

As commercial fruit growers in the last few years we have experienced bumper crops, failed crops and average crops. By joining the Orchard Experience you are buying into these risks, but also hopefully learning more about fruit growing - the highs and the lows! Any apples on your tree at harvest time are yours to pick and keep. We can supply bags and boxes from the farm shop.

For those signed up to 5kg of Apples we should always be able to meet these expectations with the number of spaces sold (unless there is a complete disaster!).

The Orchard Experience - Will we be able to store the fruit we pick?

Yes, for a short while, but the best advice is not to try and store it too long. How well the fruit keeps will depend on the growing conditions during the season. Some years it may store very well, other years not at all well. You’ll learn more about this during the year if you are able to join in the orchard visits. The best thing to do if you have a lot of fruit is to share with friends, cook, process or freeze.

The Orchard Experience - Can we give this as a gift and how?

Yes, when visiting our booking page select 'Gift The Orchard Experience'. You can then opt whether you would like the voucher emailed, sent out in the post or collected in person.

The vouchers are valid for 1 year and to sign up for the current year it should be used to register before the 31st March. The recipient will have to visit our booking page and select 'Redeem The Orchard Experience', select the relevant option and then enter the voucher code at checkout.

The Orchard Experience - How do I use my gift voucher?
  • Visit our booking page - https://eapples.digitickets.co.uk.
  • Navigate to The Orchard Experience > Redeem The Orchard Experience
  • Select the item highlighted on your Gift Voucher.
  • Add to cart > Go to cart.
  • Here you can enter your voucher code, after entering you should see your item value reduce to £0.
  • Click Checkout
  • Enter your details - these will be used to contact you during the season, including dates for the blossom and harvest walk.
  • Submit
  • Our first email will be sent out in April - make sure you add our email address (info@eapples.co.uk) to your 'email address book' to ensure we don't end up in your junk box.
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