When Alice’s parents came to visit her from Sweden, she quickly decided that she had to bring them to Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop – but she was surprised by one thing
When my folks announced their plans to visit me in England from Sweden, I instantly knew I wanted to take them to Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop. Despite never having visited myself, I was certain my dad would enjoy the experience, given the countless hours of Top Gear we’d watched together during my childhood.
The journey from my home in Worcestershire last just over an hour. It was a bit more tense than anticipated due to my mum’s worry with driving on the left side of the road. Nevertheless, we arrived safely and were promptly directed to a parking spot.
Despite arriving an hour and a half after opening time, there was still ample parking available in a nearby field, a mere minute’s walk from the farm shop.
We certainly weren’t alone in our venture, as we soon found ourselves at the end of a long queue to enter the quaint shop. With a resigned sigh, we joined the back of the line, hoping it would move faster than it appeared.
The pleasant, sunny weather initially added to the charm of the day, but as temperatures soared to 25 degrees by our arrival time, we could feel the sun’s rays taking a toll on our skin. Despite slathering on sunscreen that morning, my dad and I ended up resembling lobsters for the remainder of the day.
One of my main gripes with the farm shop is the lack of shade. While it’s lovely to bask in the sunshine, many of us found it unbearable not having any shelter from the sun during the hour-long queue.
Because of this, it would be a good idea to provide some sort of sun protection, like a marquee, for parts of the queue. Especially on scorching hot days like this one.
Just outside the shop, there was a table filled with locally grown fruit and veg, including strawberries, courgettes of various hues, spring onions, and broccoli.
To the left of the entrance, there was also a ‘cow juice’ milk vending machine for customers to buy milk directly from local farmers, although this was out of service at the time.
Despite the initial dread of the long queue, it turned out to be worth the wait. The shop was a bit smaller than I’d anticipated, but it had everything I’d hoped for and more. Think locally sourced meats and dairy products, to the popular Hawkestone ciders and lagers and Diddly Squat gin.
While I could have easily whiled away more time perusing the shop, the queue system made me feel a bit hurried. The meats and cheeses were tempting, particularly the sausage rolls, but due to our plans later that day, I didn’t get a chance to purchase any.
However, I did manage to pick up some gin for my granddad’s birthday, an empty Diddly Squat glass milk bottle, a jar of piccalilli pickle, and a fridge magnet. My parents opted for some locally roasted coffee and a ‘bee juice’ (honey) handmade soap bar.
I initially thought the farm wouldn’t have much else to offer, but made an unexpected discovery. As it was lunchtime, we decided to try out the bar behind the farm shop, having heard good things about their food.
Initially, I was a bit let down by the menu, which seemed to only offer burgers or breakfast items. But despite being a rather unassuming line-up, the food ended up being surprisingly incredible.
I chose a halloumi burger, while my parents both went for a ‘Big View’ burger. Then when our meals arrived, I was astounded.
My halloumi burger was cooked to perfection, with a slice of roasted aubergine and harissa mayo providing a perfect balance of flavours, complemented by chilli and tomato chutney.
My parents were equally impressed with their burgers, which featured an aged beet patty topped with cheddar, homemade burger sauce, caramelised onions and pickles.
It’s been more than a week since our trip, and I can’t stop reminiscing about my burger – it could well be one of the finest I’ve ever tasted.
The menu item alone has me yearning to undertake the hour-long journey back to the farm, particularly as the queue for them was significantly shorter than the one for the shop. I would really recommend it!