tried & tested

Our new family trip together..

My family and I thought we would take our first trip out strawberry picking together. My plan was to take the baby in a carrier and put the children in wellies, in case it was a little muddy after the morning rain. Before we left, I did a little check on the Dawson’s Farm Facebook page, to make sure they were open, as strawberries can be a little unpredictable.

This year the farm was open 7 days a week, this gave us the flexibility we needed in case of emergency poo-nami or wee stop. With strawberries preferring hot weather we also took the kids water bottles too and sun hats.

The farm isn’t that far away being north of Huntingdon and only 35 minute’s drive from St. Neots on a good day. On our approach to Dawson’s Fruit Farm we were reassured that we were going the right direction with strawberry sign posts marking the way. A great spot for the little ones to find and reassuring to know you’re nearly there.

Once we arrived, we found there was ample parking and the ground was nice and dry. We walked towards the field following a couple of families and stopped-off at a desk to pick up baskets and tubs for the strawberry picking. I carried the basket, which holds around 2kg of strawberries, with the husband and children taking a small tub each.

The ground was quite flat and the field was only a short distance away, which is suitable for an all-terrain buggy. The strawberries are planted in rows very close together so you cannot push a buggy into the strawberry patch. However, you can push the buggy very close to it. I would recommend taking the baby carrier or sling as it allows you to move around the strawberry field. I found the ground to be quiet firm and even though I could not see my feet, I found it easy to move around with my heavy baby.

The field was a reasonable size to pick from and small enough to shout your children back if they wander too far away. My primary school aged children, had no problem picking the strawberries.  They really enjoyed finding the large red strawberries in amongst the leaves of the plants. They filled their small tubs and emptied them into my basket at regular intervals, this prevented the strawberries spilling everywhere, as the baskets can be a little unstable in little hands.

Whilst in the baby carrier our little boy sneaked his hand in the basket, ate a strawberry and was covered in juice. He did not seem to mind watching every one picking strawberries and I was relieved he enjoyed it as much as the rest of us.

My frugal husband was very impressed with the price of our large basket which came to £7.50. The strawberries were around £3 per kilo and with the basket costing £1 to take your pickings home. Not bad to say you have picked the best strawberries…… and they taste delicious! They were so sweet I did not want to waste them and thought I’ll have to bake to use them up at home. Guess again.…we ate the lot within 2 days! Mmmm….

Top Tip: If you can't eat all your strawberries you can blend them and freeze in handy portions for smoothies and milkshakes.

Let me know how your visit goes!

Love Louisa and family x