‘I visited Jeremy Clarkson’s farm shop and made incredible discovery outside’

Reporter Alice Sjoberg brought her parents to Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop during their recent visit from Sweden, as she recalls the best and worst parts of their visit
When my parents told me they were planning on coming to England to visit me from Sweden, I knew I wanted to bring them to Diddly Squat Farm Shop. While I hadn’t ever been there before, I knew my dad would appreciate it. I’d been forced to watch hours of Top Gear growing up, so I knew he’d enjoy visiting Jeremy Clarkson’s famous establishment. What I didn’t expect, however, was how much I also enjoyed our day trip away.

While the hour and a bit drive from my home in Worcestershire was more tense than expected due to my mum’s fear of being on the left side of the road, we got there in one piece. Thankfully, we were met with people guiding us to where to park. Plus, there were plenty of spaces available despite getting to the store 90 minutes after opening.

After a minute-long walk, we found the farm shop itself. We couldn’t have missed it – given there was already a long line of people waiting to get in! With a big sigh, we made our way to the end of the queue, hoping it would be faster than it looked.
While the sunny weather was nice at the start, the 25 degree sunshine soon started scorching our skin. My dad and I looked like lobsters for the rest of the day, despite having covered ourselves in sunscreen that morning.
This is one of my main criticisms for the farm store. While it’s nice to stand outside in the sun, many around us found it excruciating not having anywhere to seek shelter for the hour and six minutes it took us to get inside. Having some sort of sun protection, such as a marquee for part of the queue would be a good idea, especially during especially warm or rainy days.

Outside the store, there was table filled with locally produced fruit and veg, including strawberries, different coloured courgettes, spring onion, and broccoli. On the left side of the entrance, there was also a ‘cow juice’ milk vending machine for people buy milk from local farmers. However, this was closed at this time due to the farmers being on holiday.

While the time spent in the queue seemed horrible at first, it was worth the wait to get into the shop. While it was slightly smaller than I’d expected, the produce available was incredibly exciting. Shoppers can snap up everything from locally produced meats and dairy, to the popular Hawkestone ciders and lagers.
While I could have spent a lot more time browsing around the shop, I felt rushed as you had to follow the line wrapping around inside. While the meats and cheeses looked appealing, especially the sausage rolls, I didn’t have the opportunity to buy any due to our plans for later that day.
However, I still managed to get some gin for my granddad’s birthday, as well as an empty Diddly Squat glass milk bottle, a jar of piccalilli pickle and a fridge magnet. Meanwhile, my parents purchased locally roasted coffee and a ‘bee juice’ (honey) bar of handmade soap.

I didn’t think the farm would have anything else to offer, but oh, how wrong I was. I made a really amazing discovery outside – and anyone visiting should make sure not to miss it.
As it was now lunchtime, we decided to hit up the bar behind the farm shop for lunch. I’d been told they do nice food, so had pretty high expectations.

At first, I was disappointed with the menu as all they seemed to have was burgers or breakfast items. However, I settled on a halloumi burger and my parents got a ‘Big View’ burger each.
As they arrived, my jaw hit the floor. My halloumi burger was perfectly cooked with a slice of roasted aubergine and harissa mayo balancing out the flavours perfectly along with the chilli and tomato chutney. My parents had similar reactions to their burgers, which consisted of an aged beet patty with cheddar, homemade burger sauce, caramelised onions and pickles.

It’s been over a week since our visit and I still think about my burger. It might even be one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. It will definitely make me tempted to battle the hour long drive back to the farm, as well as any queues, to try it again.

Even though Diddly Squat was busy, with people arriving and leaving at all times, the bar and farm never felt overcrowded. So if this is something you’re worried about, don’t let it stop you!