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The Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight

publication date: Nov 8, 2012
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author/source: Alex Bell
The Garlic farm

Friends and family had raved about the fabulous food in The Garlic Farm Café and wonderful elephant garlic but we had yet to sample either ourselves.

You will find The Garlic Farm in Newchurch, nestled in a beautiful valley on the Isle of Wight. We visited the farm, education and heritage centre and café on (perhaps the only) beautiful sunny October half term day which meant that Pippa and Toby could run around hunting for hidden pictures of the garlic fairies in the fairy trail before testing as many chutneys and relishes as they liked!

Farmer Colin, the garlic farmer, chatted with us and talked with deserved pride about the family business, started by his parents and now run by him, his wife and two of their five children. I asked him how he would describe the farm and he immediately replied: "It's taste and production centric".

For anyone interested in farming and nature, trailer rides and woodland walks, peacocks and red squirrels and great fresh food The Garlic Farm is for you.

The Garlic Farm café and shop are a fantastically slick operation; the shop is well stocked with a huge range of their own chutneys, relishes and condiments as well as every variety of garlic. The staff were all charming and Toby and Pippa were as happy hunting garlic fairies and peacocks as we were browsing the shop and tasting chutneys.

The farm was decorated with pumpkins on our visit and The Garlic Farm team talked enthusiastically about the Halloween trailer ride that had taken place the night before. An atmosphere of creative innovation and appreciation of nature are at the heart of The Garlic Farm with displays that change with the season and special events to fit the farming calendar.

The Garlic Farm is a free attraction but for those who really love the farm could even holiday at one of the six farm cottages and take advantage of the tennis court, football goals and beauty of this unique spot.