Olivers Farm
At our Olivers Farm, we proudly offer pasture-fed, home-reared beef and fresh, seasonal produce grown in our Kitchen Garden. Experience the true field-to-fork journey and take home the very best of our farm’s harvest.
Our Kitchen Garden Journey
Our exciting venture into kitchen gardening began in October 2021, driven by two primary objectives.
Firstly, we aimed to cultivate a bountiful harvest of fruit and vegetables to meet the demand of our popular Black Horse Café. Secondly, we wanted to trial various vegetable plant varieties to identify those best suited to the local conditions, ensuring that our Plant Centre customers receive top-quality plants with proven success.
Our journey started with the planting of garlic, quickly followed by a variety of vibrant crops, including lettuce, chard, spinach, and onions. As our efforts flourished, we expanded our garden to include tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, squash, carrots, spring onions, and, more recently, the delightful addition of soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries.
In October 2022, we were pleased to open our ‘Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch’, which is being enjoyed by many in the lead-up to Halloween. June 2023 marked the arrival of our first crop of strawberries, which were enjoyed by patrons at Black Horse Café and customers at the Plant Centre.
In October 2025, we introduced our ‘Dig Your Own Potatoes’ experience to allow our customers to become even more involved in the Kitchen Garden. And there’s plenty more to come, keep an eye out for new Kitchen Garden events and experiences throughout the year ahead.
Growing and Evolving
Cattle have always been part of Oliver’s life. He grew up helping his dad care for livestock, and continuing this tradition became a natural hobby for him. What started as a passion project soon flourished, and thanks to its success, the offering of home-reared beef boxes has now become an exciting subset of the business. Today, the Black Horse Café proudly uses our beef exclusively in their dishes. A reflection of both its quality and the care that goes into raising our herd.
Our Kitchen Garden is entering an exciting new phase of growth. As we continue refining our vegetable production, we’re also expanding further into new areas. Including the introduction of our hens, which will provide fresh stock for our Plant Centre. As well as an increase in our herd of cows to supply more home-reared meat produce.
We’re also developing several of our beds for cut flowers, such as sunflowers (Helianthus) and daffodils (Narcissus). Further broadening our range and giving customers more flexibility to create their own arrangements and displays.
Additionally, we’re expanding our Christmas tree farm, allowing us to grow even more of our own trees in preparation for the festive seasons ahead.
Soil Preparation
We prioritise soil preparation by incorporating Olivers Eco Compost soil improver into our planting process. We utilise this enriched blend by mixing it into the soil and also applying it as a beneficial mulch.
Olivers Eco Compost has provided numerous advantages:
- Our vegetables planted in Eco Compost thrive and exhibit better shape compared to those grown in the local stony soil, especially with carrots and potatoes.
- Carrots, when topped with Olivers Eco Compost, grow more easily, as they no longer need to navigate through a compacted soil layer formed by watering. This allows them to flourish effortlessly.
- The inclusion of Olivers Eco Compost aids in moisture retention and enhances soil structure, leading to healthier plant growth.
Olivers Eco Compost is readily available for purchase at our Plant Centre or through our convenient Webshop.
Green Mulch
We are passionate about sustainable gardening practices and harness the power of vetch and rye green manure to nourish and enhance our soil. Our collaboration with local residents played a significant role in sowing our first crop of vetch and rye.
Green manure serves multiple purposes:
- Vetch and rye act as nitrogen fixers, drawing atmospheric nitrogen and converting it into a form that plants can readily utilise. This enriches the soil, promoting healthier plant growth.
- The deep-rooted nature of vetch and rye helps improve soil structure by breaking up compacted layers, enhancing drainage, and allowing better root penetration for subsequent crops.
- As the green manure plants grow, they provide excellent ground cover, minimising weed growth and preventing soil erosion.
- Once the crop is ploughed back into the soil, it releases nutrients that nourish the next crop, along with the soil-improving benefits mentioned above.
Meet Our Happy Hens
We are delighted to introduce our newest residents, a flock of happy, free-ranging hens who now call a corner of our Kitchen Garden home!
These wonderful birds enjoy their days foraging and exploring the garden, which naturally leads to beautiful, rich, and flavourful eggs. Their varied outdoor diet contributes to vibrant yolks and excellent nutritional quality.
All eggs are collected fresh each morning and sold daily in our Plant Centre, a true farm-to-customer experience. Not only are they exceptionally fresh, but choosing our eggs also means supporting ethical and local food production.
Our hens play an important role in the garden ecosystem too. As they roam, they help reduce pests, gently aerate the soil, and contribute to natural fertilisation. Making them a valued part of our sustainable growing practices.
Olivers Pasture-fed beef
Distinctively delicious and reared in a way that enriches our environment.
We believe in rearing our animals slowly and naturally, without rushing any part of the process. Our herd of Sussex cattle graze on a natural diet of species-rich pastures, including herbs, legumes, and grass in and around Coggeshall and Earls Colne. We take our time, working with nature’s restful pace to create top-quality, truly wonderful beef.
We achieve this through the choice of a traditional English breed, a pasture-fed herd, and cattle naturally reared for as long as it takes. This approach ensures our beef is not only incredibly delicious and good for you, but it also helps reduce our impact on the environment. Grazing animals on 100% pasture has positive impacts on biodiversity, carbon, human health and wellbeing, as well as animal health and welfare.
Although our cattle are not yet certified PFL, we are proud to be rearing them to these standards. You can read more about them on the Pasture For Life website. Our beef is available to order in the following packs at set collection dates throughout the year. You can order your beef using the form below.
| January | February | March | April |
| Taking orders | Taking orders | Taking orders | Taking orders |
