Middle Farm

Lewes, Sussex

Despite renting 625 acres of land in the South Downs, it soon became clear to fifth-generation farmer John Pile that the agriculture at Middle Farm would have to be supplemented by another income stream. In 1960, and much to the consternation of fellow farmers, he opened a farm shop, believed to be the first of its type in the UK.

Milk from the cows, eggs from the chickens, cakes, chutneys, jams and marmalades from Viv Pile’s farmhouse kitchen were soon joined by meat cut into joints with ad hoc butchery skills gleaned from Reader’s Digest: The Cookery Year. To satisfy increasing demand, John took to his Transit and travelled the country to find the very best British farm produce, including ciders from Somerset and Devon.

Half a century on and Middle Farm is now home to the National Collection of Cider and Perry, with more than 100 apple and pear tipples available in the converted barn, alongside wines and beers from local vineyards and breweries. As well as raw milk from the Jersey herd and seasonal fruit and vegetables, the farm shop sells 80 different cheeses, many from Sussex.

Now run by John’s daughter Helen and her husband Rod, Middle Farm has stayed true to its roots and welcomes 260,000 visitors every year to tour the farm and watch the cows being milked. Rod says: “With the rise of the supermarkets, plus the environmental issue of food miles and energy conservation, the emphasis is increasingly on producing whatever we can on the farm, whether it’s raw milk and Jersey beef from our prize-winning pedigree herd or unpasteurised apple juice or our own cider.” middlefarm.com