Regional & Seasonal: Spring Gardens Nursery, West Sussex
From the field to the plate, a Sussex nursery invites visitors to sample its summer fruit in a variety of ways
IN JUNE, SPRING’S gentle crescendo has given way to a season of ebullience, the countryside swathed in deepening green and crop fields bursting with a myriad of hues as fruit and vegetables come to the fore. Nestled at the foot of the South Downs, near the village of Washington in West Sussex, a 35-acre farm is making the most of summer’s early offerings. Families meander down grassy aisles lined with an abundance of fruit plants; punnets containing the juiciest varieties swing from their arms. Rosy-red strawberries dangle heavily on slender vines, plump and ripe for the picking, while in the neighbouring fields, pale yellow-green raspberries and loganberries are beginning to flush with colour, their tiny druplets glistening in the mellow light. Elsewhere, cherries and gooseberries are also sprouting with fresh vigour.
The pick-your-own season is well under way for the people at Spring Gardens Nursery: a farm that has been family-run for almost three generations. Visitors are encouraged to explore the huge range of produce waiting to be plucked from the fields, after which they can wander through the farm shop, selling local, seasonal produce, or enjoy a fresh cup of tea and some delectable treats in the adjoining café.
Specialising in soft fruit, Alan Harris has worked the farm and run the pick-your-own nursery for more than 40 years, eventually introducing his granddaughter, Holly Allan, to the business. “I’ve lived on the farm my whole life and have worked on the nursery and in the little farm shop since I was a teenager, during the summer holidays,” explains Holly. In 2018, she decided to refurbish the farm shop and transform her grandfather’s potting shed into a bustling café, which has broadened the diversity and appeal of the site.
“The potting shed was chosen because of the gorgeous 25-year-old grapevine that trails over the ceiling,” says Holly. The seating arrangement is simple, so as not to detract from this central feature, and customers can sit beneath the leafy tendrils while enjoying the seasonal menu, which offers a selection of home-made quiches, salads and traditional cakes, using produce from the farm.
Out of season, Holly buys from trusted local markets and other Sussex farms. “We believe it is important to eat local, support local and know where our food comes from,” she says.
One of the original 100-year-old greenhouses has recently been converted into additional seating and to use for supper club
evenings and small weddings. “We call this ‘the gooseberry house’, as we used to grow gooseberries in there. We have planted new grapevines, which will eventually clamber over the ceiling like in the potting shed.” The greenhouse is decorated with plants grown in galvanised buckets from the farm and lit up in the evenings by antique chandeliers.
The charming decor even flows through the farm shop, which contains shelves made from old pallets and a traditional wagon used for fruit displays. “Freshly baked bread is delivered daily. We also sell milk from a local dairy, free-range meat and eggs, as well as painted pottery and handmade candles from small local businesses,” says Holly.
But it is not just this ethos of local and home-grown produce that makes Spring Gardens so special. The day-to-day workings of the farm are very family orientated. “My grandad still grows all the produce, and my auntie bakes and cooks all the food for the café. My dad is endlessly building and refurbishing the nursery so it can expand and grow.”
Through this hard work, visitors can now enjoy the farm at their leisure. “After picking our delicious fruit, they can sit in the garden and savour the sunshine with a freshly baked scone, served with our home-made strawberry jam and a cup of loose-leaf tea,” smiles Holly. A basket overflowing with fresh produce shows it has been a good day at Spring Gardens Nursery and, with the balmy summer months ahead, there will be many more to come.