Lotmead Farm has reopened for the season with a refurbished café and shop.

The popular animal attraction and pick-your-own-produce site near Wanborough has spruced up its kitchen and serving areas and redesigned the shop so that it now sells a wider variety of goods and small gifts along with the old familiar favourites.

This year, local producers Berkeley Farm Dairy will be joined by Ray’s Ice Cream and Malmesbury’s Tracklements condiments.

The play area has also been refreshed and the animals have been returned to their summer homes in the pens which were built last year. 

Shop manager Mandy Day talked about the difficulties the team dealt with during the big revamp, the friendly four-legged friends that visitors can enjoy meeting, and the new arrivals that are settling into farm life.

She said: “Despite the challenges presented by the weather this past winter, we’ve been working hard to transform the shop and café into a fresh and welcoming place.

“We will be starting off with a simple offering and aim to build from there, particularly in response to customer feedback and what people tell us they want to have.

“We have also introduced a selection of little treats and gifts in the shop, and introduced ready picked produce for those days when you don’t have time to go into the fields yourself!

“The play area and animals are already proving popular and families have been keen to come and say hello to their favourites, including Denzil the donkey and Tango the Shetland pony.

“We’ve also got new faces this year with baby rabbits, guinea pigs and a young golden pheasant.”

Lotmead Farm Park and Pick-Your-Own is now open daily from 9.30am until 5pm.

Strawberries will be ready to pick in June, although there is currently pre-picked asparagus, grown on-site, available from the shop.

Further into the season, there will also be raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, red currants, blackberries, broad beans, and sweetcorn available to pick.

For the latest offers and up-to-date information on picking and availability, visit the farm's website www.lotmead.co.uk

In 2022, the farm received the honour of being hailed as the best Pick Your Own farm in the country.

Farm Retail Awards judges gave the award to owner Norman Parry for the second time following a previous win in 2015.