Alder CarrFarm

Alder Carr Farm occupies a former dairy holding at Creeting St Mary, set up in 1981 by Nick and Joan Hardingham, whose daughter Stephany now runs the business with her husband Barry. The brick, flint and pantile farm buildings house a garden centre, a farm shop with butchery and deli counter, and four craft workshops, one of them inside a windmill dated 1796. The Courtyard Café, in a converted oak-framed barn, serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea using produce from the farm, including ice cream made to a recipe passed down from Nick's mother. Visitors can walk a farm trail past a herd of Highland cattle introduced by Barry, use the picnic and play areas, or follow the farm's river walks. The farm shop was named the country's best small farm shop by the Farm Retail Association.