Fields Farmshop & Cafe in Babergh

I think this place does the best breakfast and coffee in the whole of Essex, the staff are so accommodating and are such a friendly bunch, it’s family friendly and has a selection of farm animals ranging from goats, horse, 2x highland cows, alpacas, pigs and donkeys, a pond with ducks for adults and children to see and a small play area for children. I just want give a massive shout out to LOIS, she really goes out her way, above and beyond to deliver the best service each and every time I visit and makes this place that extra special.

We booked last minute for breakfast. The service was friendly and quick. The food was really nice, presented really well and overall wasn’t too badly priced. Would definitely come back

Had a lovely lunch there today -- 3 different menu items and all were excellent. And substantial in quantity. Friendly service. Lots of parking.

I have been to Fields a number of times and had a really positive experience, however was totally disappointed by my experience today. As we came into the restaurant, there were buckets of dead flowers in the foyer which didn’t look great. We waited at the entrance for several minutes and despite staff being at the till no one even acknowledged our presence. We had made a reservation for breakfast and on arrival were seated right next to the door despite most of the restaurant being empty. We ordered drinks and then when we went to order food were informed that two of the breakfast dishes we wanted weren’t available as they hadn’t had a delivery. Had we been told this on arrival or even been informed before we set off by email then we wouldn’t have bothered coming. The waitress was apologetic and very polite so I can’t level any criticism at her. When we went to pay I gave feedback about our experience to the lady who took payment, who again was very polite, however her explanation that they had a very busy Sunday (by this time it was Tuesday) didn’t add up. Had it been my restaurant I would have offered the customers free drinks. Sadly I won’t be returned which is shame as my previous experiences have been positive.

Nice casual place for a bite to eat Good quality food Lots of farm animals to see for the little ones. Nice place to meet up with friends/ family

Not an enjoyable visit. Booked a table but no one checking customers in so some queing some waiting to sit down. The chicken salad had ridiculous amounts of mayo on it, as did open sandwich, chips just tasted of oil. Waited 40 minutes for iced coffees only to be told there was no ice so waited again for hot coffees. Tables needed wiping. Have been on several occasions some with great food others with not. Also sad to see the allotment area had not been looked after

Finally visited after following their instagram for a long time and wasnt disappointed! Had a look at all their farm animals enjoying the summer sunshine which was nice. Had a mooch about the farmshop and bought some bits to take home and try. We went to the cafe inbetween breakfast and lunch so we got a walk in table but i would book next time just to make sure! Staff were nice, service was slow but the food was so nice and all cooked fresh so we didnt mind. We had a chicken Caesar salad and an open faced club sandwich and they were both very tasty! I dont think it was badly priced either. Would recommend and look forward to visiting again

Food is nice but quite expensive for what it is,it’s just a shame the animals all look sad, bored and depressed which is not good. Two severely over weight pot bellied pigs one whose belly was dragging on the floor when it escaped its overgrown postage stamp of a paddock, it could hardly walk. Two very depressed donkeys as well. It was really sad.

I really hate to criticise a small business but I have had such an awful experience I have to share. I had heard some good things from people I work with about this establishment and I love a good farm shop so was looking forward to visiting. I had also seen from instagram that they have a function area and was going to speak to a member of the team to get some information as it sounds ideal for my small wedding celebration that I am in the early stages of planning. I visited on a Sunday with three other family members. We had decided that we would order two cakes (which were delicious) and two cheese boards which we would split between the four of us. We asked the waitress (who was very polite and kind) if the cheeseboard had cheddar on it as my sister is pregnant, because of this she cannot eat soft cheese. The waitress went back to the kitchen and returned confirming that that there is cheddar and she would be happy to make one of the cheeseboards extra cheddar for her (I assumed she would put less brie etc). A different waitress served us one cheese board (by this time we had already been served and eaten our lovely cakes). The original waitress passed and said “oh they have only done one cheese board”, we said yes we are still waiting for the other but just to make sure this one should have the cheddar on it. She returned with a small slate which just had cheddar and crackers on it. I had mentioned that we had ordered two cheeseboards but as they only bought one and the Cheddar I didn’t have anything to eat. One of the waitresses then returned with some cheese and crackers for me. A little frustrating but we got there in the end and all was well. My Mum then went to pay and the lady behind the till tried to charge her for FOUR cheeseboards! My mum explained that we had only received one cheeseboard, the slate with my sisters cheddar and then my cheese and crackers (so that would be the equivalent two cheeseboards as ordered). The women was awful. She said the original cheeseboard was actually a combination of two cheeseboards and that since that obviously wasn’t enough cheese for ME then I would be paying for the extra. I explained I had no way of knowing that the one cheeseboard was the equivalent of two cheeseboards (and that didn’t at all match what the waitress said when she passed and noted one was missing). I hadn’t complained that I didn’t have enough food, I complained that my food hadn’t arrived! If someone had explained to me that the one cheeseboard was actually the equivalent of two (literally makes no sense) then I wouldn’t have asked for more. The women behind the till offered a compromise of us paying for three cheeseboards which is outrageous as we only ever wanted two and if the cheddar had too much to ask for then we would have ordered something else. She wouldn’t back down and by this time it was getting very heated, the women had no perspective or understanding that we never wanted four cheeseboards or thought we had received that much food. My sister was getting distressed and so we had no choice but to pay and leave. I can’t imagine the experience was enjoyable for any other diners. It’s not what any of us wanted and I regret ever going to this place. Awful.

It deserves no stars! Utter disgrace. None of the staff seemed to know anything about the food or dietary requirements. My daughter is pregnant and we asked if there was hard cheese i.e Cheddar on the cheese board as if there wasn’t we would have ordered something else. The young girl was very sweet and went to check. She confirmed yes cheddar was on the cheese board so between the 4 of us dining we decided to order 2 cheese boards with one having less soft cheese and replaced some with cheddar. After a short wait a cheese board arrived. None of the cheeses didn’t look ok for a pregnant lady as either soft or had blue rind on. (A normal block of packet cheddar would have sufficed especially as it is a farm shop this shouldn’t be a problem). After a 5 minute wait we asked where the second cheese board was. To which the waitress said oh yes they only made one and reminded her the second one needed to have the cheddar and went back to the kitchen. She came back with a small slate board with cheddar & crackers. (It was half the size of the original cheese board). To which we asked for the rest of the board as we had ordered 2. Eventually more crackers & cheese arrived (but not even with chilli jam and trimmings). Finally we enjoyed our meal. I got up to pay as this was a family celebration and I was shocked to find I was being asked to pay nigh on £40 for 4 cheese boards. I only ordered 2! The woman (I assume the manager on shift) was rude and said we had asked for more. I explained that we only asked for 2 cheese boards to share and at no point did anyone say the 1 board they had bought out was equal to 2 cheese boards. (Which would not have been an issue). The amount isn’t in question and we don’t want food for free. I would like to point out there is no cheese board for 2 on the menu. The manager was blatantly rude and she was not having it that we had more than we asked for. She offered to take 1 cheese board off the bill as a good will gesture but that is not a good will gesture as I only asked for 2 cheese boards. The manager needs sacking in my opinion! She made both my daughters very distressed and I feel cheated out of my hard earned money. The sad thing is we had gone there for one of my daughters to consider it as wedding venue and was going to ask for more information and a tour but over £20 they have lost thousands. In retrospect I wish I had left without paying and hadn’t stood for her rudeness. It’s a shame 1 staff member ruined this very precious family lunch, trip to the farm shop (which we didn’t, and will never get to do) and even the possibility of a wedding there. Shame on you!!!!!

I had the small option of fish and Chips. Perfect. Staff were polite and friendly. Did wait a while but it's lunchtime so bound to be busy. A good selection on the menu. An open sandwich was my favourite. Coffee served hot, not to strong. Will plan to return soon.

The tables were not cleaned and the staff were rude and slow. Dogs are allowed inside and they are just allowed to bark which is annnoying and sit on the furniture. Very overpriced and noisy.

Was passing and popped in for coffee and cake. All very nice but action needs to be taken with the massive potholes on the track leading in!!! Almost impassable and won't be risking my car again until these are filled in.

The place has a lovely menu when you can finally get a table. Been here once before and wanted to visit again, only to be heavily let down. Rang up a few days ago and asked for a table, only to be turned away at the door by a miserable young woman for being “too busy”. We stayed to have a look round their shop which I must say has a wide range of locally sourced produce that looked amazing however was fronted by a solemn looking girl. Afterwards, we had another cheeky look round the corner to see if there were tables free and there were! How disappointing. Hostess clearly couldn’t be bothered to serve another two customers after a busy lunch service. A word of advice to whoever is in charge, you need to employ someone with a warm and welcoming personality as that first impression impacts the whole experience.

We came off A12 for brunch stop on the way back to London. I gad done Google search for sonewhere suitable. Farm animals and little shop lovely unfortunately cafe was prebook only so although loads of space to share tables nothing available for over an hour unkess prepared to sit outsude (6° and raining). Some tables seated 6 but only had 2 people at them. We fortunately found an amazing cafe and gift shop down the road that accommodated us.

After a previously outstanding meal and day out to Fields a few months back, my family and I decided to visit again after a long overdue trip. When we arrived, instead of the previously warm welcome we received on our last trip, we were greeted by a solemn hostess who seemed like she had better places to be. Things went from bad to worse when we overheard the waitress listing to a table nearby all of the dishes they had run out of. Not something you want to hear just as you’re being seated! You don’t expect to book ahead of time for a Sunday for there to be so many limited choices! A free drink and dessert were offered but I would have much prefered to be able to eat the lunch I was hoping for. I also was shocked amongst many of the other tables to hear a very unprofessional screaming match taking place between the hostess and chefs towards the back of the resturant. Very disappointing visit to Fields this time compared to the prior time. Would not visit on a Sunday again as the whole experience was disappointing.

They never answer their 'phone, there doesn't appear to be an email address so booked for Sunday lunch via their website. Food was delicious, served fairly quickly by pleasant staff. BUT, if you're looking for a quiet spot, forget it. Place was heaving with noisy children, and thumping background music. Didn't stay for pudds sadly. PS. Pork was superb but crackling most disappointing. That's usually the best part - when it's crispy!

First time visiting after hearing varying reports about this place ! I thought it was lovely the food was freshly cooked and service was excellent ! I don’t mind paying that little bit extra for fresh food ! I had the carrot cake for dessert and this was wonderful! My one and only issue and it is small is that I asked for a glass of water which was tap water and not cold ! Maybe next time run the tap a little or pop some once in it ! All in all though I would recommend to anyone local looking for reasonably priced fresh food!

Lovely location and always a firm favourite! Came here for a roast, didn’t realise that it would be different as we are in summer however it was a lovely surprise. Lovely food and lovely staff as always. (Sides were slightly random however!)

We visited for lunch on a Saturday (booking is always advised here!) however on arrival our table wasn't ready so we had a wander around the little shop which was no bother. Food is always nice here, even if you are popping in for a coffee and cake. There is a nice outside area too with animals. Service is always friendly when we have been (this time and previously) My only reason for the lack of two stars...is the doggy friendly aspect...myself and my family are allergic to dogs and honestly getting fed up of dogs being able to sit anywhere in food establishments with owners. I think places also need to re-consider that not everyone is a dog lover. Also, barking dogs whilst you are trying to eat a relaxing lunch is well, not relaxing! Whilst sitting at lunch and the sun was shining in from the front, it highlighted the amount of hairs on the floor of the restaurant. I know this cannot be helped given the amount of pets in there but perhaps more frequent cleaning could be considered during the day? Hall Farm in Dedham only allows dogs to be outside when people are dining, so perhaps this could be re-visited here, or have a certain amount of tables for dogs and owners.

We visited here for my mothers 70th birthday. As a family of 14 we made a reservation and were given a large table for breakfast. The Café was very busy, and I now understand why. Although we had to wait longer than expected the waitresses did come and apologise and offered us a free courtesy bowl of hashbrowns as an apology. When the food arrived, we had a variety of choices and every single one of us were impressed with the size and taste of the meals. The Full English breakfast was my choice, and this was delicious with most of the food cooked to perfection. On a nice summers day whilst waiting the children could play outside on the playground in an open field. Seating is both inside and outside and all situated in a very quiet environment. Although my parents covered the bill, the price was more than what you would pay at a pub, but you get what you pay for, and you can see a full menu on line before you make a decision to visit. The price was expected. A large carpark so plenty of spaces to park. We will return for sure.

This cafe is extremely dog friendly, which is what we were looking for. Breakfast for a birthday treat that we could take the family dog to. The cafe is a barn, very large, lots of tables. An outside area if the weather is good (it wasnt!) overlooking fields with various animals for the children (if you have any) to visit. The cafe is now table service, it used to be order at the counter. Much better now table service. We ordered pancakes, avocado on toast, full english and a sausage and egg ciabatta. The pancake stack was big but not over big, very fluffy. The sausage and egg ciabatta was delicious. The avocado on toast looked very good, and the english breakfast was excellent. And the coffee was delicious. A great place for a yummy breakfast with good service.

Lovely place but a very long wait not just to be served but for food to arrive. I appreciate it was made to order but other than the bread being toasted it was just a salad, nit even much of a salad just rocket leaves. Something of a disappointment. I noticed that some other customers had reason the complain and look very cross.