Our days are now narrated by poor impersonations of farmyard animals as we “oink, oink” and “baa, baa” to the wee man’s great amusement. And so I was inspired to take a trip down memory lane and visit Hackney City Farm. A trip down memory lane because when I lived in east London, HCF used to be the backdrop to many a hungover gossip session – over eggs and bacon – between me and my mates as we dissected the night before.
A near 10 years has passed since, but I’m pleased to report that the Farm still holds a special place in my heart and is, of course, great for kids big and small. Any visit has to start with a good breakfast and the food in the farm cafe is still top notch; predictably I had the sausage sandwich (I do eat other things, honest) and it did not disappoint. I was also delighted to find that they have upgraded the toilets from the tiny and always grubby outdoor loo to a new indoor WC, complete with baby changing unit.
We loved wandering round the farm too. Giant pigs, plucky hens, a rowdy cockerel, delightful donkeys and a few sheep to over enthusiastically point to and say “baa, baa” at repeatedly – what’s not to love?! The wee man loved staring at creatures he had only seen in Melissa & Doug form before and let’s be honest, what adult doesn’t love looking at an animal or two? My husband still marvels at the size of the pigs!
The farm shop is also worth a visit with delicious fruit and veg available and all packaging free – enabling you to do your grocery shopping without a guilty conscience.
All in all a lovely couple of hours, finished off with a quick mooch down Colombia Road … on the one day we decided to take the pram. Top tip? Bring the sling if you can. You can’t get very far through the glorious flower market with our monster Uppababy … though we did still enjoy browsing the shops and the man with his bike basket full of miniature dogs was a definite highlight. Only in east London, eh?!
Cost ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The farm itself is free and the restaurant prices are good – £4.95 for a sausage sandwich on granary bread. They also do children’s meals though the choice is limited
Accessibility ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The farm and cafe are both easily accessible with a pram but top tip; if you want to combine your visit with stroll down Colombia Road flower market – bring a sling
Facilities ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I mean, it’s a farm, so it’s never going to be glamorous but it does the trick.
Feeding friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely. This place is full of families so you’re unlikely to feel self-conscious. Grab the sofa if you can!
General vibe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A lovely afternoon out for big and little kids, alike.
MotherCulture 