Farm To Fork

Discover Ayrshire & Arran’s Farm to Fork Taste Trail

Ayrshire’s rolling hills and lush, emerald pastures are famous for the fine produce they offer up in such abundance. Swirl in the mild climate and Gulf Stream-kissed waters, and the result is one of Scotland’s most enviable natural larders.

Ayrshire has been renowned for centuries for its field to fork charms. From the Queen of Scottish dairy – the brown and white Ayrshire cows with their creamy milk – to Ayrshire bacon cured from premium-grade Scottish pigs, and the legendary Dunlop cheese. Offshore the Isle of Arran shimmers and offers Ayrshire in miniature with a treasure trove of farm produce waiting to be savoured.

The Farm to Fork Taste Trail is a tastebud-tingling delight, whether you’re driving or cycling. Ease around the quiet roads flanked by fields alive with cows, sheep, goats and pigs. Be welcomed with a warm Ayrshire smile and enjoy farm-fresh food. And you won’t leave empty-handed – take a slice of Ayrshire home from the bountiful shops to share with your friends and family.

AYRSHIRE & ARRAN FARM TO FORK TASTE TRAIL

AYRSHIRE & ARRAN FARM TO FORK TASTE TRAIL

1. Tarelgin Farm Shop – This farm to fork wonder is set in 280 acres of lush pasture and the produce is crafted using traditional methods. Fish is hand-filleted and smoked on site and the steak pies are filled with Tarelgin beef and homemade gravy. Choose from traditional Lorne and steak slice, black pudding and haggis; all produced right here in purpose-built premises. 

2. Dalduff Farm Shop – One of the oldest farm shops in Scotland – here since 1978 – is family-run, with a welcome and level of service you won’t find in large supermarkets. Locally reared beef, lamb and pork are lovingly conjured into delicious pies, Beef Wellington and spicy Merguez sausages. Snap up one of their delicious hampers for a real treat. 

3. Thomsons Square Sausage and Wee Farm Shop – Their motto – ‘Much more than just a breakfast roll’ – demonstrates their passion for their famous Lorne sausages (often referred to as ‘slice’ in Ayrshire), which they’ve been crafting since 1983. They produce square sausage blocks and link sausages too. Ingredients are sourced locally, with quality paramount. Discover cheeses, jam, marmalades and creamy Mossgiel Ayrshire milk at their Wee Farm Shop.

1. Dunlop Dairy – If you love cheese don’t miss this farmhouse artisan cheesemaker – they fully deserve the multiple awards they’ve won. They hand-milk their prized Ayrshire cattle and they’ve got Saanen and Toggenburg goats too. Star of the show is their signature hard-pressed traditional Ayrshire Dunlop, backed up by a smoked Dunlop, Aiket (a soft, white, mould-ripened cheese) and the newer Paddy’s Milestone, a soft, fresh cheese shaped like the island it’s named after – Ailsa Craig. There is a range of goats cheeses too. As well as a shop there is a tearoom to enjoy.

2. Mossgiel Milk/Mossgiel Snug – Non-homogenised, sustainable milk is at the heart of Mossgiel Farm, a farm Robert Burns immortalised in verse. The ‘Mossgiel Girls’ are fed a purely organic, grass-based diet. At cosy Mossgiel Snug their coffee is made from 100% organic handpicked beans, the ideal foil for the Mossgiel milk, which stars again in decadent hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream.

Auchengree Farm Shop & Tea Room – Buy Ayrshire beef, lamb and pork butchered on site from the proper butcher’s counter, or tuck into their legendary pies and sausages. The shop also stocks local cheese, eggs, chutneys and preserves. Pop into the woodburning stove warmed Tea Room for a hearty cooked breakfast or a burger at lunch. Everything is served with a sweeping view of the Garnock Valley.

Morton’s Milk & Farm Shop – They say they’ve got happy cows at Auchinbay Farm – they graze on lush Ayrshire grass in summer, then cosy inside on comfy cow mattresses in colder months. They certainly produce great milk. Both full fat and semi skimmed milk is pasteurised on site and is on sale in the shop. There are also Ayrshire treats like Graeme’s Scottish Honey, Nisbet’s gammon steaks and Caldwell’s divine ‘Dirty Carrots’.

Dowhill Farm Shop – Browse through a fine selection of Ayrshire produce, including vegetables grown on Dowhill’s farmland. It’s a joy eating here too, with the dining space peering out towards the unmistakable hulk of Ailsa Craig. Savour Ayrshire ham in their sandwiches, and local bacon and slice in their rolls.

Fencebay Fisheries – Ayrshire’s coastal waters offer up a rich bounty of both fish and seafood. Fencebay is a must for fishy foodies with their well-stocked shop offering everything from king scallops and langoustines, through to dressed crab and whole lobsters. Dine at The Catch at Fins Restaurant on a platter of local shellfish, or mussels classic mariniere style, cider or spiced.

Langholm Tea Room & Farm Shop – Tuck into homebaking and light meals made with local produce. Look out too for daily specials and Ayrshire’s Woody’s Ice cream. The shop stocks Langholm homemade produce, from steaks to pies, fruit loaf, free range eggs, jams, and deliciously sweet tablet. Don’t forget their famous Langholm pineapple tarts.

Woody’s Ice Cream – The large herd of Ayrshires at Killoch Farm provides the rich, creamy milk for the fantastic award-winning small batch ice cream. Choose from over 50 flavours at this family business: sorbets and yoghurts alongside ice cream. Enjoy the likes of Bubblegum, Malteser and Salted Caramel Popcorn at their Ice Cream Parlour & Dessert Bar.

Taste of Arran – The Isle of Arran is alive with farmland, glen and coast – a real oasis for producing fine food and drink. Taste of Arran handily pool the best artisan food and drink producers together, from the award-winning cheese of Bellevue Creamery, through to the grown-with-love produce of Robins Herbs, and the delicious Arran Ice Cream. The Taste of Arran you enjoy is always assured to be an authentic one, forged from this wild and wildly beautiful isl

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