The Crazy Bear Farm Shop and Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Stadhampton, Oxfordshire
Surrounded by eighty acres of working farmland and adjoining The Crazy Bear Hotel, the Farm Shop has its own award-winning delicatessen, butchery and smokehouse. Next door, you’ll find their popular Outdoor Pursuits Centre which offers a range of activities.
Crazy Bear Farm Shop and Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Stadhampton
It’s well worth taking a detour off the M40 to visit this lovely farm shop.
It stocks high quality produce, wine and gifts – all thoughtfully selected to appeal to foodies and keen cooks.
While you’re there, book in for lunch at the hotel or try your hand at clay pigeon shooting.
The Crazy Bear Farm Shop
If you’re a Londoner, you’ll probably be familiar with the popular Crazy Bear Restaurant in Fitzrovia.
You may not know however, that there’s another in Beaconsfield and also a hotel, farm, farm shop and Outdoor Pursuits Centre in the Oxfordshire village of Stadhampton (an ideal location for a weekend getaway). The farm and the farm shop were originally created to supply the restaurants.
See The Farm Animals
The farm is particularly known for its Gloucestershire Old Spot pork and Welsh Badger Face lamb. You can see the animals grazing in the adjoining fields.
The farm’s home-cured bacon, home-made sausages and black pudding have won many awards. Book yourself in for lunch at the hotel’s restaurant to see how the chefs prepare their own meat.
Eat a Home-made Pie
At the shop's deli counter, you'll see their homemade pies, quiches, terrines, sausage rolls, Scotch eggs and pork pies.
Sit down at one of the tables on the small verandah outside and enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat or take home one of their delicious chicken and mushroom pies. Serve it with seasonal vegetables washed down with a bottle of Hitchcox cider or a beer from the Vale Brewery.
If you're feeling more celebratory, buy a bottle of sparkling wine from nearby Brightwell vineyard, Oxfordshire's largest vineyard.
Taste Oxford Blue Cheese
The cheese counter has a range of over 50 cheeses including local favourites such as Oxford Blue and College Cheese which you could serve with oatmeal biscuits from The Oxford Cheese Co.
Enthusiastic cooks will love the extensive herb and spice collection with its Eastern influences and jars of unusual items such as ground lemongrass (the hotel has a Thai restaurant).
Baking enthusiasts can pick up eggs laid that very morning and packets of Wessex Mill Flour.
Tips
- Book into the Crazy Bear Hotel for a weekend break or to enjoy a meal at one of their two restaurants (British or Thai)
- Treat yourself to Dim Sum served in a room reminiscent of a Moroccan Souk or Afternoon Tea served in the lovely hotel bar
- Next to the shop, you'll also find their Outdoor Pursuits centre where activities include clay shooting, duck herding and falconry
- You can visit the Oxford Cheese Company's shop in Oxford's historic Covered Market
Where to Stay
The Crazy Bear Hotel for a colourful and foodie stay in a country hotel in the village of Stadhampton. Read our review.
Ready to book a weekend break in Oxford?
Check out these recommended Best Places to Stay in Oxford.
Dogs
There a lots of lovely country walks nearby but, given there's a firing range at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre next door, please keep me on a lead.
How to Find The Crazy Bear Farm Shop
Crazy Bear Farm Shop, Bear Lane, Stadhampton, Oxfordshire OX44 7UR
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Find more Foodie Things To Do in Oxford. Discover Britain's Best Farm Restaurants and Cafés.
The Foodie Travel Guide
Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.