The History of Hall Farm

Hall Farm is a working mixed farm that has been the home of, and run by, the Barrie family for over three generations since 1929. Positioned on the Suffolk and Essex border, with the river Stour running through the farms fields, the shop is ideally situated at Stratford St Mary, the gateway to Constable Country.


John and Stella Barrie decided to open a farm shop in 2001 responding to the demand for high quality local produce at reasonable prices. This also enabled them to retail their prize winning beef and lamb, farmed with sympathetic methods and a high level of animal husbandry, direct to their customers. As well as the livestock the farm currently plants, grows and harvests 6 acres of potatoes, all of which are retailed through the shop.


The shop has changed dramatically in the 8 years of retailing. Starting in the end of a stable block, we have now expanded through the whole of the barn, the addition of chillers, deli counters and gifts to the large range of vegetables, fruit and eggs enabled the shop to appeal to a wider customer audience. Now it has an extensive range of quality produce, and has become the perfect place to come and do the weekly food shop. We also welcome browsers and those of you out enjoying a drive round constable country.


Following on from the popularity of the shop, John and Stella opened their café restaurant in 2006, situated in a tastefully converted 16th Century cattle byer. The chefs pride themselves on sourcing and using as much local and seasonal produce as they can, with Hall Farm beef, lamb and potatoes regularly on the menu. They home make and bake everything and offer breakfast and lunch menu, daily specials and fabulous cakes to accompany morning coffee or afternoon tea. The front of house staff welcome you with the best views across the Dedham Vale. There is plenty of seating inside and outside in the courtyard with a safe area for children to play.


After rearing, our Hall Farm beef and lamb goes just 17 miles away to be slaughtered, and used to then return to Dedham to be butchered, coming back to Hall Farm for the shop and restaurant, ready for us to retail. John and Stella always had ambitions that their meat could return to the farm for butchering, so the animals could finish their cycle where they started, with less food miles. After building work and alterations to the shop in 2009 in preparation for the inclusion of butchery facilities, our own Butchers was opened in April 2010. Hall Farm now offers our own Hall Farm Beef and Lamb, fully traceable from birth to butchers counter, along with a fabulous selection of quality local meats.


Hall Farm is very much a family business with both John and Stella being hands on in the shop, butchery and café restaurant. Their sons William, Edward and Matthew are all keen followers and work in the different departments, learning the business.


Not ones to stand still, Hall Farm will continue to develop and change through the coming years, so watch this space.