Spring has arrived and now that restrictions have lifted, things are starting to open up again and it is full steam ahead at Craigies! 
 
As well as signs of new life blooming and the first few crops peeping through, we are also excited for new beginnings… 
 
The May Bank holidays could not come at a better time as we welcome you back into the Café, plus our new kids adventure farm park Little Farmers is almost ready for opening at the start of summer – more on all of this below! 

Preparing for Growing Craigies Own Veg 

Spring is when home-grown farmer George and the team prep the soil, ready to grow and harvest the perfect veggies! It’s an important time for Craigies Farm since quality soil is key to our tasty home-grown produce.   

If you are wondering how we do it – we start by adding manure to the soil, to incorporate the nutrients and organic matter through the top 10 inches or so of soil. Then we plough the soil, loosening and digging to bring all of the healthy nutrients to the top. Lastly, we level the soil so that the surface is even and has a fine texture, ready for sowing seeds. 

Soon we will be celebrating British Tomato Fortnight! Scottish tomatoes have been hailed “best in the world” by Good Taste Magazine and it is a great time all round, to acknowledge the wonderful home-grown produce that we and the rest of the UK has to offer. 

Craigies at Home 

While you wait for more veggies to grow, you can try our top recipe for Spring – a delicious Chicken and Leek Filo Pie. We have some of Craigie’s spritely leeks available in the farm shop and local-sourced chicken in the butchery. 
 
Now is also a good time for Craigies juicy rhubarb. You can find it in the Farm Shop or try it in Craigies home recipes, our rhubarb and pear oated crumble for two or our rhubarb and ginger jam – simply scrumptious! 

We’ve been thrilled at the responses to our new seasonal ingredient’s boxes. In the shop now you’ll find our April pizza making kit complete with ready-to-roll fresh dough, tomato sauce for the base and mozzarella, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, salami and basil to top it off! 

If you want a night off from cooking in May why not try our chef-prepared nourishing ready meals. The squash butterbean and cheddar open pie goes well with a side salad for a light Spring dinner.  
 
For a real treat try the oven ready pulled pork for two, prepared with a creamy parsley butter mash! You can find these and more in our online shop for delivery or click & collect.  

 
“We’ve been shopping at Craigies for around 30 years and have never been disappointed.” – A TripAdvisor review from our lovely customer. 

Enjoy Sitting in at the Café 

Welcoming you back to the Café for tea and coffee and hot meals has been great this week and we look forward to seeing more familiar faces over the weekend and upcoming bank holidays. 

 
There’s no need to book as we are accepting walk-ins so you can pop in anytime! To keep everyone safe and run a smooth service, we ask that you make your order from your table using our digital ordering app and allow our friendly team to bring your food and drink items to you. We can help you do this so all you have to do is relax and enjoy experiencing good Scottish hospitality again. 
 
The outdoor play area is once again open for the kids to have a run around while you finish off your meals, so here’s hoping for glorious weather! 
 

Little Farmers is coming to Craigies… 

 
This summer is going to be fun with the arrival of Little Farmers at Craigies. Developments of Scotland’s new adventure farm park are nearing completion for an opening in early June! 

 
Kids will love running, jumping and doing some farm ‘work’ indoors whilst getting messy in the yard outdoors! You can meet the animals in the animal farm, enjoy talks from George the farmer, see the sheep getting sheared, feed the pigs, groom the ponies, take tractor rides and loads more! 
 
Keep an eye out for more news on Craigies Little Farmers and opening details, and if you want to be the first in the know, sign up here. 

Pick Your Own Fresh Fruit this Summer 

PYO is a favourite for all the family and this year it is already hotting up, with lots of enquiries already about our Pick Your Own this summer! 
 
Our berries have just been planted, so they will be ready for mid-June – watch out on Craigies Facebook or Instagram pages for more info on booking early bird tickets, to be released VERY soon! 
 
At PYO you can spend the day foraging for ripe strawberries, raspberries, cherries, currants, blackcurrants and gooseberries to eat or turn into jams, desserts and smoothies. We can’t wait to have you back! 

Look forward to seeing you around Craigies Farm soon! 

Best wishes 

John Sinclair