Nixon's Farm Shop — Local services in Stockport

I have been coming here for 2 years now. If someone were to visit for the first time they would find a recently updated outdoor play area, with lots of places to sit and loads for the children to play on. There is a cafe too for snacks and drinks. It looks like they’ve made an effort to accommodate more people and children in the outdoor area - which is great.

However, personally I feel that they have made too many changes. Remember, this place is primarily to attract children and presumably for the convenience of the parents. Previously, the cafe in the outdoor play area served a good selection of breakfast and lunch. Now it only serves snacks and ‘quick’ food. The problem is that you now have to wait for the food as they are trying to save on staff costs by not bringing food out. The result of this is they need more staff to serve, and clear up. And the time it takes to get food is longer. And if you’re a lone parent you have to keep nipping out of the cafe to see where your kids are. Or you have to wait outside and miss that someone shouted your order but 15 other people ordered the same thing and you didn’t realise. This has happened to me and I’ve seen it with others. Also it gets busy with people waiting to order and waiting for food. The ice cream counter is also in between the food ordering queue and the food collection counter. Mayhem.

Also, I just ordered some sandwiches and chips. I had to wait for the sandwiches at the cafe then I had to go and get the chips from a different food area around the corner. Remember, I’d say all the people here are with children and this isn’t the easiest thing to do. I have a 4, 2 and 1 year old. The chips collection area is at the entrance so you cannot see your children whether they are at the table or on the play equipment.

The full food menu is in the enclosed area away from the outdoor play area. That doesn’t help if you have kids that want to play. Frankly, I’ve never been here when I haven’t had the kids with me.

My opinion of the play barn is that the equipment is broken and dirty. It has indoor football which is great but my children aren’t big enough to use it properly. I generally avoid this area.

When we arrived today we also found that they charge you entrance at the door. Again, someone who has never been will not necessarily see a or with this. But when you’re carrying a baby and your other childcare running off, it’s a lot easier to go and find a table to offload the buy a ticket / wristband when you go to the till. I can imagine this will create a queue at the gate to get in as the weather improves. This will mean the gate being left open and either children being able to get out onto the carpark, or people queuing with children in the carpark. Either way it’s not ideal.

I’ve arrived today after they made these changes and opened the outdoor play area and I expected there to be no tables available as we arrived later than normal and usually we can’t get a table. However, I was surprised to see that only about 10% of tables were taken. At lunchtime still only half the tables. This is great if you’re getting here and want a table, but I would suggest this is because of the poor menu and service which has resulted in people not coming back as much. This is only my second time this year since they reopened about 7 weeks ago. Last year I was hear every weekend at least once and often twice (3 times on bank holidays). It’s a shame that people who have been coming here and enjoying the facilities are now subject to terrible service, lower quality menu and basically you can’t come here and plan lunch or breakfast with the children as previously- which is a real shame. I think this needs rethinking.

I’d be interested to hear other people’s opinions. I’ll state again, if you come for the first time I think...

My grand kids enjoy it but, it's not cheap. All the little toys and tractors are broke, damaged or ridiculously hard to peddle. The indoors kids section consists of a bouncy castle, another section with broken peddle tractors and some kids plastic houses, that have seen betters days. Then there is an astroturf football pitch that has 4 goals, each falling to bits and nets barely hanging on and 4 footballs, that look around 20 years old. All the tables have signs outside saying, "you cannot eat your own food here, the is not a picnic area" ; Then charge silly prices on very average food, that they sell.

The reason I won't be going again is NON of the above.... There was a sign on the counter today stating: "From the 1st of September we are going cashless on the farm for insurance and security purposes". I will BOYCOTT any establishment that does this!!! cash is the legal tender and we should not be driven into a cashless society. Any company that does this deserves the consequences of being boycott by EVERYONE that understand and is against what this agenda is trying to push. You have lost me and my...

I'm leaving a 3 star today based on our visit today got to the cafe at 2.35pm and was told that they stop serving food at 2.45, I was always told 3pm as we go regularly, could have hot food but yet it says hot food served up to 3pm, I questioned this then was told no, last order is 2.45 but bring out food upto 3pm ..... sounds like making up different rules on the spot ...OK well we had enough time ....you can only have a sandwich or bacon bap....OK so we had to leave 😫 1st time we have been in when it's not been as welcoming or friendly a little disappointed as its a regular favourite especially when we travel some distance....so for today's visit 31st October its a middle of the road review as we did not have food it was more of the lack of hospitality and closing earlier than stated. Will we be back? not for a little while as its too far for us to travel and can't run the risk of...