Alder Carr Farm - Ipswich

L P.

Waited a couple of weeks to post as we are regular customers and emailed them first to get a reply however as none has arrived here goes.
The service ladies are really nice, friendly etc so no complaints there. we booked a table 1030 got there 1025 ordered within 5 minutes and we’re still waiting for poached eggs on toast at 11 ! It wasn’t even busy ! Then when it did arrive the side of mushrooms on both plates were stone cold they took back only for them to come out again cremated ! The full English is quite pricy at 17 pound and all they took off was 2 pound for the cold mushrooms !!! So disappointing being regular customers of about 15 years . Like I said we did email 2 weeks ago but to no avail ! We also heard the kitchen staff blaming the waitress for taking too long which again is unprofessional to be able to actually hear them telling them off !
If you want a decent breakfast served In a decent time frame don’t visit here !

Customer R.

Subject: Feedback on Recent Purchase 21st April 2025

I wanted to provide some feedback as a local resident of Needham and a customer of your lovely establishment. This morning, I walked from St George's Park with visiting relatives to show off your shop and its wonderful offerings. As always, we were impressed and decided to purchase a few items. I even treated everyone to some cake from your shop, which had a best-by date of April 24th.

However, when we returned home around noon and decided to enjoy some cake with our coffee, we were thoroughly disappointed to find that the coffee and walnut cake was quite dry. I’m not looking for a refund of the £8.95, but I must say that I could have found something better at Tesco, just up the road in Stowmarket.

I regret spending my money on this purchase, and unfortunately, it has tarnished in my eyes your reputation for quality products.

Receipt available as an attachment.

In Reply,
Good morning, 22nd April 2025

Had you replied to my email a little quicker, I would not have mentioned this on Google reviews, sadly, you did not. Thanks for your offer to replace it. The cake purchased was in a sealed bag, no damage and paid for at your checkout.

It is very, very dry and cannot be eaten without adding cream, nothing like what you describe?

A pity, but here we are.

Kind regards,

H M.

Nice farm shop, cafe and a couple of shops. All on the expensive side, as common with most farm shops. Fruit scone was lovely. Great sausages and ice cream. Nice to see the pigs and goats round the back, and the homegrown rhubarb. Has small children's playground and parking. Would recommend

Lauren W.

Lovely farm shop with lots of produce and tasty treats. The quality of the fruit and veg is amazing. The cafe makes a delicious breakfast and the atmosphere is great. It can be on the busy side so make sure to book ahead. They also have a few independent shops on site and gorgeous cut flowers. Well worth the visit!

Harri D.

Sadly the farm is a bit run down with hardly any animals and all fenced off, my 3 year old couldn't see any of the animals and I spent the entire time panicking she would accidently touch the electric fences that were everywhere.

The food at the cafe was dreadful. I'm afraid the poached eggs tasted strongly of the vinegary water they were clearly cooked in. There is also no children's menu which is odd given we saw a fair few parents in there.

The lady on the till in the farm shop was also incredibly bad tempered and obviously didn't want to be there.

All in all we didn't enjoy our visit today which is such a shame as we have really enjoyed visiting previously and have recommended it to friends and family. Hopefully just a blip.

jilly P.

Great place for their farm shop. We also had fabulous cooked breakfasts in their cafe, top quality sausages and bacon. Good service. Nice little walk round the outdoor area and animals afterwards.

julie C.

Arrived 50 minutes before closing to see the floor in part of the cafe being mopped and swept, told that part was closed. Staff weren't particularly friendly, had to find a waitress to place an order. Had a cream tea, got served a 'fruit' scone (one sultana in the entire thing) on a chipped plate. Got the impression that the staff were tired after a presumably busy shift so the lack of welcoming atmosphere was understandable. Food was quite inexpensive but not great quality. I wouldn't make a point of coming back again.

Sheila W.

The food is good - no complaints there but the staff need training! They came umpteen times to ask if we were ready to order breakfast, even though we told them umpteen times we would order at 11:15! We’ve had three bad staff experiences. Happy to give more info direct.