Penshaw Farm Shop - Houghton le Spring

Ben

This is one of those places you don’t realize exists until someone tells you about it—and what a hidden gem it is!

We visited around midday and found that there was already a queue, but it was extremely well managed by a lovely lady with glasses. Don’t let the queue put you off; it’s well worth the 10-15 minute wait.

All the food is fresh, locally sourced, and of fantastic quality. It isn’t cheap, but you should expect to pay a premium when the produce is this excellent.

Eventually, once they had a table for us, we ordered. We initially wanted four lamb and mint sandwiches, but when they couldn’t accommodate that, we changed our order to one lamb, two beef, and one prawn sandwich. They apologized and even gave us four free scones as a lovely gesture.

Not long after we were seated, our food arrived—about 10 minutes later—and it was delightful. Each sandwich came with its own salad and crisps. The tea was lovely too, with each of us getting our own pot.

The place is a real gem—the carrot cake and caramel tart were incredible.

The only downside was the toilets; they could use a refresh, but everywhere else is excellent. The on-site bakery and butcher are also worth a visit, and the butcher’s prices are slightly cheaper since there’s no VAT.

The car park is massive, though I imagine it gets packed easily.

The bottom line is that you need to visit—it’s brilliant!

Steven Brown

As a lifelong Sunderland resident, I can't believe it’s taken me this long to visit Penshaw Farm Shop—but better late than never! From the moment I walked in, I was struck by the charm of the place and the incredible range of goods on offer.

The highlight of my visit was undoubtedly the cake selection. It’s nothing short of extraordinary! I decided to try the Peach Melba, and it was absolutely insane—rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. It’s worth the trip alone!

The butcher’s section also stood out with an impressive variety of meats. Though I only purchased sausages this time, they were top-notch, and I’m already planning my return to explore more of their offerings.

Penshaw Farm Shop is a gem, and I’m kicking myself for not discovering it sooner. Highly recommended for anyone who loves quality local produce and baked goods!

Craig Masters

Went for my usual full breakfast. Great as normal with a cappuccino. Left with apple pie. Crusty cob. Scones and a Christmas wreath. Always friendly and happy to chat. Christmas decorations make it great for a visit and a coffee.

Blapi Darious

The first thing we noticed was the friendly and helpful attitude of all the staff we met. We tried the cafe having a piglet pork sausage sandwich and a bacon sandwich. Both were very nice, so good in fact, we went to the butchers and bought the sausage and bacon to take home.
We ended up buying much more than what we went for, all was fresh and of good quality. Our favourite was the custard tart slice from the bakery.

Ruth Bayfield

Love love love it here! It can get very busy at the weekend but worth the queue. Amazing cafes, lovely pies and the staff are really friendly and attentive. Friendly local vibes and beautiful surrounding walks and views. Worth a trip. When in the North East of England and you see a monument on the top of hill - you know you’re not far away.

sharon peacock

Took my son and he loved it , got himself some burgers,sausage from the butcher then we went to the bakery and got pies, cakes and then to the fruit and veg .
The turnips where huge just like the ones I used when I was little for our Halloween lanterns it was absolutely lovely and he will be going back as well .

RS

Fantastic farm shop and tea rooms.

All local produce with a butcher, bakery, veg and milk shops within, but be prepared to pay more than the supermarket for this good quality produce (especially in the bakery and butcher).

The tearoom is again fantastic, good portions of homemade fare at a reasonable price, but consequently the ques can be massive, and often out the door, (which can be less than ideal if the weather is naff) but well worth the wait.

All fully wheelchair accessible with plenty of parking, (but even the carpark can have ques due to how good the shops and tearoom is).
And Penshaw monument is right outside if you fancy a stroll up the hill or into the woods.

Would highly recommend and we visit often, but pick your time of day!!
We now normally avoid the weekends as the carpark and ques are insane.... but don't let that put you off, it's worth the wait if you have the time.

Kay Thompson

Lovely visit here after been recommended by a family member. We were not disappointed. A short walk away from Penshaw Monument this little gem has everything you need to make a quick tea time meal or a Sunday roast plus sweet treats for afters. There is a butchers, a bakers, grocery shop and a cafe. As well as selling plants they also sell fresh whole milk and you can have the option of a flavoured milk too. The chocolate milk comes highly recommended by my 8 year old. They have different flavours and some look to be on rotation. They offer glass or plastic bottles too. We ordered some hot drinks and purchased something from every shop.
The veg was fresh, as was the bread buns from the bakery. Our eldest had some corned beef pie which was "a winner". The sausages from the butchers are massive! Full of flavour and their chilli burgers are beautiful. We purchased some ducks eggs which were loose but the butchers helped us out with a tray and safe to say we've had some delightful fried egg sandwiches! We will be back soon, already recommended this place to friends and family.