Organic Farm & Food

Helen Browning’s family has farmed at Eastbrook Farm for more than 67 years and we have been organic since 1986. Our philosophy is to grow the best quality crops and animals, whilst making space for nature too.

But this doesn’t stop at the farm. Helen Browning’s runs the Royal Oak, a boutique hotel and dining pub here in Bishopstone. We also offer workshops and courses alongside our wildlife photography and workshop business, Prohides.

Our online shop aims to bring you the very best products associated with all our businesses, locally and ethically sourced, including meat boxes delivered across the UK.

Evolved through the Covid crisis, our new ‘village shop’ at the Royal Oak offers organic essentials for sale, and the pick of locally made food treasures.

The story so far

Helen’s story is simple and compelling … an ongoing exploration into ways to farm that are as good as they possibly can be for people, farm animals and nature. Organic, of course, and constantly challenging how we can evolve our farming systems to do even more to stabilise the climate, feed everyone healthily and restore an abundance of wildlife to our countryside. As Chief Executive of the Soil Association, the educational charity that supports policy makers, farmers, foresters and citizens make better decisions about how we eat, farm and care for the natural world, Helen tries to ‘walk the talk’ at Eastbrook. To get a fuller understanding of the philosophy that she aims to put into practice, do read ‘PIG: tales from an organic farm’ which she wrote recently with her partner in life and business, Tim Finney. It delves deep into the issues that concern so many of us, including the ethics of meat eating, through the real life story of a gang of piglets from birth to bacon.

Moving on with cattle

Although we are most known for fabulous, high welfare organic pork, we are now introducing a range of Good Beef. This is because we recognise the importance of pasture fed livestock in improving soils and maintaining the grasslands that harbour so much wildlife… if they are managed correctly… and the need to move away from feeding animals crops that we could be eating ourselves, such as cereals, pulses and soya. Pigs and poultry need these ‘concentrates’ in a world where it is hard to feed the waste that was their traditional fare. Our ‘good beef’ live most of their lives on downland pastures, building carbon in the soil, and encouraging the floral diversity on which pollinators and many other insects depend.

We would love to show you what we do – shop online or come and visit us, hear our stories directly, and take a tour of the farm. Tim runs the wonderful Royal Oak pub/restaurant with stunning rooms so you make the most of your visit, whether you come for the Farm safaris, photography hides, brilliant walking and or, of course, to indulge in fabulous food and drink.

Visit the farm remotely

Walk with Helen around Eastbrook Farm, meeting the cows and pigs and enjoying the delightful sounds and scenery during a sunny, spring day on the Ridgeway.

Filmed during lockdown these snippets of life on the farm also feature the changes made by Helen Browning’s Organics in supporting our local community and the NHS, and Helen’s vision of the future for a better, sustainable land use.

Eastbrook Farm

We work our beautiful farm for the benefit of our animals and for wildlife, improving the landscape and soil, and creating interesting, fun and satisfying jobs at the same time. We stay true to our pioneering spirit. Creating space on the farm where great ideas can grow. And we produce organic food from all this…

Livestock

“Of all the benefits I love about organic farming – the wildlife, the landscape, the delicious food – what motivates me more than anything is allowing our animals to have as good a life as possible… 

About Helen

Helen is a farmer and campaigner. The journey that food makes from the farm to the plate has been central to her life and work. Born and brought up on her family farm in Wiltshire which she runs today, Helen is also Chief Executive of the Soil Association. She remains first and foremost a farmer and was awarded the OBE in 1998 for services to farming…

Why organic?

Organic means working with nature, not against it. It means higher levels of animal welfare, lower levels of pesticides, no artificial fertilisers and more wildlife!…

Recipes

A selection of some of our favourite recipes from chefs at Helen Browning’s Royal OakThe pub is in the middle of our organic farm, with generous seasonal food from our farm or our neighbours. Come and visit us or… 

Products

Helen Browning’s Organic, that’s the name on our organic food from the farm – bacon, hot dogs and speedy sausages. Full of flavour, with all the hard work that goes into farming our organic pigs reflected in food that feels and tastes good when you eat it…

Awards

We occasionally like to put ourselves through the mill and enter our wonderful products for an award – from time to time we’re delighted and slightly surprised to win or come close runners up…

Pig, Helen’s book

A gloriously written book, mostly following nine sows from the week of their farrowing, around the shortest day last year, through one of the hardest, longest winters we can recall. It includes the sow that died, leaving nine orphans, and how three of them escaped to the sanctuary of the farmhouse to begin their slow recovery.

Wholesale

Alongside our Helen Browning’s Organic products and meat for our own pub and restaurant, we also work with a number of partners to provide them with organic meat in a wide range of cuts and specifications for their businesses…

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