The Hills are alive with Strawberries & family fun!

⏱ Read time: 3–4 min

This one goes out to the locals that want to feel like a tourist in their own town.
If you haven’t noticed the abundance of local strawberries at markets, strawberry season is indeed upon us here in S.A!

During the strawberry picking season, running from November to April here in S.A., there are a lot of fun places to pick sweet bushels of these beautiful ripe fruit throughout South Australia, but one stands out as the family go-to, Beerenburg. Just outside downtown Handorph, S.A. in the Adelaide Hills, Beerenburg is known far and wide for its vast menu of sauces and flagship strawberry jam. In their time since planting their first crop they’ve cornered the market in wholesome summer family fun.

The look on your child’s face when they sneak a bite from a strawberry they just picked is priceless.

It was a passing comment over Christmas dinner that got me thinking, “What a great idea! It’s not far. It a family outing. It costs the same as if I bought them at Coles or Wooly’s. And we can make a day of it!”
My wife did a little research and found that they had gluten free scones. We were sold!
The next weekend, my wife, son, and I hopped in the car and headed up the M1 toward Handorf. We’d meet my brother-in-law and sister-in-law there and get lunch as well!

We arrived first and bought our wristbands. It’s 5 dollars per person and those under 12-years-old pick for free! After everyone arrived, we headed down into the fields. From the parking lot you’d think the fields will be teaming with people bent over snatching up all the ripest berries, but because the Beerenberg fields are so big, everyone spreads out and the crowds end up looking pretty sparse.

Beerenberg opens its strawberry fields for picking on select days, with updates shared via their website. Occasionally, a planned visit may coincide with the fields having been picked the day before, meaning they’ll be temporarily closed until the next crop is ready. But on the days where it’s on, be sure to bring your sunscreen, a hat, and a taste for some of the sweetest berries S.A. has to offer! (Seriously though, wear sunscreen)

As of writing this article the Beerenberg price per kilogram of strawberries was $13.50, which is comparable to market prices. Even if it’s a dollar or two more for a couple bushels, the look on your child’s face when they sneak a bite from a strawberry they picked is priceless. The five-month picking season should give plenty of time to plan your family weekend outing(s) accordingly.
It’s an outing that understandably draws families out in droves. That said, if energetic kids and tired parents don’t bother you, or maybe you have some of your own you’re looking to tire out (kids or parents), this may just be the weekend outing you’re looking for.

After about 45 minutes of hard-core farming labor, we headed inside for a cold drink and lunch at the Farm Cafe. It became obvious that the cafe was just as popular as the strawberry fields. There was about a 10-minute wait for a table for the five of us, but apparently the gluten free scones were worth it. I had the beef Beeren-Burger with chips, and fully enjoyed it! If you have kids with a sweet tooth (or one yourself), there is a Dairy with a wide assortment of ice creams.
And if you think you might be able to bypass the queue, they unfortunately don’t take bookings, but they do say, “we have plenty of room for casual dining and even on busy days we manage to find a spot for everyone!”

We left with full bellies, just over 2kg of strawberries (that I would be having with yogurt for the next two weeks), and a great experience we’ll remember fondly.

In our opinion, it’s more than worth the drive, the crowds, and the costs for this experience. Getting out to strawberry pick with family will definitely become one of your life’s core memories, and theirs.

We’re looking to get out to other farms in S.A. that allow folks to pick strawberries. If you know of any, we’d love to hear from you!

We’ll also be headed back into the Hills this Fall, looking to fill a few baskets of apples. We’ll be sure to let you know where we go to get those Red Delicious!

Also, if you have any corrections for this article please let us know.

Cheers!
-A.