You can watch the resident goats while sipping on a milkshake or sampling a Victoria spongeThe friendly goat at Burton Farm Shop(Image: Sophie Grubb/Bristol Live)

If Clarkson’s Farm has taught fans anything beyond its host’s hatred of planning rules, it’s the huge pressures on the farming industry and the need for diversification. Many farms are introducing public-facing facilities such as shops and cafes, to encourage other income streams separate from crops or cows.

There are several award-winning farm shops in the Bristol area, from destination food halls like Flourish in Saltford to small but perfectly-formed city gems like in St Werburghs.

I was searching for an option that would make a half-way point to meet family, and found Burton Farm Shop simply by zooming in on the map along the M4 corridor. It’s located on the outskirts of Chippenham in Wiltshire, about half an hour from both Bristol and Bath, and has gained hundreds of positive reviews since opening almost four years ago.

It’s less than a 10-minute drive from the Tomarton Interchange of the motorway, or you can take a more scenic route through the surrounding villages. I was pleased to find the drive was pretty easy as it’s right in the centre of Burton village – no narrow farm tracks to navigate and there is a small car park on site, although it was already filling up by the time I got there late on a Wednesday morning.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but the site was smaller than I anticipated, with a dinky farm shop that just takes up a little corner of the cafe. However, there is a big outdoor seating area beneath a stretch tent, offering lots of shade next to a field where alpacas roam.

My toddler loved pointing at them from a distance, as they were on the other side of the paddock during our visit. However, the resident goat was much more sociable. Initially it was chilling in the sunshine on a tiny trampette, but it soon trotted over to give itself a good scratch on a big bucket next to the fence.

Apparently there are a few more goats and alpaca living at the farm, although we only saw a few – perhaps they were staying in the cool of the barn as we did visit during the heatwave. There were also sheep on the hill and apparently there are a couple of donkeys too.

There isn’t much space for children to run wild but the village itself makes a pretty spot for a wander round. The parish website advertises a new playground with swings, picnic benches and a climbing area, although we didn’t manage to make it there during our visit.

The cosy farm cafe at Burton, near Chippenham(Image: Sophie Grubb/Bristol Live)

We did pass a pretty pub called The Old House at Home, just opposite the farm cafe. Bristol foodies should know this is also on FirstTable, meaning you can often get a good discount on food during off-peak hours, if you book via the app.

As midday arrived we headed back to the cafe for our lunch booking, although there were plenty of tables available inside as well as outside. There were a few specials on the blackboard including some delicious-sounding salads and sharing boards, as well as a children’s menu. Sandwiches, baguettes, jacket potatoes and tarts also featured on the menu.

The setting is really cosy with wood-panelled walls, strings of LED lighting and an old-school fruit cart displaying organic produce. The shop in one corner was well-stocked despite its size, with some tempting jams and preserves for a reasonable £4.95 and some juicy steaks in the fridge that also seemed really well-priced at just over a fiver each.

You have to order lunch at the till and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that diners have to pass the cake counter to get there. It was lined with a mouth-watering selection of sweet treats, from great hunks of chocolate-studded blondies to massive stuffed cookies and buttercream-filled sponges.

Set on something savoury, I ordered a coronation chicken sandwich on granary bread, served with crisps and a side salad for £8.95. This was one of the cheapest options on the menu compared to some of the pricier sharing boards and burgers.

Service was swift and friendly and the sandwich was generously packed with the creamy filling, which had just a hint of spice. I also had a taste of fig, prosciutto and burrata salad, which was deliciously fresh and studded with sun blush tomatoes and pecans.

The fig and burrata salad at Burton Farm Shop(Image: Sophie Grubb/Bristol Live)

Although my stomach had been sated, the glowing cake counter was calling my name before we left. I took home a piece of millionaire’s shortbread, which was not cheap at £4.65 but it was a hefty slab of a portion. It was completely indulgent and worth every calorie, with oozing caramel sandwiched between set chocolate and crumbly, buttery biscuit.

The traybakes and cakes at Burton Farm Shop. Yes, those cookies are £5.25 but they look big enough to share…(Image: Sophie Grubb/Bristol Live)

I also spotted afternoon tea being advertised in the cafe, which also has to be booked in advance and can be amended to suit vegan and gluten-free diets. They charge £25.95 per person and the scones piled on top of the counter did look delectable.

We had a brilliant couple of hours in Burton and the cakes alone are worth the journey in my opinion, although there are probably bigger family-friendly options if you want somewhere to spend a whole afternoon. However it would be easy to make a day of it if you consider it’s really close to tourist hotspot Castle Combe – frequently voted the prettiest village in England – as well as the beautiful National Trust property Dyrham Park.

Burton Farm Shop & Kitchen, Burton, Chippenham, 01454 218866