Gentle Annie Berry Gardens

Gentle Annie Berry Gardens sits in the Pennyroyal Valley behind Lorne, in the Otways hinterland about two hours from Melbourne. It pairs pick-your-own strawberries and mixed berries with a licensed farmhouse cafe, which makes it a favourite detour for Great Ocean Road travellers wanting Devonshire tea with their picking.

What You Can Pick

• Strawberries and mixed berries - Melbourne Cup weekend (early November) to the end of April

Activities

• Licensed farmhouse cafe with Devonshire teas, berry pie and ice cream
• Farm shop selling house-made preserves, cordials, sauces and sorbet
• Summer Friday nights from 5pm with dinners and live music

Good to Know

Open daily through the season, but closed Thursdays in November, February and March, with seasonal hours; check before travelling. There is no shade in the berry rows, so bring hats and sunscreen for summer picking. Prices are set each season at the farm. The kitchen leans on the harvest, with berry pies, sundaes and preserves made from fruit grown metres away, and the farm shop's cordials and sauces travel well as gifts. The Pennyroyal Valley drive itself, winding through green dairy country behind the Otways, is one of the quiet pleasures of the trip.

Pro tip: a summer Friday night visit gets you berries at golden hour and dinner with live music after.