The BarnYard

Upchurch, Kent

Lovely farm wedding venue in Kent
Located in Upchurch, near Sittingbourne
Licensed to host civil ceremonies
Receptions in large permanent marquee
Fully-equipped with lots of plush features
Bespoke options and decorations available
Outdoor ceremonies in The Breezehouse
Evening receptions for up to 300 guests
Delicious homegrown organic cuisine

Gallery

The BarnYard is one of Kent's leading rural venues. Situated in Upchurch, Sittingbourne in the heart of countryside bordering the Medway, the farm boasts 150 acres offering a wide variety of stunning surrounding landscapes, including hills, woodlands and an orchard. The beautiful overall setting of the venue lends a breathtakingly romantic ambience to its wedding ceremonies and receptions, and indeed The Barnyard recently achieved a rare accolade, being the Kent Wedding Awards Winner in 2014.

Consisting of two civil ceremony-licensed areas, one inside and one outside, and a luxury permanent marquee which can fit up to 300 guests, The BarnYard is perfect for seasonal weddings. The talented in-house catering team derive a good deal of their culinary inspiration from the farm's fresh produce, designing and creating delicious and organic wedding breakfast menus.

History

The business began in 1947 with Arthur Conference Goatham and his partner Phyllis. They purchased a tractor the following year and began agricultural contracting, subsequently buying a crop of cherries, then a crop of apples the same year. Arthur delivered them to Spitalfields and Covent Garden markets in London. In 1967 their son entered the growing family business. Street Farm in Hoo was purchased in 1980 and Phyllis began retailing her own produce, soon establishing Street Farm Shop, which quickly started to vend all types of fruit and vegetables.

In 2007, BarnYard and Gore Farm were purchased. Son Clive wanted the business to develop into 'a fruit farm of excellence linked to a food place of excellence', and thence the restaurant was established. The owners subsequently had the further idea to redesign their grounds with 'the perfect wedding celebration' in mind, creating the hospitality areas and obtaining their civil ceremony licences. The farm itself has now won an impressive array of awards and the enterprise, as a farm, restaurant and wedding venue, shows little sign of flagging in the near future.

Facilities

Grand Marquee

With a civil ceremony licence, and also able to accommodate wedding breakfasts and evening celebrations, The BarnYard's permanent Grand Marquee is a lavish hospitality suite. For a splendid garden-themed wedding, some areas of the Grand Marquee can be opened up to the venue's grounds. The civil ceremony space is a part of the main marquee, but a separate room can be created by means of a portable curtained corridor.

The separate wedding breakfast area contains an 18-foot-long oak bar. Intelligent lighting is supplied by five glass and crystal chandeliers; for added comfort there are luxury indoor toilets.

Civil Ceremony Capacity - 140 Guests
Wedding Breakfast Capacity - 140-180 Guests
Evening Reception Capacity - 300 Guests

Breezehouse

Looking out across orchards, hills and woodlands, and ideal for al fresco celebrations, The Breezehouse is licensed for hosting charming outdoor ceremonies witnessed by up to 140 guests.

Civil Ceremony Capacity - 140 Guests

At night, The BarnYard is romantically illuminated by thousands of fairy-lights, reflected in the beautiful outlines of the buildings, which guests can admire while they enjoy their al fresco drinks.

Catering

Zest Creative Catering, the venue's in-house chefs, have been inspired by both homegrown and locally-sourced ingredients in creating their wedding menus. The BarnYard has earned many awards for the fruit it produces, which is frequently featured in breakfast menus. The team of chefs endeavour to make their cuisine deliciously fresh and organic, greatly benefiting from a surrounding abundance of food and their culinary knowledge.

Accommodation

There is no accommodation on site, but plenty of hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses will be found in the local Sittingbourne area.

To contact The BarnYard, use their contact details below.

Address
The BarnYard
Oak Lane
Upchurch
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME9 7EZ

Reviews

Siobhan and Christopher - 23/10/20

Would just like to say a massive thank you to all the staff at The Barnyard. From the first visit I loved the whole venue and could see myself and partner getting married there. I had never been before viewing and only knew about the venue from recommendations and I'm so glad I went and looked. The venue itself is absolutely stunning and we cannot wait to receive our professional pictures. The bar staff were always there so no waiting around for drinks like I have known at other venues. Kerrie was fantastic at setting up, as we were unable to set up the day before, she saved myself and my partner having to set up on the morning of our wedding. Kerrie did everything. So once again a massive thank you from myself and my new husband.
Kelly - 14/10/2016

From the day we first viewed the Barn Yard (then another 7 times at least after to show it off to family as we were so impressed) to our wedding day, we cannot thank Jo and Kerrie enough for making it such a wonderful day! The weather was fantastic so we could get married outside with the goats which is what we wanted! Family and friends complimented us all day on how fantastic the venue and grounds were and how it was just so relaxed, again, just how we wanted it. The waiting and bar staff were so helpful and attentive and were always around if we needed anything. The only downside was that your most special day goes by in a flash and you wish it could go on forever... Thank you all xx
Emma and Ben - 13/09/2016

The venue was stunning, the food was amazing and the staff are outstanding !! I got married at the beginning of August and can honestly say I had my dream day. Everything was perfect and for Kerrie and her staff nothing was too much effort !! I wish I could do it all over again I wouldn't change a single thing.... I'm still getting constant comments about the venue, the food, the staff, and how perfect it was.

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