Tabora Farm and Orchard

Make an impression this season with homegrown holiday gift baskets.
By Cheryl Baker

When visitors open the doors of Tabora Farm and Orchard in Chalfont, they are overcome with the aroma of fresh goodies—a familiar treat to those who remember the delicious smell of something always baking in their grandmother’s oven. The sweet scent brings back a certain childhood joy that can’t easily be recreated, that is, until you step inside Tabora Farm. The fragrance of frosting fills the air—with endless shelves of cakes and cookies tempting hungry shoppers in the bakery. At Tabora Farm, care and affection is expressed for family and friends through the preparation of delicious sweets and treats that can’t be found anywhere else.

A nostalgic undercurrent flows through the entire store, from the wooden beams on the ceiling to the original venue’s design that dates back to twenty years ago. The inviting country store is tucked in the middle of beautiful Bucks County, surrounded by endless nature. Together with their three children, owners Caleb and Patricia Torrice have been upholding old traditions while adding exciting features of their own to this family-owned and operated business.

One of the Torrice family’s recent additions to the farm market is the U Pick Rest Area, a new welcoming patio where the community can enjoy live, local entertainment in the spring, summer and autumn. “People can come here, get a meal, dessert and/or a snack,” said Patricia. Visitors can kick their feet up and relax on the patio while listening to live music and watch the spring’s gorgeous flowers bloom, enjoy ice cream during the scorching summer heat or take in the rich fall foliage. The farm has also recently installed restrooms, complete with heating, air conditioning and a wash station to ensure the comfort of their visitors. An expanded coffee bar with espresso and cappuccino is also in the works for those visitors who like a little jolt of energy with their made-from-scratch treats in the morning.

“Our goal is to give customers a more enjoyable experience,” said Caleb, adding that “our focus is on the community.” “How do you find something fresher than your own backyard— something that didn’t come from across the country?” he asked.

There’s no better way to capture the holiday spirit than to surround yourself with the warmth and aroma of fresh-baked holiday breads as you stroll through a good old-fashioned farm and orchard shop. At the center of Tabora Farm is their very unique gift basket business, all of which is offered on their newly-designed, consumer friendly website at www.taborafarm.com. There’s a basket for every occasion or celebration, including: coffee, chocolate, cookie, anniversary and holiday baskets. This spring, Tabora will be expanding to include a build-your-own option where customers can choose from any item in the store and create their very own customized baskets.

“This is a true bakery basket,” Caleb said of Tabora Farm’s enormously popular gourmet gift baskets. Every item on their shelves is made in-house and from scratch, with over 160 homemade items from the deli and bakery made daily.

Tabora Farm’s bakery is chock full of mouth-watering delights—with an assortment of homemade sweets inside baskets and on shelves all over the store. It’s a bakery haven, housing everything your taste buds could ever wish for, from pies and cookies to jams and chocolates, and even homemade ice cream. Tabora Farm also has quite a following for their produce, where visitors can pick their own fresh fruit and vegetables in their orchards during warm weather.

Their full-service deli is also always booming, with freshly-prepared salads, soups and entrees awaiting your appetite. A wide variety of sandwiches are made daily with Tabora’s scrumptious cold-cuts and served on homemade bread. Also on-site is a country store, where delectable delights such as gourmet chocolates, fair trade coffee beans and a plethora of snacks are available for purchase. The country store is a great place to find unique gifts for all occasions, especially the holidays—with everything from homemade soap and potpourri to picnic baskets filled with jams and jellies. Keep Tabora Farm and Orchard in mind when decorating your home for the holidays, where they have everything you need from Christmas trees to wreaths.

If you haven’t been there in a while or are looking to discover a place many customers have called a “hidden treasure,” Caleb and Patricia invite you to explore Tabora Farm and Orchard.

Due to numerous customer requests, Tabora Farm and Orchard’s hours of operation will change to 7am to 7pm beginning in April 2010. Tabora Farm and Orchard is located at 1104 Upper Stump Road in Chalfont. Check out what’s new with Tabora Farm and Orchard by calling (215) 249-3016 or visiting www.taborafarm.com.

Cheryl Baker is a freelance writer and pet photographer who lives in Montgomery County (cheryl.baker1@yahoo.com).