Hasty's Adventure Farm in Clacton-on-Sea, a popular attraction on the Essex Sunshine Coast, has been named Small Visitor Attraction of the Year at the East of England Tourism Awards 2023-2024.

The farm, which opened in 2016, has acres of fun for families to enjoy. 
Hasty’s animal barn and contact zone allow families the chance to get up close to, meet and feed the friendly farm animals. 

There’s plenty of space for children to play, including in the innovative undercover wooden adventure zone, which sits under the largest canopy in the East of England. 

This year, the popular attraction has started to offer seasonal passes, offering unlimited access to Hasty’s for the 2024 season, including weekends and school holidays.

Hasty’s is an established destination for educational trips, regularly welcoming school groups as well as visitors from care homes. It also hosts birthday parties.

The farm prides itself on its customer service, which is evident from its numerous positive online reviews.

Hasty’s won the National Farm Attractions Network’s Small Farm Park of the Year 2023 and has received the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award for the last three years.

The judges said that Hasty’s is “a fantastic place to spend a family day out” with “a myriad of interactive experiences, from animal encounters to thrilling activities such as pedal go karts and grass sledges”.  

They were particularly impressed by the huge undercover wooden adventure zone. 

The judges also added that “the staff’s dedication to creating a welcoming, relaxed and friendly environment added a special touch” to their experience that they would have no hesitation in recommending.

Reacting to the award, Catherine Parker, manager of Hasty’s Adventure Farm, said: “It feels amazing – it’s a very big surprise and achievement for us. 

“We have a small team, they’re amazing, and without them we couldn’t do it, so we are very pleased for them as well as us.” 

Hasty’s is now preparing for the new season, with lots planned ahead of the park reopening at Easter.

“We have new play equipment coming in, we are working hard and looking forward to the animals starting to have their babies in the spring.

“That will be amazing and will bring everyone onto the site again.”

The other finalists in this category were The Bug Parc and The Suffolk Punch Trust.

The winners of the East of England Tourism Awards 2023-2024 were announced at Snape Maltings, Suffolk on Thursday, February 15. To find out about all of the winners, click here.

For more information about the awards, please visit tourismawards.co.uk