48 hours in…The Cotswolds

With its picture postcard villages and foodie destinations as far as the eye can see, it’s no wonder The Cotswolds is a favourite with discerning food lovers

Words: Holly Shackleton

Thanks to its golden-stoned walls, rolling hills and naturally luxe vibe, The Cotswolds has long been a favourite destination for those seeking sanctitude amongst its romantic landscapes. The good news for food lovers is that it ticks just as many boxes on an edible front. From cheesemakers and mongers to breweries and trendy bars, and from well-heeled retail establishments to cosy fireside pubs to rest and recharge after a day traversing its country roads and fields, The Cotswolds truly has it all. Covering nearly 800 picturesque square miles within the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, it would be impossible to highlight every foodie destination within one page, so we’ve nailed down our recent favourites for your delectation.

ONE-OF -A-KIND STAYS

There are countless hotel and self-catering options across the region, but we particularly love Luxury Cotswolds Retreats (luxurycotswoldretreats.com). There’s a wide range of options and locations available, from romantic apartments for two to family-sized houses boasting hot tubs, but we opted for Walnut Cottage: a cosy and super stylish two-bedroom cottage – complete with open fire – situated a stone’s throw away from one of our longstanding favourite cheesemongers, The Cotswold Cheese Co. (cotswoldcheese.com), in the small town of Moreton-In-Marsh. This comfortable cottage was the perfect bolthole for our stay, with a hamper of goodies including a bottle of bubbly, breakfast options and cafetiere coffee ready to be enjoyed upon arrival.

A FOOD SHOPPER’S PARADISE

As hard as it was to leave the cottage, the promise of fine food and shopping in some of the region’s most popular destinations beckoned. Thankfully, there are plenty of picturesque towns and villages offering up treats galore within a close radius, so we didn’t have far to travel before stumbling upon a new favourite.

We started the day at Burford Garden Co. (burford.co.uk), heading straight for the stunning restaurant for an unbeatable brunch before mooching around the Aladdin’s Cave of a food hall and garden centre. The Chocolate Room is an absolute must-visit for chocoholics and those looking for an edible gift, and we couldn’t leave before checking out The Reading Room: a tranquil spot for bibliophiles.

Next stop was the local town of Stow-on-the-Wold – also home to a Cotswold Cheese Co. outpost, in case your cheese supplies are running low – for a tipple at Off the Square (offthesquarestow.co.uk), a craft beer bar and café, followed by a cuppa and a pint at The Porch House (porch-house.co.uk), an ancient inn which has been warmly welcoming visitors for eleven centuries.

Of course, no visit to The Cotswolds would be complete without a visit to the world-famous farm shop, Daylesford (daylesford.com). We mooched around the impressive food hall, garden centre and interiors shop before stopping for a breather and some light refreshment at the in-house café - note: it gets super busy at lunchtime, so either eat early or try to curb your hunger until post-rush hour… but if you can’t wait, there’s a glorious selection of ready-to-eat savouries at the food hall counter.

UNFORGETTABLE EATS

You can’t visit the Cotswolds without a trip to a cosy village pub for supper, and we were lucky enough to fit a handful into our stay. Luckily, it’s nigh on impossible to drive through a village without spotting a quality pub (or three) serving food, so our appetites were swiftly satisfied.

The three spots most worthy of a mention? The Kingham Plough (thekinghamplough.co.uk), The Milton Hare (themiltonhare.co.uk), and The Crown Inn at Church Enstone (crowninnenstone.co.uk) were stand-out favourites, with all serving top notch cuisine at more than reasonable prices. With roaring log fires, dog-friendly bars and genuinely excellent food – don’t leave without trying ‘Mark’s sourdough’ – and be sure to make the most of the seasonally-crafted menus.