Itineraries for Your Trip to Cotswolds
3 Days in Cotswolds for Foodies
As a former Londoner, the Cotswolds has always had a mystical hold on me —“buying a house in the Cotswolds one day” seems to be the one-size-fits-all ambition of all Londoners. This idyllic pocket of rural England is the weekend playground of affluent urbanites and household-name celebrities, peppered with thatched-roof country pubs, farm-to-table restaurants, and bustling farmers markets.
The Cotswolds foodie credentials need little introduction, but with so many villages to explore, it can be hard to know where to start. Let your tastebuds guide you on a food-inspired getaway with this three-day itinerary.
An umbrella is the accessory-du-jour for a Cotswold trip—this is the English countryside, after all.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a classic Sunday roast dinner at a gastro pub.
Begin by visiting three of the Cotswolds' most picturesque villages. First is Bourton-on-the-Water, the Venice of the Cotswolds, for an English breakfast at the waterfront restaurant The Croft. Take a 20-minute drive along winding country lanes to Bibury, called the “most beautiful village in England,” to tour the Bibury Trout Farm.
There’s nothing more English than afternoon tea, and the most decadent is at Huffkins in Burford. Get finger sandwiches and scones, but save space for the local specialty, lardy cake. Appetite satiated, wander down High Street, where foodie spots include the Cotswold Cheese Co. and the old-fashioned Sweet Shop.
Another day, another irresistibly pretty Cotswold village. This time you're off to the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh—ideally, you'll visit for the Tuesday morning farmers market. The Cotswold Tearoom is ideal for a morning coffee, after which you can pick up baked treats from Otis & Belle Bakery.
After lunch, swing by the Cotswolds Distillery Visitor Centre in nearby Stourton to taste the gin and single malt whisky produced on-site. Next, get hands-on with a cooking class at Daylesford Organic Farm. Learn to make classic British dishes with seasonal produce and local ingredients, and enjoy a farm visit and meet the animals.
If you visit in summer, a stop at the Cotswolds Lavender Farm is one for the Instagram feed. Stop for the vibrant lavender fields—and for lavender-infused ice cream. A short drive away is Broadway, home to foodie favorites such as Broadway Deli, The Potting Shed, and Russell’s Fish and Chips.
A 10-minute drive from Broadway, Chipping Campden brims with gastronomic finds, including Toke's and Badgers Hall Tea Room. No visit to the Cotswolds is complete without a pub lunch. Head to the Eight Bells Inn or the Red Lion Tavern for British dishes like bangers and mash or a hearty Sunday roast.
