With a well-deserved reputation as a foodie destination, the Cotswolds offers tempting treats and delicious drinks for every taste and budget. Whether it’s a full-blown Michelin starred meal or afternoon tea, great British pub food or incredible local brews, it’s the perfect place to tickle your tastebuds this winter.
English countryside destination, Thyme is offering a number of festive menus throughout December to help you embrace the Christmas spirit. Be sure to taste the delights of the Christmas Feasting Menu served at Thyme’s Ox Barn restaurant, or their special New Year’s Eve 5-course menu with a glass of Krug included. Village pub, The Swan has also expertly crafted a festive set menu and Thyme’s Cookery School has curated a seasonal curriculum celebrating various epicurean elements including a December Festive Breads & Bakes course and Festive Treats: Canapés & Cocktails course.
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With two AA-rosettes under its belt, The Old Stocks Inn in Stow-on-the-Wold is home to an unparalleled dining experience, combining traditional British cuisine using the very best local ingredients with a twist. Head chef Ian Percival and his team serve up seasonal menus brimming with bold flavours and creative flair, as well as a handpicked wine list to complement each dish. You’ll also find an array of bespoke cocktails, created by The Old Stocks’ in-house mixologist, and an artisan coffee shop next door offering indulgent cream teas and light lunches. What more could you want?
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With roots dating back to the 14th century, there's no better place to enjoy a quintessential taste of the Cotswolds than at the Lygon Arms luxury coaching inn. Whether you’re looking for a traditional Sunday lunch celebrating Cotswolds food and drink, or a wider menu of seasonal British dishes, you’re guaranteed fantastic local ingredients in a relaxed yet imaginative way. The highest-quality produce is at the heart of all dishes and stems from friendly and sustainable relationships with Cotswolds suppliers, farmers and artisans to produce a varied all day menu.
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Newly appointed Executive Chef, Andrew Birch, has created a new tasting menu for The Restaurant at Ellenborough Park, which showcases the very best of seasonal produce, drawing inspiration from quintessentially British classics. Signature dishes include hand dived Scottish scallop, Serrano ham, roasted cauliflower, watercress and truffle, Scottish venison, salted caramel fondant with crème fraiche and granny smith apple sorbet – all accompanied by an exemplary selection of wines. Ellenborough Park’s elegant fine dining restaurant is a beautiful spot to indulge in this fabulous menu and enjoy a cosy atmosphere and sweeping views across the historic grounds to Cheltenham Race Course.
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The beautiful vintage glasshouses in the Garden at Miserden are home to the Garden Café. Nestled within the picturesque nursery, the unique venue hosts regular pop up restaurants where a variety of top quality local chefs take over for the evening to offer diners a delicious feast in a beautiful setting. The evenings are ‘bring your own booze’ and range from Japanese banquets, exceptional seasonal suppers with a modern twist, inspiring plant-based food journeys, Thai, Indian, and fusions of flavours from across the world.
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What better way to taste the Cotswolds than with a trip to the Cotswolds Distillery? Join one of the Tour & Tastings, where you’ll be taken on a guided tour around the production areas and warehouses whilst giving you a detailed account of how they craft their award-winning spirits, and see (and smell!) the processes in action. At the end of the tour, you can make yourself at home in the stylish tasting room to sample a range of spirits and liqueurs.
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Welcoming guests just in time for winter, The Crown is the perfect place to enjoy the delicious dishes and locally sourced produce that you come to expect from The Lucky Onion’s Executive Chef, Ronnie Bonetti. The understated yet classic British menu highlights the very best quality ingredients including a variety of cuts of beautiful and well-aged meat cooked up on the grill. Sundays see a feast menu of classic roasts and larger than life Yorkshire puddings.
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Winter at Minster Mill is a feast for the senses. Explore one of the walking trails taking in the hotel’s 65 acres of frost-tipped gardens beside the bubbling River Windrush and return to the welcoming restaurant warmed by the crackling log fire for an exceptional four-course festive lunch. Crafted with the freshest regional, seasonal ingredients, dishes include confit turkey ravioli with celeriac, turkey consommé and sage or Christmas bread and butter pudding with custard ice cream and pistachios.
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Highgrove is pleased to officially launch its 2019 Christmas collection, unveiling a unique selection of gifts to make the festive season extra special. Available at the Highgrove Shop at Tetbury, you’ll find the perfect Christmas gifts to place under the tree including beautiful gourmet hampers, luxury gifts, limited edition keepsakes and a choice of unique experiences.
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The Pudding Club’s heartfelt mission since it started in 1985 has been to preserve the Great British Pudding! Enjoy a whole evening’s entertainment starting with a glass of Bucks Fizz and a jovial introduction by The Pudding Master followed by a light main course and then the Parade of Seven Traditional Puddings, with all its noise and ceremony, the aim is to taste them all and then to vote for your favourite pudding of the night over coffee. Guests depart certificates in hand!
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Whether you're after a quick al fresco snack or a cream tea, Hidcote has a variety of places for you to sit and enjoy your surroundings whilst tucking into some delicious food and drink. Choose a hearty lunch from the seasonally changing menu in Winthrop’s Café or if you fancy something lighter sample a cup of tea and a delicious slice of homemade cake in the Barn Cafe. Don’t miss homemade mince pies and mulled wine in the café this winter.
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Daylesford's award-winning Cotswolds farmshop is filled with an abundance of organic produce that is grown, reared and produced right next door on the Daylesford farm. Fresh, seasonal supplies of vegetables, fruit and herbs are picked each morning from their 28-acre market garden and walked just a few yards to the shop, along with delicious produce such as milk and cheese from the creamery, warm bread from their bakery and meat for the butcher’s counter. Daylesford’s expert chefs prepare their signature dishes to accompany botanical cocktails for their organic café.
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The Fleece, Cirencester’s 5-star inn, is a welcome retreat for weary travellers with its roaring open fires and restaurant serving an array of hand-crafted dishes made using fresh, carefully sourced ingredients. Starters include a seasonal soup with freshly baked bread or the Gin and Tonic cured salmon with pickled shallot and cucumber salad. Sharers include the Charcuterie plate with coarse game terrine, oak smoked chicken and spiced chorizo, and mains include signature dishes like lemon and herb pork chop with winter spiced celeriac and apple slaw.
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The Flamingo Point Café at Birdland Park & Gardens offers locally sourced goodies, hot food and delicious drinks. With classic Cotswold cream teas, homemade cakes and delicious handmade sandwiches; warming hot food and plenty of paninis there is something on the menu for everyone to enjoy. The café sources all its produce locally ensuring great fresh quality ingredients for you to enjoy inside the stylishly rustic venue or outside in the sunshine overlooking the Flamingo River. The picturesque setting is the perfect spot to enjoy coffee, lunch, a quick snack or afternoon tea.
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The Queens Hotel in the heart of Cheltenham has recently launched an exciting new menu in their exquisite Napier restaurant. Offering a true taste of the area, the menu consists of fresh, quality produce such as tender slow cooked lamb shank and flavoursome sea bass sourced from local farms and artisans. After exploring the delights of Cheltenham, diners can return and enjoy exquisite culinary creations that truly reflect the royal address and its locality.
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Cold winter days are just perfect for cosying up in a warm country pub – so why not leave the driving to Go Cotswolds and join their monthly Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tour? Your day starts with a pick-up from Leamington Spa, Warwick, Warwick Parkway station or Stratford-upon-Avon followed by a brewery tour and tasting at the award-winning Purity Brewing Company. Then after a delicious lunch and drink in a country pub you’ll be taken to two further locations to enjoy more of our favourite Cotswold pubs.
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The Green Dragon Inn is a traditional Cotswold pub with log fires, beamed ceilings and stone flagged floors. The bars and tables are from the Mouseman of Kilburn with mice carved into the furniture and fireplaces. Enjoy a weekly menu and a specials board serving seasonal, locally sourced game – the stars of dishes such as warm local pigeon breast, bacon and quail egg salad or pan fried local pheasant breast with a bacon, Dijon mustard and cream sauce.
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If you want to experience a truly authentic flavour of the Cotswolds that is steeped in history, join a Cotswold Electric Bike Tour to Donnington Brewery. Founded by the Arkell family in 1865 on the site of a thirteenth century mill, the traditions of brewing have been handed down through the generations. You will enjoy a tour of the brew house to discover the craft of brewing traditional ale, with beer tastings and a delicious picnic in idyllic surroundings, plus a gift pack to savour at home at the end of the tour.
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Fairytale Farm is becoming famous for its range of gluten and dairy free or vegan sponge cakes and cupcakes. Moist and delicious, people tell us that if we hadn’t told them that they were gluten and dairy free, or vegan, they wouldn’t have noticed the difference! The Beanstalk Café is open to all, not just visitors to Fairytale Farm, and the range is always changing by the season, so there’s always a reason to come back!
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