The Sign of the Angel, Lacock

The eagle-eyed among you, may instantly be wondering why a blog that concerns itself with Cirencester and the Cotswolds, is writing about a pub in Lacock. It is a fair question. Lacock itself is located in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside and while it is not far from Cirencester, it is still a stretch to think of it as near the Cotswolds, even if everything is relative.

The answer is twofold, really: firstly it is such a nice place that we can’t help but feel compelled to tell you about it; and second, believe it or not, The Sign of the Angel in Lacock, markets itself as “located in the National Trust village of Lacock, on the edge of the Cotswolds and only a short distance from Bath.” For those two reasons, I ask you to go with me on this.

This Easter weekend was not the friendliest, weatherwise, but there is something about the Brits that compels us to do something, come a bank holiday weekend. One of those days must be spent doing DIY/the garden/spring cleaning (delete as appropriate); there must be a big family meal; and there has to be an outing of some sort. This was our outing, and we could not have picked a worse day, but we were rewarded by our lunch destination.

To say we were all ready for food is a blithe understatement. I have no idea what it is about just sitting in a car that makes you ravenous but I can attest to the truth of this phenomenon. So it was, first with great interest, and then with great pleasure, that we read the menu. There are some menus, that when you read them, you just know (barring a major upset) are a sign of good things to come. I could have happily eaten everything on there. There is a set lunch menu from which you can choose your combination of courses, or there are some lighter lunch options.Between us we ordered a decent cross-section.

 

Low ceilings abound.

The sign of The Sign of the Angel

Cosy interiors are very welcoming.

It was only once we’d ordered that we took stock of our 14th century surroundings. They were quite something, and it is easy to see why Lacock is a perennial film or TV location both inside and out. There were nooks, there were crannies, beams that bowed so low they were a hazard to anyone over 4 feet 6. The garden looked a picture, even in the rain, and must surely be quite something when the weather lets it. There are fireplaces  – thankfully complete with fires when we were there, doors that looked older than the last two centuries combined and a maze of different spaces, all with tables full of expectant or satisfied-looking diners.

Which brings us back to the food which, when it all came, had the air of a banquet and was entirely in keeping with the renaissance-era surroundings. The prawn cocktail salad (a main course portion) was served on a long, rectangular slate set into a wooden base that looked for all the world like a sled. In terms of visual impact, it could not be faulted, and tasted every bit as good. The prawns, grilled and juicy, were lavishly dressed in a mildly spicy cocktail sauce with sun blush tomatoes, olives, a griddled baby gem lettuce and some melba toast. My blade of beef was meltingly tender and surrendered to the merest hint of pressure from my fork. Coupled with a pea risotto some steamed celeriac  – refreshingly not mashed, for once – and a smoked garlic jus that might possibly be the most intensely savoury flavour I taste all year. I am quite easily given to food hyperbole, but even allowing for that these two dishes were sensational.

And it did not end there.  To continue on the sublime meat theme, one of our junior number had a minute steak with chips – a pub classic, but in this instance taken to the next level. The thin slices of steak were beautifully presented with some mushrooms and some chips. While the steak was proclaimed delicious, it was the chips that drew what can only be described as rave reviews. They were a similar success when accompanying the pork chop with black pudding, Chantenay carrots and a port wine sauce. I think we all cleared our plates quite quickly, but that one was hoovered up with relish. Thankfully, it being Good Friday, one of us had the grace to have fish – a beautiful filet of salmon, served on some pearl couscous flavoured with lemon, samphire, and a yoghurt dressing.

The portions were not small by any means, but they did leave room for dessert, for those of us still needing a little finishing off. From first seeing eyes on the menu – I did this before even entering, getting soaked all the while but not minding in the slightest – I had had my eye on the apricot cheesecake. However, the blood orange steamed pudding with a citrus caramel, rhubarb sorbet, and vanilla custard was also too good to resist. We decided to share. The apricot cheesecake was a deconstructed affair that looked stunning, with both the creamy, almost-salty mascarpone and the sweetly tangy apricot sorbet providing a vivid contrast against the matt black glaze of the serving plate. The scattered oat crumb brought the ensemble together, providing texture and substance. The pudding, altogether more subtle in appearance on its pristine white oblong plate, was no less of a picture. The pudding was soft and light, a perfect foil for the blood orange on top and the zing of the rhubarb sorbet and the velvety smooth custard. And then that citrus caramel – such a beautiful way to complete the palette of flavours.

Being with children, we worried slightly that the food might be too sophisticated for the younger ones but we needn’t have. All plates were emptied, and the faces of both young and older at the table told a story of happy, sated appetites. After such a feast a walk around the village would have been ideal, but the Good Friday weather had other ideas. As it was, what we did see of Lacock – which was not a lot – was done mainly through the rain-splattered car windows. This is a shame, but really we had no alternative – the weather and an injury to one of our party put paid to any sightseeing “on the edge of the Cotswolds”. We will go back though.

Baker and Graze

There are parts of Cheltenham that just feel nice. Well off, too, of course, but wealth is by no means a guarantor of niceness. Around Suffolk Road in Montpellier, however, the immediate neighbourhood just felt, well, nice. The small terraced houses, white – or pastel – washed to perfection stood out against the grey backdrop, many of their facades, curiously different in height to each other considering they were terraced houses. A hundred years ago, you could see this place having quite a different atmosphere, but today it looked spick and span. And this was despite a downpour that seemed never-ending, the sort of rain that doesn’t seem so bad from indoors, but can soak you through in seconds. It was thus we arrived at Baker and Graze.

Stepping through the door, though, one felt bathed in the orange glow of the antique feel lightbulbs – I keep promising myself I’ll get some  – and instantly encouraged further in by the delicious aroma: it’s the one where you can smell pastry, fresh bread, sweetness and coffee all at once. Talk about reassuring: it’s an aroma that lets you know that barring a catastrophe, you’ve made the right choice, and that [insert meal here] should be a treat. If the aroma was not enough to convince you, the array of breads, pastries, and other baked treats perched handily by the till  – just in case you want to extend to Baker and Graze experience father into your day – would settle things.

It was still early, so the place was nowhere near full, the the usual screen of condensation that masks a humming and thriving eatery like this had yet to form, so I took my seat and gazed out at the Farrow & Ball opposite. First things first, though: coffee – I could have downed a bucketful – and a hot chocolate for young Miss Cirencetera. The understanding smile that greeted my very hasty order, was still there a few minutes later to accompany the delivery of my flat white and even before taking a sip I felt warmed still further. The coffee was good, though frankly I was in such need of something warm, milky and caffeinated, my critical powers disappeared as rapidly as the contents of my cup.

The menu, delivered attached to a clipboard – I do wonder whether clipboard manufacturers are seeing a resurgence in demand these days, or whether these were procured merely from an office clearance – offered much promise and no little dilemma. There was nothing on there that I did not want to eat, not least because the prospect of sourdough as part of your breakfast is never a bad thing. The ubiquitous avocado was accompanied by streaky bacon and a poached egg, but there was also the option of spicy Nduja with poached eggs, or roasted field mushrooms with spinach and a poached egg, but I went for the fennel sausages on sourdough with anchovy butter and kale on the side. With a poached egg on top. Little Miss Cirenetc. had a sausage sandwich upgraded to the fennel variety – I admit to feeling I felt a teensy flush of pride when she asked if that was possible. Other dishes we sampled were the shaksuka baked eggs and avocado, hummus and roasted peppers on toasted pumpernickel.

As we waited for our breakfast bangers and the other dishes to arrive, hungry diners did also and the place was very soon full and alive with a satisfying buzz – all the better to conceal the rumbles emanating from my stomach. The wait was well worth it, however, as dishes to warm up the heart as well as everything else started to arrive. I can’t pretend to have sampled the sausage sandwich but having opted for the fennel sausage on toast I feel safe in recommending it as an option. As a twist on the boring/traditional – pick your adjective – fennel sausages are to be recommended. My sausages, on toast with anchovy butter, were delicious with the softness of a poached egg and some of the kale. While the addition of the kale may seem unnecessary and faddish, it works, definitely adding to the dish as a whole, rather than being a mere extra.

Good as the sausages were, the other two dishes were probably better. The coolness of hummus, avocado and roasted pepper on the hot, nutty pumpernickel, was a genuine surprise. The poached egg was a good extra hit of protein, but the dish would not have missed it. I’m not entirely sure why toasted pumpernickel should be so much of a revelation, but it was and I can see us having that more often at home. Ditto the shaksuka – a Tunisian dish in case you were wondering – two baked eggs looking so wholesome they might just have been at Sunday School, sitting in a spicy and fragrant tomato and pepper sauce, finished with chopped coriander leave and a couple of pieces of toasted sourdough, wedged at the side. It was fragrant, spicy and immensely satisfying, not least that combination of tomato and pepper with a bit of velvet egg yolk just to cool the heat. It seems to be a regular on the menu, so if you get a chance, I recommend you try it.

For breakfast dessert – who says breakfast has to be a single course meal? – we had the granola and greek yoghurt topped with blackberries and poached pear, and a sticky toffee cruffin, that insanely good combination of muffin and croissant. The granola was a perfect follow up to the baked eggs and the sausages: the fruit and yoghurt providing cool softness as a counterpoint to the sweet cinnamon tastiness of the granola. And that cruffin, OMG. Even after all I had eaten, those mouthfuls I was permitted to enjoy, were moments of pure, sweet, flaky, buttery joy. I’ve always views the cruffin – alongside its portmanteau pastry sibling the cronut – as gimmicks, but count me among the converted now.

When it came time to leave, so sated were we after so much deliciousness, we were deaf to the pleas of those tillside treats to take them home for further pastry indulgence. Baker and Graze has only been in situ for less than a year and is in good company considering some of the eateries it has as near neighbours. And from our relative outsider perspective, it feels like it is already an established part of its neighbourhood that is set to stay should its owners wish to do so. They’re on to a good thing and, I think, so are we.

---

/etc.

The Burford Garden Company

The first thing you should know about the Burford Garden Company is that it is not a garden centre. I feel I would be misleading you to call it so. It is so much more. An art gallery and a home furnishings shop, a gift shop and a delicatessen, a toy shop, a toiletries shop, a kitchenalia emporium, a fine clothing and hat outlet – all under one roof. Perhaps the term ’emporium’ is best suited to give an idea of the wide array of goods and items you can find at the Burford Garden Company. The feeling of abundance you get by walking around, taking in the wonderful displays – not least in the food section – is bound to enduce euphoria. In a way, I’d say it’s like the Harrods of the Cotswolds, the rural, approachable version of the urban, upmarket, has-everything store.

The second thing to note is that everything you will find here can be guaranteed to be top quality, the best of the best. Sometimes, with a price tag to match. But if your coffers are not overflowing or you are on an austerity drive, this place is still for you. You can still spend a delightful couple of hours here without spending anything. It is a visual delight, a journey of discovery every time we visit this place; beautiful ornaments for your home you are unlikely to find elsewhere, that speak of style and refinement and inspire you to think up a whole new theme for your dwelling. From candles and carpets to sofas and lamps, throws and rugs, in a variety of opulent hues and styles to delight your senses, there is enough here to turn anyone into a wannabe interior designer. Even the basics like greetings cards, stationery and wrapping paper are different and unusual.

My favourite is the food and kitchenalia section though. With its cornucopia of quality ingredients and treats from all over the world and colourful utensils – it inspires me to embark on a new cooking or baking adventure every time. Talk about transporting. Whether it is the range of mediterranean olive oils or the substantial breads  – from the sourdough to the focaccias or the middle eastern inspired cakes, it is difficult not to end up salivating at the prospect of such a feast. Beautiful olive wood chopping boards and bright crockery and tableware are there too: a great place to pick up a gift for your cheffy friends!

And we have not event mentioned the garden section: that which gives the place its official and perhaps initial raison d’être.  The impressive selection of plants and shrubs and vases and garden ornaments – including garden furniture and paving – mean that all bases are covered, whether you’re merely after a new Cyclamen to sit on the kitchen windowsill or brand new patio complete with shed and conservatory. Me, I love the orchid section: shelves covered with a tumbling display of these plants once considered achingly rare, now so abundant they sit batched together by colour, making you feel like you are in the tropics. And you can pick the best branded wellington boots, gloves and hats, should you wish to look the part while you are communing with nature.

When I was last there, I heard beautiful piano music emanating from the home furnishings section; as I followed it humming to myself, I discovered it came from a real live performance, a lady pianist was delighting us all with her improvisation. What a great initiative! We stopped and chatted for a while, and I dreamt of finding the time to take lessons and learn to play that great instrument. Another one for the retirement list.

When your eyes are full and your legs are tired, you can do worse than to sample the very good food and beverages of the cafe/restaurant there; hot and cold food, roast meat and vegetables, sandwiches and delicious cakes. I do recommend the salads. I had a very tasty quinoa, cauliflower, herbs, fruit and nuts salad. It was both delicious and healthy. My husband and our little girl had roast dinner and the intent silence that descended on the table testified to the satisfaction of all concerned. The cafe is a very nice place to stop and watch the crowds mill around and chat; always lively and looking cheerfully decadent, like the rest of the place.

And as we enter into December and the Christmas season, I am excited to go discover the Christmas section. It is something to behold. The displays are on a grand scale and the range and quality of the decorations are exceptional. Pick your colour theme or your style  – red, white, silver, gold, woodland naif or elegant Liberty? The spectacle can’t fail to put you in the mood for singing Christmas carols all the way back home!

Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester

Sometimes you feel the need to go somewhere unfussy and cheerful, where the values that inspire the business transpire into what you see and what you buy. The love for nature and respect for the environment inform how Abbey Home Farm shop and coffee shop are run. It is the very essence of the place. It is a calm yet joyful milieu, with an abundance of seasonal produce grown on the land around the farm or sourced from other organic growers. The flavour of the fruit and vegetables you acquire here is such that it will take your dishes to a whole new level. Beyond veg, you can buy meat, grains, pulses, cakes and confectionery here, all of which taste great. As a keen cook I am a strong believer in letting the natural flavours of quality ingredients speak for themselves; I remember getting a leg of lamb here for Easter lunch and my guests were hugely complimentary about how it tasted – it really made all the difference!

I love coming here even if it’s just to hang out. Whatever the season, you always have a sense of it by the produce on the shelves and the surrounding countryside, whether it’s pumpkin and mushroom-laden shelves in the autumn or gorgeous bunches of assorted field flowers and an abundance of tomatoes and courgettes in the summer. There is a lovely area out front with some wooden chairs and tables where you can enjoy your drinks and food from the coffee shop and restaurant, under the trees, and let the kids play free-range on the climbing frame and swings.

Inside, the restaurant is a light and airy place with lovely views over the surrounding countryside. It’s not fancy, but it’s not meant to be. They do a mean roast dinner on a Sunday and great trays of succulent roast vegetables during the week as well as colourful, scrumptious, nutritious salads. The cakes are not elaborate or refined either but they positively burst with flavour. The lemon drizzle, polenta and orange or flapjacks are all robust and satisfying.

The farm runs seasonal events too: I once came here for a cookery course, invited by a friend of mine who had received it as a Christmas present. It was a one-dayer on their house salads – and it was a thoroughly pleasant experience. I picked up some great tips, too. There is normally a farm day in the summer, with tractor rides and access to the animals on the farm for the amusement of kids and adults alike. Out at the back of the shop there is an area devoted to furniture and gifts, as well as some natural cosmetic ranges and some books too. Enough to keep you interested and amused for a good half hour.

With all that is on offer in town, it is so easy to overlook Abbey Home Farm (or the Organic Farm, as we call it at home). But it is an oversight that is easily corrected if you just want to pick up a few groceries and maybe get a bite to eat. We have made a promise to ourselves that we will make the effort to get there more often, and we think that you should too. And as it’s autumn with all the fantastic flavour the season offers, there’s probably no better time.

 

Breakfast on Love Lane

Breakfast? On an industrial estate? Oh yes.

It may seem a trifle quixotic having just posted about some of the fabulous eating locations on offer in the Cotswolds – the sort of places that lay on a genuine visual feast as well as culinary delights – to suddenly switch modes and go for a place where the surroundings could not be more mundane if you tried. To top it off, it was raining, and raining hard when we went, turning down the potential visual interest, still further. So there we were, on Love Lane – could there be a more incongruously named industrial estate in the world – surrounded by builders’ merchants, plumbing stores and the like, about to have breakfast. And not from some roadside trailer either, but a farm shop: another oddity. (Call me a traditionalist, but I expect to find farm shops in the countryside, not right across the road from Travis Perkins.) The full car park, however, does give one a small clue as to what locals think of the place.

Once you go inside however – and our entrance was rapid to avoid a soaking – all such notions of incongruity disappear, things all make sense, and you are transported rapidly back to all things food. At first glance, on entering, the Jesse Smith Farm shop just looks like a butcher’s shop – no surprise there, they have been selling meat in the Cotswolds for over 200 years – but look around and it is the genuine article. The thought of eating a meaty breakfast while confronted with the raw materials hanging full length behind panes of glass not far away may not sound terribly appealing, but once at table, this doesn’t figure. The range, by the way, goes beyond meat into dairy, bakery, fruit and veg and more besides, so if you need to do a spot of food shopping, there is plenty to tempt.

The restaurant is round the corner from the shop, and as we were exceeding hungry, we turned left, hardly giving the shop a glance and made a quick grab for a table – there are days when you need the reflexes of a German tourist on the Neapolitan Riviera to get a spot, so popular it can be.  Having made your choices, you order at the counter, giving your table number and trying to resist the siren call of the delicious cakes and pastries displayed alongside. There is something quite nice about ordering and paying all at once – it may just be me, but parting with money before you’ve eaten is preferable, as it means there is nothing to settle after your meal, except the meal itself. You choose, you pay, you eat and you’re done: perfect.

The menu, an A4 sheet decked out on both sides with colourful graphics depicting rather than listing the choices available, reads like part atlas (‘The Vegas’, ‘The Texas’), part bad joke (‘The Mexican’, ‘The Brit’, ‘The French’) and part humidor price list (‘The Monte Cristo’, ‘The Royale’.) And there is more than just the promise of exotic climes to tempt one: the sound of “coriander hash, spicy sausage, avocado, pineapple salsa, chorizo, poached egg” gets more tempting with each reading of it. And if you’re up for it at 10:30 in the morning (and I most certainly was) you can feel reassured that it looks as good as it sounds, and tastes even better. The smoky heat of the spicy sausage patty and the chorizo is tempered a little by the smoothness of the poached egg and avocado, while the sweet freshness of the pineapple sits on on top like a gilded flavour tiara.

My dining partner had the Spaniard (as it were). This is essentially a breakfast burger, although I confess I think I’d be happy eating it irrespective of time of day. The beef patty is served with crispy chorizo, avocado and topped with a fried egg and all in a brioche bun. The crispy chorizo is particularly good, like crunchy, spicy pennies, they offer a textural as well as a flavour lift to the dish, and if you have not tried a fried egg in a burger, then this might be a very good place to start. I came across the notion of fried eggs in a burger “stack’ many years ago on a trip to Portland in Oregon and have been a big fan ever since. The US may have many gastronomic faults, but they certainly – particularly in Portland – know how to do breakfast too. Try it: I don’t think you’ll regret it.

While I did not have the ‘Vegas’, I couple made their way out to others as I was ordering at the till and they did look every bit as colourful, decorous  and tasty as their hispanic cousins on the menu. The pancakes – not too thin, but not too thick – were perfectly dressed with yoghurt, fruit and granola. It looked so good, that were a smaller portion available, it would be a fine follow-up to the savoury splendour of the dishes above. Or you could fill any gaps with one of the glistening cakes or buns that are at the counter, ready to oblige should your will power fail you (and whose wouldn’t, frankly?) The full ‘English’ looks equally splendid, and having enjoyed food from Jesse Smith’s butchers shop, I feel I might be on pretty safe ground vouching for that as well.

All in all, there is little not to like about Jesse Smith’s Farm Shop. From the eclectic furniture choices to the cosmopolitan menu, this is a place where you can do breakfast properly and with a difference. With the usual gamut of hot drinks available it does have all you need. There is a small exception to this, and that is the coffee, which I find to be quite harsh and lacking in just a touch of care. The reason I call this out with Jesse Smith’s Farm Shop in particular (after all, they’re hardly alone as an eatery serving average-at-best coffee) is that Rave Coffee is just up the road where the beans are not only available,  they’re actually roasted there. The cognitive dissonance of this is something that jars. We are lucky to have two excellent coffee outlets in Cirencester, but as yet none come with breakfast, and while I hardly suffered through the pot of light and fragrant green tea, I can’t deny that I found myself wanting a nice clean hit of filtered coffee or an espresso chaser to be part of what was an excellent excellent breakfast.

The location may seem odd, the views uninspiring to anyone but a 90s brutalist architecture buff, there is plenty to recommend the Jesse Smith Farm Shop, firstly as a shop, but also – and most definitely – as a prime breakfast destination. Alongside Rave and Dolcetti just a few steps up the road, Jesse Smith’s makes quite a nice little gastronomic enclave in an area where you’d least expect it. It is certainly well off the tourist – or even the casual Saturday shopper -track, but if you happen to be visiting the town on a weekday or weekend and are in need of coffee, ice cream or a delicious breakfast or brunch, head on up to Love Lane (yes let’s call it that, rather than just the industrial estate).

 

The magnificent seven – for location

 

The Black Horse, Amberley. Luscious views over the Stroud valley.

The Lock Cafe in Stroud. A canal-side haven.

The Crown at Frampton Mansell. Cotswold bucolic splendour

So you are not content with good food, quality coffee and luscious cakes. You want somewhere that will feed your eyes and soul too. Green pastures, shimmering water and verdant valleys dotted with cute stone cottages, plumes of blue smoke rising from their chimneys…Not a problem, in our picturesque region – all you need to do is know where to go – and we are glad to point you in the direction of a few beauty spots we treasure…

1. The Crown at Frampton Mansell. A delightful traditional pub with excellent food and a lively atmosphere, perched on a beauty spot with remarkable views and a sunny terrace. True bucolic splendour.
2. The Black Horse in Amberley. A pub full of character, just off the spectacular Minchinghampton common, set in the enchanting village of Amberley. the terraced garden has amazing views over the Stroud Valley. Well frequented by the local rural elite!
3. The Upper Lock Cafe in Stroud. A charming, cosy hideaway cafe with personality, an organic vibe and a canal-side setting. Lovely cakes and healthy salads!
4. The Campden Coffee Co in Chipping Campden. Set in lovely Chipping Campden, one of the jewels of the Cotswolds, Campden Coffee Co is light and bright – a lovely relaxed environment where you can relax over a decent coffee and some delicious cakes and snacks.
5. The Bell at Sapperton. A refined pub and restaurant serving excellent food in a  charming village location with a delightful garden area. A top choice with the Cotswold elite!
6. Gusto in Cheltenham. In fashionable Montpellier, the Italian inspired cafe serves tasty food in the leafy part of town, overlooking the park and next to some of the best boutiques for some choice shopping!
7. The rooftop restaurant at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon. Fancy some refreshments before or after your Shakespeare fix in Stratford? The rooftop restaurant at the Royal Shakespeare Company affords great views over the river Avon and is perfect for your pre-theatre dining or indeed for a post-shopping treat! Elegant surroundings and food alike.

Campden Coffee Co.

Chipping Campden, a quintessential and genteel Cotswold village amid bucolic splendour, is definitely worth a visit. Explore its picturesque streets and discover enchanting spaces, impressive mansions, refined restaurants and fine boutique hotels, all behind a rustic Cotswold stone facade. Should you require refreshments, the Campden Coffee Co. will provide a charming, rustic, and intimate environment where you can relax and enjoy some decent beverages, tasty and imaginative cakes and savoury food snacks. What I find delightful is that at the Campden Coffee Co. you can never forget you are in the Cotswolds – the stone walls, the unvarnished wood furniture, the cottage garden views from the windows – are all consistent with the local environment.

The cakes are innovative – try the red wine and fig cake, so flavoursome and redolent of the region’s Roman connections, that you could almost imagine it being served in one of the triclinia of the roman villas that dotted the Cotswolds a couple of millennia ago. The paninis and sandwiches are tasty and made with local ingredients and the atmosphere is one of village conviviality. Light and bright with friendly service, the coffee shop is situated in the Old Silk Mill – also home to the Gallery at the Guild – a cooperative of artists and craftspeople exhibiting their work in the historic home of the Guild of Handicraft. You can delight your senses for a while and browse through works of pottery, painting, jewellery and more.

The coffee is their own brand and when you look at the beans in the grinder they are a tantalising dark brown. Dark roast coffee is not my personal favourite, but this is still a coffee that is a cut above your average Costa or Starbucks. A guest roast might be a nice addition, perhaps. The hot chocolate received approval from the youngest in our party, doubtless won over by the calorific addition of cream and marshmallows, but still, who would blame her. A nice touch, and one that I always take time to appreciate, is the bottle of water, complete with glasses for you to help yourself to. There are lovely soft drinks as well: two – yes, two – variants of Elderflower Pressé, and the Folkington’s juices are spot on, and cloudy as ever!

This may sound like a place for the sophisticates, but it really is somewhere for the whole family, kids and all. There is a lightness to the place, and the presence of some broad games on the shelves, definitely makes Campden Coffee Co. a place to take the whole family. Our junior reviewer said it was nice, and the cakes were “very interesting”. While we did not get to sample the hot food, we will be sure to head back there for lunch some time this summer. For now, if you’re there, pay it a visit, and see what you think.

Made By Bob The Deli

Deli spin-off of one of Cirencester’s best loved eateries.

Made by Bob is an institution in Cirencester, so much so that when the restaurant closed for refurbishment last year, it was instantly missed. While closed, up sprung The Deli whence, happily, we could all still retire to get our Bob fix of the fine salads, charcuterie and cakes. The restaurant has of course now reopened, but The Deli has remained, and that is unquestionably a good thing. Now, if all you fancy is tea and cake or a light bite to eat, you can do so in much more apposite surroundings, rather than contending with diners who are in the mood for a more genuinely lunch experience.

The menu at Made by Bob the Deli retains the Mediterranean influences of its restaurant sibling.

You lose none of the quality of experience in The Deli that you enjoyed in the restaurant; indeed with a frontage actually exposed to oodles of natural light instead of being sequestered in the Corn Hall, the aspect is arguably better, particularly for what is a casual eatery. And when the sun comes out it gets even better still, and you can enjoy your food al fresco or while basking behind those enormous plate glass windows watching the Corinium world go by. The menu, too, is as light, sun-kissed (as much as it can be) and Mediterranean, staying close to that of its restaurant sibling with, among other things, immambayeldi, Greek salad, olives and much more to tempt one with. While the setting, even with the sun out, will never come close to anywhere on the Med., the menu and locale team up to provide one with a very decent spot to have lunch.

The salads remain as fresh, varied and as enticing as ever, with combinations of ingredients that have you at times salivating at the mere thought of eating them. The paninis and sandwiches are a nice option too, again with fillings that are generous, and alive with flavour. Made By Bob is known for its use of quality ingredients, and it always shows, from the everyday to the more exotic. This of course extends to the sweeter end of the menu spectrum as well, with pastries and cakes that are so light and emollient you don’t know whether to eat them or plump them up further to lay your head upon.

Drinks are good too. There are decent espresso-based coffee drinks made with good coffee, although don’t expect flavours at the level of Rave or Cotswold Artisan Coffee. This is not a criticism; this is still good coffee with a distinct flavour, but the evidently darker roast does have a more linear flavour. If you like tea, more precisely green tea, then this is the place: the green tea at Made by Bob has always been, to my mind, the best green tea in town. Scented with a hint – just hint, nothing cloying – of wild strawberries and pink pepper corns, it is delightful, whether lightening the palate mid-summer, or taking off the chill of our now-all-too-common perma-autumn days. We have not tried the freshly made smoothies, but the flavour combinations, when you read them, make abundant sense and are likely equally full of flavour.

In short, Made By Bob The Deli is a welcome addition – if ‘addition’ is the right word – to the town centre. The quality has not diminished with the absence of formality, and having an outside area and some good daylight pouring through the windows is really very pleasant. While we didn’t expect it to stay, we are unequivocally glad it has.

Blue Zucchini

​The boho vibe that embraces you as you enter the Blue Zucchini brasserie makes you want to sing Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder songs out loud and dance around carefree in colourful clothing. Or maybe I just had a strong espresso last time I was there.

Joking aside, the atmosphere at ‘Blu Zu’ is part of the reason we keep going back for more. Helped, of course, by smiley and energetic staff, good background music, singular – though undoubtedly fun – decor, and to top it all, the food: good, authentic, flavoursome, no-nonsense food. From the zesty, moreish tomato soup (served with chunky bread), to the fresh and satisfying tomato and mozzarella salad – crisp leaves, tasty tomatoes and the creamiest mozzarella, finished with the perfect dressing – the food has never disappointed. The portions are generous and the choice of fresh ingredients shows up in the quality of the final product.

And for healthier (more robust) appetites the egg & chips is legendary – a simple dish that is executed well, but also one that has increasing appeal merely for the fact it is served in enamelled cast iron bowls. It sounds rudimentary, but it really works, making a dish that everyone wants to tuck in to. If you’re there slightly earlier in the day, the exceedingly hearty full-English is there for hungry parents and children alike: a fantastic brunch option.

We have spent many a happy hour observing the comings and goings – plenty of cyclists visit this place en route for a well earned break, a giant pot of tea and a large helping of one of the delicious home-made cakes (I recommend the coffee & walnut and the Victoria sponge!!). Another particular favourite is the treacle tart; made with lemon zest which sets off the richness and sweetness, it goes down very well with a hot cup of tea. It is one of life’s little pleasures to enjoy, sitting out the front and watching the Cotswold world go by.

Back to that decor, though. This really is one of the reasons we like Blue Zucchini. The walls are covered with interesting magazine cuttings, graffiti and memorabilia a lot of which dates back so far, it is almost achingly back on trend. It all conspires to keep you entertained and sparking new topics of conversation – be warned though, that you will have to explain to the kids that the round plastic discs on the wall are not large CDs but actual vinyl records. In the summer you can sit out the back in the yard, surrounded by pot plants and flower climbers, savouring one of the delicious milkshakes – the kids just love them. The whole place has a very particular charm, one to which we succumb willingly and frequently. For brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea, it always seems to have something you want.

The Crown, Frampton Mansell

Picture-perfect pub and food.

The window of decent weather was merely a stroke of luck. We’d booked to have Sunday lunch at The Crown in Frampton Mansell back in March some time, so the sun that bathed the recently showered the May countryside in a fabulous apple-green glow could not have worked out better. The Crown is perched precipitously on the side of the Stroud Valley and no matter where your gaze happens to land, it will be a sight not easily forgotten.

The beer garden, in this case out the front, is one of these welcome sights, defined by low stone walls, manicured flower beds, and your classic beer garden table, each marked out with proud red sun umbrellas. And when filled with people enjoying a drink in the sun, convivial does not come close. The building itself is solid stone and has no trouble making you think that it will be around a lot longer than you will. It is in no way forbidding, though, and as you stoop through the front door – there is no other way if you are my height – the bar is right in front of you, so you can order a drink even before you have any notion of where you plan to sit.

A proper and picturesque beer garden

Inside and outside, The Crown is welcoming.

Perfect views – The Crown at Frampton Mansell

We had booked, though, and we went on down to what is becoming our usual – if accidentally so – table. The specials menu had a couple of excellent sounding fish dishes and the sausage-and-mash of the day option. Let me repeat that: a sausage-and-mash of the day. It might just be me, but I happen to think that is little short of genius. Forget soup, let’s have more sausages of the day! The menus here at The Crown are very good indeed, subject tor regular and refreshing change, though never losing their pub menu feel. This is hugely to be admired: there is no attempt at restaurant finery, and the foreign influences are largely kept at arms length and only deployed when suitable accents are needed. This food is pub food and also – largely – British food.

Of all the mains we ordered, it was the sea bass that either gave us food envy or had a couple of us looking very satisfied with their choice. It was pan fried, with garlic prawns, served with white asparagus, and some beautifully roasted silverskin onions and potatoes. The fish was perfectly cooked – crispy skin with firm and juicy flesh, and what really stood out – in a good way – was that there was no sauce to mess with the flavours; a brave choice but fully and triumphantly justified. Sometimes, you just need to let your ingredients do the talking. The burger was all you’d want: juicy and fully stacked with cheese, bacon and a full complement of salad. The stuffed roast chicken breast was equally well executed – succulent and served with a tomato sauce rather than gravy – a fresh change.

Dessert is hard to resist, whether you are full or not. Part of the reason for this is that the menu sits on your table on a blackboard daring you not to order. I capitulated instantly. It has pub classics such as sticky toffee pudding, crumble – currently apple and blackcurrant, but I have had pear and raisin and apple and raspberry on previous visits – as well as knickerbocker glory and a lemon meringue pie. This latter dish was delicious and served with apricot sorbet and fresh apricots. While the fresh apricots were a trifle firm, the sorbet was an inspired accompaniment to the dish and I could happily have devoured a large bowlful and been very happy indeed. All dishes are served with cream, custard or ice cream. And not a brownie in sight; this is a dessert menu particularly after my own heart – can you tell?

There is very little not to love about The Crown. One might be tempted to call it a gastropub, but I’ll refrain, not just because it’s a term that personally I think should be outlawed, but because it makes it sound like the food is all it has to offer. This is a proper pub, used and loved by the locals, and by the not-so-locals, and all in a beautiful setting. For that alone The Crown deserves the praise and support it earns. The food is just a (huge) bonus.