The Cotswolds is famous for its high-quality, locally sourced, and traditional artisan food, most notably Single and Double Gloucester cheeses, Stinking Bishop cheese, Gloucester Old Spot pork, and Cotswold lamb. It is also renowned for Tewkesbury mustard, Bibury trout, organic vegetables, and afternoon tea with scones.
Other local favourites include Tewkesbury mustard, Bibury trout, Stinking Bishop cheese and Hobbs House bread. This high quality produce can often be found on menus in pubs, restaurants and cafes in the Cotswolds. And now the Cotswolds has its very own spirit - Cotswolds Dry Gin.
The Cotswolds is known for its tasty local produce, from cheeses and Bibury trout to lamb and Gloucester Old Spot pork. Traditional Cotswold recipes focused on simple, inexpensive dishes to fill you up for a day's work, using farmed and foraged ingredients with nothing going to waste.
David and Victoria Beckham live in a renovated barn conversion in the village of Great Tew, near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in the Cotswolds, a property they bought in 2016 as a countryside escape and retreat. Their estate features extensive grounds with a swimming pool, football pitch, greenhouse, and wine cellar, and is located near the exclusive Soho Farmhouse.
4 Days in The Cotswolds | What to See, Eat and Do in 2025
What food is Gloucestershire known for?
Gloucester (and the wider county) is famous for its traditional produce, particularly Double Gloucester cheese, a rich, firm cheese central to the famous Cheese Rolling event, and Gloucester Old Spot pork, from a heritage breed known for its flavor. Other specialties include spicy Tewkesbury Mustard, Cotswold lamb, and historic dishes like Lamprey Pie, traditionally sent to the monarch.
All Butter Shortbread Biscuits. Discover all butter shortbread and ginger biscuits, available for delivery from our Cotswold bakery. Handmade in small batches, our buttery shortbread is deliciously crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth, while the ginger crunch biscuits offer a warm, spicy flavour with the perfect snap.
The Cotswolds are a popular filming location for many TV series, including historical dramas like Downton Abbey (using Bampton as Downton village) and Poldark (using Chavenage House), comedy mockumentaries like This Country, mystery shows such as Father Brown (filmed in Blockley), and fantasy/sci-fi productions, with locations like Puzzlewood appearing in shows like Merlin and Doctor Who. Other notable shows include The Diplomat, Sister Boniface Mysteries, and The Buccaneers.
Seven traditional British dishes include the hearty Full English Breakfast, iconic Fish and Chips, comforting Shepherd's Pie, Sunday classic Roast Dinner (with Yorkshire puddings), pub favorite Bangers and Mash, savory Scotch Egg, and pub grub staple Toad in the Hole, showcasing Britain's diverse, often meat-and-potato-focused, cuisine.
Yes, Gloucester Cathedral was a major filming location for the Harry Potter movies, with its famous cloisters serving as the corridors of Hogwarts in several films, including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Other spots in Gloucestershire, like the town of Dursley (the namesake for Harry's adoptive family) and the Cotswolds area, also have strong connections to the franchise.
"Bright and oniony, Cotswold is a great cheese to include in several dishes. Step up your burger game, melt it on a potato pierogi, or add to scones for a savory twist. It's also great as a simple, flavorful snack, enjoyed alongside Prosciutto Cotto and French onion confit."
No, Taylor Swift does not own a permanent home in the Cotswolds, but she rented a luxury £3.3 million cottage near Chipping Norton for several months during the UK leg of her Eras Tour in 2024 as a base for downtime. She used the pricey rental, located in Great Tew, as a secluded retreat while performing shows in London, Cardiff, and Liverpool.
He has since chosen to opt for a quieter life with a move to the British countryside, with a manor house close to Wadhurst in East Sussex. Many had wondered why Mr Depp had not chosen a property in the Cotswolds instead, due to its increasing celebrity nature in recent years.
