You Should Probably Know About the Northern Cotswolds

Let’s be honest, the Cotswolds isn't exactly short of some incredible places to eat in some of its most popular towns. There’s The Old Butchers in Stow-on-the-Wold, Smiths in Bourton-on-the-Water and Juliet in Stroud. All brilliant. But push a little further north, in and around Shipston on Stour (don't squint) and you will stumble upon some of the region’s most exciting food that seems to slip under the radar. Quietly brilliant, exactly where you least expect it.

Take The Bower House, the sort of place that makes you wonder why more people haven’t stumbled off the beaten track sooner. Set in a handsome Georgian townhouse in the heart of Shipston on Stour, it feels like a proper neighbourhood restaurant with rooms; warm, elegant, and surprisingly ambitious. Under Head Chef Leo Kattou, menus rotate with the seasons and celebrate British ingredients with ingenuity and restraint, earning AA Rosettes, Michelin Guide recommendations and plenty of local admiration along the way.

Now, cross the road, figuratively, if not literally, and you’ll find Bastardo’s Trattoria. Born from the same creative minds (Richard Craven) behind the Michelin‑starred Royal Oak at Whatcote, it wears its Italian inspiration with a distinctly British twist: seasonal produce treated with bold flavour and just the right amount of irreverence. The kitchen is led by John Broughton, formerly Head Chef at the Royal Oak, while the menu is shaped by Craven, whose love of Italian cooking was forged during the early years of his career. Warm, buzzy, and effortlessly confident.

The town seems to be staging a culinary coup.

And while we're on the subject, we should talk about The Royal Oak at Whatcote. A rarity for the Cotswolds; a village pub with a Michelin star and the quiet confidence to use it without preening. Run by chef‑owner Richard Craven and his wife Solanche, this is proper country cooking with brains and heart. The menu shifts with the micro‑seasons, rooted in wild ingredients and local foragers, from game shot on nearby hills to vegetables and rare breeds sourced from neighbouring estates, all celebrated in dishes pared down to their best possible selves. The service, warm and unpretentious, makes you feel you’re in the hands of friends rather than critics, and that’s part of the magic.

​Twelve minutes from Shipston is Whichford, one of those villages you could easily drive past without a second thought, which would be a mistake, because it is quietly blessed with not one but two reasons to stop. The Norman Knight (recently reopened under Matt and Katie Beamish of The Kingham Plough) sits comfortably on the village green, all low beams and flagstones, the reassuring heartbeat of a proper country pub and a good menu. Classic dishes are handled with care rather than fuss, making it the sort of place where you arrive for a pint and stay for supper without ever regretting the decision. 

A short stroll away, The Straw Kitchen at Whichford Pottery offers something more intimate and quietly distinctive. Tucked inside the garden of a working pottery, it's unique, small, brilliant and somewhere that laughs in the face of coordinated colour palettes. Head Chef Christne Bottine creates a menu that is creative without being complicated, the setting charming without trying too hard, and the whole experience feels personal rather than performed. 

Ten minutes in the other direction from Shipston, The Howard Arms in Ilmington feels like one of those places that has quietly mastered the art of being exactly what a Cotswold village pub should be. The food sits comfortably between classic British pub cooking and something a little more considered, with seasonal menus that avoid unnecessary complication. Inside, the atmosphere is warm and unhurried rather than showy especially with the fires roaring and a dog sitting by you feet in winter months.

​In addition to these and, again, all within 10 minutes of Shipston you will find The Cherington that offers the reassuring warmth of a proper country pub, honest cooking and long, relaxed lunches. The Fuzzy Duck at Armscote that offers polished seasonal dishes that sit neatly between rustic charm and modern confidence. Meanwhile, Pit Kitchen brings open-fire energy and bold, flavour-forward cooking, proving the countryside can handle a little urban culinary attitude. Herd at Todenham Manor is a quietly confident arrival. The menu leans on farm-sourced meat and locally inspired produce, driven by chef Christopher Ellis in a unique tented restaurant on the farm.

in the northern Cotswolds — a wine, produce and pantry concept that feels less like a shop and more like an invitation to savour the region’s best ingredients, with thoughtful selections and seasonal discoveries that reward curiosity rather than hurry.

And to wash it down? The Cotswolds Distillery in Stourton does rather lovely things with gin and whisky that reward slow, appreciative sipping rather than hurried drinking. You can lose a morning or afternoon here  with brunch or lunch in their Still House cafe. Beer wise, North Cotswold Brewery make proper country ales just outside Shipston that feel designed for worn wooden tables, late afternoon sunlight and conversations that wander pleasantly off topic. They don't offer tours, but you will find their ales behind the bar at many local pubs. Shagweaver is particularly good. 

And there you have it, this edge of the Cotswolds has been quietly getting rather good at this food and drink lark. While other parts chase crowds and postcards, this is the Cotswolds many people may not have heard about which, in some way, is still part of its charm. ​If you enjoy eating well, drinking properly, and quietly knowing you’ve found somewhere rather good before the crowds catch on, this is a corner of the Cotswolds worth remembering.

​Mentioned in this piece:

The Bower House
​bower.house

Bastardo’s Trattoria
www.bastardostrattoria.co.uk
​​
The Royal Oak, Whatcote
www.theroyaloakwhatcote.co.uk

​The Norman Knight
thenormanknight.co.uk

​The Straw Kitchen
www.whichfordpottery.com/visit/straw-kitchen

​The Howard Arms
​howardarms.com

​The Cherington
​thecherington.co.uk

​The Fuzzy Duck
​www.fuzzyduckarmscote.com

Pit Kitchen
www.pitkitchen.co.uk

Herd
todenhammanorfarm.co.uk/herd

Cotswolds Distillery
www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

North Cotswold Brewery
www.northcotswoldbrewery.co.uk