Local Favourites: Red Kite’s Guide to the Cotswolds and Surrounding Areas

At Red Kite Hosts, the Cotswolds is more than just the place we started. It’s where we live, where we walk our dogs, drink our coffee, and unwind on the weekend. We manage holiday homes across the Cotswolds and surrounding areas, from Cirencester and Tetbury to Moreton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Water.

Because we live here, we know the area inside out, not just the big tourist spots, but the tucked-away farm shops, the forest walks that light up in spring, and the best places for a pastry or pint.

We asked our team to share their personal favourites. These aren’t sponsored recommendations or SEO fluff. They’re real picks from our local team working away behind the scenes, day in, day out.

Hannah, Senior Housekeeper

The Cotswold Guy Farm Shop & Cafe, Guiting Power (thecotswoldguy.co.uk)

Best locally sourced produce. The sausage rolls are to die for (you might even see David Beckham buying his 😂) and the best coffee with a friendly chat.

Bruern Farm Shop and Cafe, Chipping Norton (bruernfarms.co.uk)

Delicious food straight from the farm.

The Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power (cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk)

Great for anyone with small children. Hands-on feeding and getting up close to animals and rare breeds. They do seasonal events for kids that are really good. It’s also licensed with local beers and ciders.

Cirencester Park, Cirencester (bathurstestate.co.uk)

Great place for a stroll with the dog right in the middle of town. Roots and Seeds cafe in the estate is great and you can take the dog there too.

Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury (forestryengland.uk/music)

They have really great live music events here in the summer.

Freddie, Founder

Definitely ditto Bruern Farm Shop (bruernfarms.co.uk) for me! Coupled with a walk at Foxholes woods down the road, especially when the bluebells are out!

In terms of others:

Eastleach Circular Walk‍

Through woods, rivers, open fields and most importantly, finishes up at The Victoria Inn (thevictoriainneastleach.co.uk) which is a fantastic pub for food or drinks.

Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe (sudeleycastle.co.uk)

Excellent kids playground and the castle itself isn’t half bad! Crazy amount of interesting history with Henry VIII at the centre of it.

Pit Kitchen, Moreton-in-Marsh (pitkitchen.co.uk)

The best street food around here in my opinion. Used to have a food truck on a field outside Chipping Norton and now expanded to a site between Moreton and Shipston.

Sam, Project Manager

Ritual Coffee Roasters Brew Bar and Kitchen, Cheltenham (ritualcoffee.org)

Amazing coffee, great food, really friendly people and a fantastic space to work from or just chill out.

Deya Brewing Company, Cheltenham (deyabrewing.com)

After a coffee at Ritual head next door for incredibly good craft beer. The taproom is a great place to have a drink as well as food – Pigs Pizza (Instagram) serve up fresh slices Weds–Sun and they occasionally have guest food trucks on Fridays and Saturdays.

Rough Hands Coffee, Stroud (roughhandscoffee.co.uk)

Okay I’ve put two coffee places on here, but I really like coffee – Rough Hands is also exceptionally good. If you’re in or near Stroud, head here, you won’t regret it.

The Long Table, Stroud (thelongtableonline.com)

A brilliant mix of local sourced and freshly cooked food, good coffee (again), community, and social mission. Every meal is served on a pay-as-you-can basis and they have a large range of pre-loved items.

WoodKraft, Cheltenham (https://woodkraftcheltenham.com/**)

Really good brunch food and the best hash browns - if you know, you know. Very much a Red Kite team favourite.

Emma-Leigh, Operations Manager

My recommendations would be a good old day out in Tetbury:

Breakfast at Blue Zucchini (https://bluezucchini.co.uk/).

Then a stroll around the charity shops and little trinket / antique shops, then head down to the old railway and grab a coffee in the Whistle Stop Cafe (https://tetburygoodsshed.co.uk/cafe/).

Followed by a long walk across the fields to the Chavenage Estate for a little pitstop drink before walking all the way to Larkhill Vineyard (larkhillwinery.co.uk) for a pizza in the sun with a glass of English sparkling wine 🍾

Liz, Onboarding Lead

Daylesford, Moreton-in-Marsh (daylesford.com)

I love going to Daylesford for their organic veg and freshly made pizza. It's a great place to wander around, especially if you’re into beautiful displays, lovely condiments, and great teas. Everything’s presented so nicely – even the jars are beautiful!

Saintbury Antiques & Architectural Salvage, Broadway (https://www.saintbury.co/)

This is a quirky reclamation yard full of vintage garden pieces and antique furniture. There's a small coffee spot and little cakes, and even a dog that wanders around and keeps you company. It’s like an Aladdin’s cave – a wonderfully eclectic mix of things.

Cleeve Hill/Common, Cheltenham

There must be about 10 miles of walks here, and it’s a brilliant place to take the dog. You can stop at the golf club for a drink, and on a clear summer day the view from the top over Cheltenham and the Malvern Hills is just delightful.

GWR Train from Toddington (gwsr.com)

Taking the steam train from Toddington is such a lovely experience. The old carriages have those pull-down windows, and they’ve opened the route now so you can get all the way to Cheltenham. There’s even a fish and chips night and special events like Santa on the train at Christmas!

Adam, Maintenance Manager

Broadway Deli, Broadway (broadwaydeli.co.uk)

This is my favourite place for a Full English – everything is cooked just right and it’s always a nice atmosphere to start the day.

Otis and Belle Bakery (otisandbelle.co.uk)

I’m a big fan of their pastries and bread, and they serve good coffee too. There are four - Broadway, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cheltenham and Stow-on-the-Wold.

Broadway Tower, Broadway (broadwaytower.co.uk)

One of the best walks in the Cotswolds in my opinion. Start in Broadway village and hike up to the tower – the views over the Malvern Hills are incredible. And there are even reindeer at the top by the tower!

Amabel, Account Management Lead

Winstones Ice Cream, Minchinhampton Common (winstonesicecream.co.uk)

The best local ice-cream, made on site and you get fantastic views – you might even get joined by a cow if they're out on the common!

The Den, Bourton-on-the-Water (Instagram)

I absolutely love it here, right on the high street – they do the best bagels and the people working there are always so friendly!

Elkstone Studios (elkstone-studios.com)

They have KNEAD Bakery (kneadbakery.co.uk) (who do incredible pastries, brunch and lunches – you have to try the duck waffle!), The Tipsy Baker Bar, Padel Courts and lovely homeware shops!

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If you're a guest planning your stay or an owner thinking about working with us, we hope this gives you a little insight into the places we love most.

We’re proud to live and work here and we think that comes through in everything we do.

Want us to manage your home in the Cotswolds? Get in touch.

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