Discovering Cotswolds food and drink

If you visit a new area, where do you choose to eat and drink? Of course you ask people you meet, but with an area as large as the Cotswolds, you’ll inevitably not find all the gems.

The Cotswold Cook Book will help. It celebrates the amazing food and drink in the Cotswold and includes more than 40 recipes. I’ve been reading through and getting very hungry. I’ve also started to plan visits to many of the places mentioned. What better way than to read a recipe and think, “I’d like to visit and try more”.

Recipes are shared by a wide range of fine dining restaurants, comfortable pubs and cafes but also food and drink producers. Prithvi Cheltenham will be high on our list, we tried the recipe for Halibut with Black Mustard Jus substituting the halibut for hake. Very delicious indeed.

It’s not just about restaurants. There’s Jesse Smith butchers supplying meat to many places in the area since 1808 or fresh trout from Bibury Trout Farm. Did you know they are one of the few fish farms that bread their own eggs? Woefuldane’s wonderful cheese and dairy products also feature.

How about going on a foodie tour? You could stop off at the Cotswold Distillery who run distillery tours twice daily. Do book in well in advance. Or fish for your own trout at Bibury.

And of course, possibly the best farmer’s market in the country is held in Stroud each Saturday.

You could equally just enjoy the Cotswolds from your own home. Order a Fibrosa Hereford Meat box, or take out a subscription to Rave Coffee.

This is a great book to dip into. My only wish is that it included a map. With the area being so large, it would help so much with planning!

Find out more

The Cotswold Cook Book is one of a series created by Me:Ze publishing. Other local guides include Bristol, Bath and Birmingham cookbooks. You can buy the book online and in many food and drink outlets across the region, priced £14.95. Follow Me:ze on Twitter.

Thanks to Me:ze for the review copy of the cookery book.