Gourmet grazing - Picnics in the Cotswolds

The Cotswold Outpost, Windrush

Just outside Burford, The Cotswold Outpost farm shop and café combo serves up delicious breakfasts, lunches, light bites and tasty treats, using the best locally sourced produce. Farm shop staples, along with other handmade Cotswold goodies and gifts, are available to buy on site from the Outpost barn. The café's spacious outdoor patio enjoys stunning views across the Windrush Valley - ideal while restrictions remain in place.

Preferring to get out for a wander, I picked-up one of their ploughmans picnics and headed down the road to beautiful Little Barrington. Costing £13.95, the carton included: a scrummy scotch egg and sausage roll, ham, cheeses, chutney and a hot or cold drink - I pushed the boat out with a pink lemonade Firefly. Thoughtfully packed with napkin and knife, I had everything I needed to enjoy an amazing al fresco lunch in one of the Cotswolds prettiest villages.

Picnic ploughman, £13.95

The Hive, Stow on the Wold

We love popping into The Hive when we're pottering in Stow on the Wold. From their cosy café Sally and Jayne extend a warm welcome as generous as their portions! Get there early for the best of brekkies - Gloucester Old Spot sausages, Arlington eggs and all the extras for those who hanker after hot; or compote-topped homemade granola for a lighter bite. And as the day extends, so too does the Hive's menu: sandwiches, soups and salads; pastries and quiche; cookies, cakes and ice-cream - anything you fancy, with everything done to perfection.

One of the yummiest on the menu is their cheese scones, so I was thrilled to find one with a stash of Netherend butter in my charcuterie box! The perfect accompaniment to a punnet packed-full of flavoursome cured meats and local cheeses, served with crackers and onion marmalade, olives, gherkins, grapes and caper berries. The sort of packed lunch I could certainly get used to!

Charcuterie lunch box, £12.95; breakfast box and afternoon tea take-outs also available.

Blockley Village Café, Blockley

A few minutes down the road from jewel of the Cotswolds, Broadway, lies the equally picturesque, if quieter, Blockley village. Former centre of the silk industry, old mills nestle between cosy cottages and pretty pubs. You'll also find Blockley's community-run village shop and truly lovely (and licensed!) Blockley Café.

Priding itself on being a 'chef lead' business, the café seeks to showcase the finer details in its food, quality and presentation, offering local suppliers and a seasonally changing menu.

With the outside tables heaving, I took my picnic blanket and bag of goodies up to the park. And what a feast I had! I tucked into the most delicious ham hock and apple chutney sandwich, on Mark's Sourdough, served with crunchy mustard crisps, slaw salad and a tangy chorizo roll. For afters, I am ashamed to say, a decadent triple chocolate cruffin and a luscious lemon meringue pie, which I washed down with Elderflower presse from Tetbury's Lucy. Totally indulgent and I loved every bit. Later, I worked off some of the calories with a walk along the Heart of England Way. An absolute treat of a lunch, thank you Blockley Café!

Picnic take-aways are a la carte, with sandwiches from £5.25, sausage rolls from £3.25, pastries from £2.50

Enjoy eating out and about!

About the Author

Chix in the Stix is a blog about family life in the country, through a slightly city-tinted lens! Kate and her family swapped their south west London home for life in rural Oxfordshire ten years ago, giving them and their little chix the kind of life they never imagined. Making family time count is one of Kate's mantras and in her friendly blog she shares achievable tips and ideas for anyone who, like her, finds themselves ruling the roost.