Landlords Simon and Mike abandoned their high-flying management jobs in banking to take on the...
Follow the winding paths through the leafy plant centre to find the impressive yurt that houses...
Starting out from humble beginnings – Tablehurst began as a social enterprise in the mid-90s –...
A lovely farm shop and café in an old stone barn across the road from the village croquet green....
The Pantry is such a wonderfully social and community-focused place that to hear it had pushed up...
Blasus is a Carmarthen institution for cheese connoisseurs and oenophiles. The word means...
On our roving research trip around Wales we stumbled across the Little Valley Bakery (and its...
If you're crawling south in holiday-bound traffic fear not: Strawberry Fields Farm Shop awaits,...
There's so much to say about Heron Farm Vineyard that we almost need to drop the little joining...
Albert Beckett and his small herd arrived here from Shropshire in 1937. Three generations later,...
Johnson’s is a family farm with a difference, on the outskirts of Huntingdon. It’s not only home...
Whether you explore the abundant display garden or farm shop shelves or simply seize a quiet...
The village of Shirehampton hugs the river Avon near Junction 18 of the M5. Just off the green is...
Spectacular views and a counter laden with homemade food make Soutra a special place to stop....
A bone fide all-rounder, Cobbs Farm Shop has a butcher, delicatessen, florist, cheese counter –...
Lose yourself in the aisles of the gargantuan Malt House Emporium, a two-storey warehouse that...
Naval battles don’t usually lend their names to farms but then battleship timbers are not usually...
When the owners' cute and curly dogs get their own intro on the menu, you know you've found...
Very little about The Arundell Hotel has changed since the days of yore, when weary travellers on...
The Rhug Estate covers 12,500 acres in the rugged Dee Valley, championing organic farming and...
As her name portends, Daisy the new manager has brought a splash of vibrancy and a fresh feel to...
Brockholes is a nature lover’s paradise with a unique, strikingly modern visitor village that...
Jane Austen herself could not have composed a more picture-perfect scene than the vision of the...
The Simkin family has run their flourishing farm since 1892 with a genuine commitment to the...
Mere is just off the A303 on the edge of the Cranborne Chase AONB, an area known for its...
Former city worker Deborah has waved her magic wand over Teddington Stores, transforming it from...
Ashburton is a delightful town on the southern slopes of Dartmoor in the heart of the South Devon...
You'd be forgiven for thinking that a café in a new-build community just off the M1 might be dull...
The old A30 runs through the historic village of Mitchell. The Plume of Feathers, its...
Always ahead of the curve, Kilnford opened its farm shop in 2011 and now flourishes in person and...
Chirk Castle is a magnificent medieval fortress built on a rocky escarpment overlooking the Welsh...
This long, slate-roofed former stable is now a bright farm shop and deli, designed and newly...
Skirt round a lush field and pass the 'freshly laid eggs' honesty box and you'll spot the...
You’ll find lusty, home-cooked food at The Edge, a café that's celebrating its first decade on...
Once famously described as ‘a dream of Nirvana, almost too good to be true’ by Franklin...
The A4019 from the M5 brings you almost to the door of this café, whose smiling staff have hearts...
David and Gillian, adept hosts at The Inn at Welland, have created a muted, contemporary space...
Pretty Boroughbridge is bounded by rolling hills and pockets of history. Stroll along the river...
In the historic market town of Howden, the Dickensian windows of That Tea Room set the scene for...
If you're in the area to visit the impressive land sculpture at Northumberlandia or the market...
Cairn Lodge began as a home-run business when John and Aileen MacInnes spotted a gap on the M74...
Tapps is a charming garden centre situated in a spacious barn. It offers a cosy atmosphere with...
If you prefer a chat-fuelled chow down to a formal meal, beeline for Bootleggers in Hopeman with...
Mother and daughter Amanda and Emma took over this favourite neighbourhood cafe in 2022. They've...
Penrith stands on a route to Scotland that’s been strategically important since Roman times and...
Zoom up the A419 towards the Cotswold Lakes (haunt of watersporters and nature spotters) to find...
Castle Combe is criminally pretty, which is why it’s awash with tour groups and selfie sticks....
Who knew that Waitrose and Partners had their very own farm with a (predictably delightful) farm...
Craigie's café-restaurant, an essential eating experience near Edinburgh, has emerged from its...
Llandeilo is one of those places you're 'sorry-not-sorry' that more people have yet to hear...
To experience some true Wensleydale wildlife (well, alpacas) and watercolour-worthy views, pull...
'To give up on gilded tea sets is to give up on life' could well be the motto of this delightful...
It’s worth zipping off the motorway just for the fabulous views over the Cotswold foothills from...
The folk at The Bridge were so proudly independent (and keen to join The Extra Mile) that we're...
Castle Donington's charming village centre, with its farmers’ market and Saxon history, is well...
The Sheppy family have been pressing apples here for over two hundred years and the orchard is...
Everyone needs a Blacker Hall Farm Shop on the edge of their town. With a deli, greengrocery,...
The handsome market town of Moffat gathers around its broad high street. It was once a spa...
Little sister to the original Ginger and Pickles in Nantwich, the Tarporley tea-room now plies...
This is a cheerful spot on the Englefield Estate, between Theale and Pangbourne. Several...
Slav and Daniela have run their well-liked café in this striking building - on the corner of Bank...
From the M5, Fordmore Farm is well-placed for those delving east into the Blackdown Hills or west...
The Field Kitchen is a cornucopia of delights based on the Riverford Organic Farm, so you can...
A magical combination of books, gifts and food, and a previous winner of Britain’s Best Small...
Just off the M1, this attractive pub was runner up in the Observer Food Monthly's 'Best Places to...
Standing proudly on Hill Road near Clevedon’s graceful Victorian pier (worth a sunset visit),...
No.4 is a great find in the old mining village of Clowne. Andy, John and the team run this smart...
Berwick Lodge is perilously close to the M5 yet achieves something extraordinary. It lures you in...
- - - Temporarily closed (winter/ early 2024) and reopening with new owners and in a different...
An 18th-century beer house turned coaching inn, The Swan is a bustling and much-loved pub at the...
Middleport Pottery’s café is a nostalgic find. In this canalside spot that is true to its...
When you’ve had enough of the tailbacks, few things will cheer you up quite like a field full of...
* Under new ownership. Please check opening times ahead, particularly if going out of your way to...
A real taste of the region awaits at the friendly Hearth Café, which is a mine of north-eastern...
Stumbling across Furzey Gardens you really do feel like Mary in The Secret Garden. There's awe,...
This cosy deli is a proper treat just seconds from the main road. It’s located in the intriguing...
Swathed in ivy with two gabled windows peeping from the roof, The Elm Tree is a sight for...
A lovely mid-way stop if travelling between London and Southampton, the Courtyard Café is tucked...
Tredegar House and its owners and inhabitants have played an important role in the Newport...
Willington Hall, with its intricate red brickwork and tall chimneys, is surrounded by 17 acres of...
This grand stately home was almost scrapped for timber in the 1920s. Imagine! Thankfully, the...
The counter at Two Magpies is heaped with irresistible goodies, enough to satisfy even the most...
In some countries, big cities are often blessed with a dedicated cookbook bookshop. If only the...
Food miles are so low at the Minskip Farm Shop that you can see vegetables growing in the field...
This cosy tea-room near the historic market town of Alnwick remains genuinely charming as its...
To discover you're going to a cow shed for lunch mightn't spark the greatest joy...until you...
Rumwell is a family business that started selling potatoes at the farm gate. It's now a thriving...
You won’t find a quirkier place to stop than this 1850s railway carriage and old double-decker...
'Live for today, farm for tomorrow' is the raison d'être at the organic Eastbrook Farm on...
If you're venturing cross-country between the M1 and A1(M) near Northampton, factor in a detour...
If heading east along the M2 bound for Canterbury, Margate or a ferry from Dover, divert at...
Whether feasting in the café, browsing for crafts and gifts or chatting to the butcher about the...
The Courtyard Craft Centre is a lovely pop-in near Poole, brimming with interesting folk and...
The Meikleour Arms stretches our 'distance from the motorway' a tad but, with its focus on...
Ever since the duck pond in Bredgar's village centre was restored as part of the Queen's Jubilee...
Isambard Kingdom Brunel might be amazed to discover that his former Engine Shed, on the edge of...
Ever-busy Walberswick is a lovely seaside village and The Anchor is its award-winning gastro-pub....
In a building that blends into its landscape - think natural stone walls, rugged landscaping and...
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the largest sculpture park in Europe, with around 100 artworks across...
It’s the warm reception and personal service that regulars to Gin and Pickles praise so highly....
The Granary's busy window is a visual vortex that draws you in with its fresh-baked scones,...
Alice, Jack and their home-grown kitchen heroes do a fantastic job in The Orchard Kitchen, a new...
With a young family keeping them busy, Ryan and Lisa sought quality coffee close to home. Drawing...
When the 1980s' milk quotas created a surplus for dairy farmers Martin and Thelma, did they...
The lovely Stubbings nursery provides respite from the M4 and M40 motorways. The Glasshouse...
Tori and Ben’s Farm Shop is an accolade magnet and a triumph of the field-to-fork philosophy....
For the warmest of country welcomes, look no further than the Hay Barn Café. The ladies who work...
The authentic crêpes at Café au Chocolat are to die for – ‘as good as in Brittany’ one French...
One of Somerset's best local food stores, Brockley started life 80 years ago as a roadside stall...
This rustic, family-run café is surrounded by the flowers of Russell’s Garden Centre on the edge...
As the name suggests, this was once the kitchen garden that supplied the manor house at Dorney...
If you prefer commercial and cavernous places, 1958 mightn't be for you. This small, red-brick...
The Artisans' Collective in Barrs Yard is home to Garden Art Plus, a wine merchant, a florist,...
The Canal Quarter just east of central Lancaster is seeing some serious and ambitious cultural...
Bunting-draped Betty Berkins could hardly feel more welcoming if your own favourite aunty ran the...
With lawn games to borrow, flourishing gardens, and a barrow selling home-grown veg and cut...
Natural Surroundings is an eight-acre wildlife reserve and Norfolk's Wildflower Centre, with a...
A local landmark, The Speyside Centre peeps out of a pine forest in the Cairngorms. Once nearly...
When we first met Lucy she was racing off to bid at Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers. We didn't want...
A sleeping beauty, restored to life after a nearly hundred-year hiatus, Annandale Distillery...
In a 15th-century former Almshouse on Axbridge's medieval square, this tea shop radiates charm....
The Village Green, an independent, family-focused coffee shop, is the heart of Burwell. Whether...
If your route doesn't take you to or through any of Scotland's traditional centres of culinary...
The Queen's Head pub has been restored by the Lowther family, of Askham Hall, whose masterplan is...
Surrounded by fields and backed by the rearing embankment of the Weald Park hill fort, Calcott...
The old stone walls and wooden beams welcome you to the Flintlock Inn, where log-burners and...
Kenyon Hall Farm, on the Cheshire and Lancashire border, has been lovingly tended by the Bulmers...
Welbeck is a traditional, 15,000-acre estate in the heart of Sherwood Forest. The Farm Shop and...
Teals is a wall-to-wall treat. Just off the A303 – and only 10 minutes from the A37 – it's a...
However arduous your journey the sound of wind rustling through the reeds in the lake at...
Like something from a sweeping Merchant Ivory epic, Nymans is a garden lover's home for all...
The magnificent 13th-century cathedral is reason alone for stopping in Dunblane, a picturesque...
This magnificent house on the edge of the Lake District (the ancient family home of Lord and Lady...
Broom House Farm sits at the top of a hill looking out over the dip and roll of the countryside...
It's curiously more satisfying to discover a surprisingly good café in the unlikeliest of places...
It’s a rather unique combination, a barber and a coffee shop; owner Sue Cooper wanted to set up...
Congratulations are in order - welcome to the North West's Farm Shop of the Year and the UK's...
There's something comforting about visiting a family-run business. The award-winning Dalesman...
Northleach, a delightful (and mercifully comparatively quiet) Cotswold town, was once at an...
Everything about Unorthodox Roasters is just that: unorthodox. Their beans are roasted and named...
Allington's cavernous wood-clad farm shop is an award-winning Wiltshire food hub at the gateway...
Sometimes in life you take a risk...and it pays off. That's exactly what happened for Kate and...
Razz is one of life's colourful characters, as you'll gather on entering her friendly,...
A lot has changed since Charlotte and Anita took over the Council’s former canteen in...
Cholderton is a handy halfway between the South West and The Big Smoke. It's a fully organic farm...
This fabulous place is a Small Farm Shop of the Year finalist in the 2023 Farm Retail Awards...
The Yard Café is homely and community spirited. Delicious brunches and lunches are served in its...
The name for this record-spinning spot isn't there because its patrons are repenting their...
No quick roadside stop-off, Glenwhan Gardens and Arboretum are worthy of a half-day diversion if...
Matai and Rachael are living their very own ice-cream dream in one of Devon's prime foodie towns,...
The adage 'arrive a stranger, leave a friend' could have been written for this happy, homely art...
The hard-working Grindal family has converted a series of buildings to make space for a café and...
You can tell that founders Rob and Sue are sailing folk, for every spare cubic inch of hidden...
Innerleithen is a beautiful town in the Scottish Borders. Wool and knitwear have powered its...
Owners Candida and Georgie stumbled across The Extra Mile and loved its suggestions, so we're...
You will find wonderful views of the East Lothian coast from the picture windows of Drift, an...
There are worse things to be addicted to than great food and drink, say the four brothers behind...
Set on the edge of the Earl of Plymouth’s estate, this fab farm shop is a microcosm of the foodie...
The Stables at Kirklevington is a new, purpose-built bistro at Town End Farm's rural riding...
To escape the traffic of Somerset's A303, pop into Priory Coffee for a mood-lifting cake and a...
Gawping koi carp, a glorious array of plants and flowers and a pergola draped with roses and...
The wood-panelled Potting Shed drips with foliage and is a failsafe pit-stop on your way to or...
Above Innerleithen, in the heart of the Tweed valley, is Caberston Forest. Take a woodland wander...
The Ionian, a small place with a big heart, is an island of Mediterranean goodness in an unlikely...
Doddington Hall is a grand, late-Elizabethan mansion. Completed in 1600, it hasn't been sold or...
Emmett’s has traded in Peasenhall since 1820. Do take a moment to enjoy this pretty village with...
We loved both the name of this shop and its motto: first with the eyes. Everything in this petite...
Vegetarians and vegans, hold your horses here. Jan Wise, way ahead of the curve, has been...
The Plough, the modern incarnation of a classic coaching inn, is a popular dining and...
If heading to Gatwick from the south east, you might well pass near Forest Row, known for its...
- Sally will reopen Thyme & Tides as Salt Deli Kitchen in summer 2024 - When some people...
This 'miniature empire' is going from strength to strength at the heart of the pretty village of...
The seaside 'Artists' Town' of Kirkcudbright (kir-coo-bree) is the Solway coast's only working...
If you find yourself in the quaint, rural village of Cawthorne - perhaps after visiting Canon...
With food cooked over a wood-fired hearth, vegetables grown down the road at a horse-ploughed...
The airy, family-run Farmers Fayre is found on the sprawling National Agricultural Exhibition...
Low Sizergh is a paragon of happy animals, organic farming, community growing schemes,...
The Pump is a captivating tea room alongside the mighty Bolsover Castle. Renovated brick by brick...
It's well worth escaping the M40 for the pretty market town of Thame, at the foot of the...
If the word 'castle' had a collective noun, you'd use it to help describe Northumberland's...
Chef owners Mike and Sam run this lovely village pub on the green in Barkston near Grantham, amid...
Tebay sits amid the bracken-dabbled Cumbrian hills: the mothership of good motorway services. The...
Please note: Farm and Field's café no longer operates in its previous form. Please visit their...
Skirt the tulip and sunflower field at the entrance to Alison and Ian’s working farm to find this...
Cocoa Skye is our most northerly find, on Scotland's east-facing coast between Dornoch and Wick....
Westerham Brewery and Tap Room may be a relative newcomer to the scene (est. 2004), but brewing...
Forage (farm shop, butchery, cafe and takeaway) showcases the people and products of the Penllyn...
If you're ogling counters full of pies topped with birthday greetings; multi-tiered pork pie...
The Langham Wine Estate is a wall-to-wall, grape to glass delight. Not content with being an...
If following the A21 to Hastings you'll almost trip over Eggs to Apples - a long, low-profile...
Bristol's bustling Public Market farm shop is on a self-confessed mission to buck the trend of a...
The rambling Rothiemurchus Estate covers one of the largest remaining areas of ancient...
Monks Yard has settled very comfortably into its peaceful new premises in the grounds of...
Larger-than-life Jason - one of the fastest oyster shuckers in the east - is the man behind...
Providero began life in an achingly cool Citroën van: living the free-wheeling dream. Today, its...
Known as North Warwickshire's hidden gem, the glorious Middleton Hall (a Grade-II listed...
Ben Watson's family has farmed Riverford's 350 hectares for 70 years, expanding into all corners...
One of the new wave of services, Hog & Hedge is a breath of fresh air. Swing off the A30 on...
With views reaching over the Nottinghamshire countryside and 16 delicious ice cream flavours,...
Alnwick is a delectable, medieval gem, with a proud castle - dubbed ‘the Windsor of the North’ -...
Haddington, known as 'the hidden toun' for the way it sits in its rural location, is an...
The handsome khaki-green front of Fred and Ginger Coffee stands on Kings Langley’s high street....
Prepare to marvel at the ingenious horticultural tesselation at RHS Garden Bridgewater, the Royal...
Isabel Revill set up shop in her rustic stable 20 years ago, with coins for fresh asparagus...
Travellers coasting between Brighton and Eastbourne, pat yourselves on the back for discovering...
Hidden in small country lanes, Churchfields is a mecca for ice-cream lovers who are drawn to its...
Bruton, Somerset's arty enclave, is the perfect backdrop for At the Chapel. This converted...
Joan and Nick bought Alder Carr Farm back in 1981 and set about planting various fruit and...
The universe must be thanked for entangling the life paths of Maggie and Anna, two...
Beetham is a beautiful, narrow-laned, Postman Pat-styled village of stone houses on the...
The heady, scented gardens set the Hundred House apart, encircling this eclectic Shropshire...
A detour into the colourful market town of Strathaven (‘Stray-ven’) will bring you to the...
"Giving back more than we take out" is a motto of the fifth-generation Bowles family,...
The Smiddy Farm Shop stands on the site of the old village blacksmith’s, now transformed into a...
We had to prise ourselves away from the café and farm shop at Fenton Barns, with their multitude...
Gilks' is not 'just another garage themed café', it's the real deal. Run by Keith, Linda,...
Sometimes, you're cruising along a rural country road and come across a hive of activity. Who are...
The gateway to Swansea Bay's Mumbles headland and the Gower AONB, Swansea city itself is often...
Pigs and poultry are big news at this family-friendly farm shop in the Suffolk countryside. It's...
Pull in here if you’re hankering after a hot chocolate on your way through Scotland. Iain Burnett...
Bread and Butter is a Dolby stereo, two-sides-of-the-street treat in the heart of Truro. Kate and...
What do you do when your 18th-century village pub closes down? You buy and reinvent it, of...
If you sense déjà vu on arrival in Blackness-on-Sea, your mind isn't playing tricks. You may well...
Life's too short to drink instant coffee. Enter Owens - named a 'game-changing coffee brand' - to...
If you crave the homely aroma of fresh-baked bread, follow your nose off the M56 and into the...
The family-run Three Trees Farm Shop & Café is part of a mixed farm housed on Chiseldon's...
This farm and foodie hub is a destination unto itself, with staggering scenery that makes it a...
This is a handsome, red-gabled pub on the road to Hungerford. It's spirited too, as it was...
'It's fresh and exciting because it's not posh' said Masterchef judge William Sitwell, naming...
Passion before profit is the mantra at the Riverside Tap, a craft beer emporium across the river...
Sometimes in life, unusual combinations work: chocolate and chilli, bacon and maple syrup. On...
If grand driveways that deliver you to handsome country pubs with latticed windows and original...
The 7stanes are a collection of mountain-bike trail centres in Forestry and Land Scotland...
Whether you want to eat, play or stay, Charleton Fruit Farm awaits. With so many strings to its...
Ironbridge Gorge, near Telford, is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its role in the Industrial...
A model country pub with a relaxed upmarket vibe, the Olive Branch is as comfortable as a...
A pen of goats bleat for their breakfast outside Red Bank Farm Shop, while Limousin and Angus...
Pencil in a stop at this lovingly restored Georgian estate, where coffee and fresh-baked cake...
You won’t regret breaking the journey for this fabulous farm shop, outside which fuzzy-headed...
The Lime Kiln Kitchen, with its deck overlooking the Kilverstone Estate's parklands, is within...
The close connection to wildlife is what attracted gardeners Emma and Stephen to start a plant...
Swing off the M6 and into the Cheshire countryside to find the Ginger and Pickles tea-room at...
Bradgate Park has an embarrassment of riches for drivers taking slight detours just north of...
The evocatively named Lost Kitchen is a gift for seekers of the unusual. Housed in a traditional...
Pyne’s is a cracking farm shop and café serving excellent coffee and exceptional food – fast. The...
Wentbridge is a pretty West Yorkshire village with lovely walks and a good pub. To add some...
Family-owned Cammas Hall Farm, in the beautiful countryside of the Hertfordshire/ Essex border,...
Large Dickensian bay windows stand either side of this café's front door, one piled with an...
A contagious enthusiasm for sustainability permeates this first-rate Flintshire farm shop. Fruit...
A favourite with families, the Farm Café has benefited from improvements by its new owners to...
Foodies flock to the Three Horseshoes like birds coming home to roost, drawn by its reputation...
A handsome, 16th-century country pub at the edge of Somerton’s octagonal market square, The White...
The Kitchen is not just a tea-room and coffee shop but also a studio for the cake artists at work...
A long-held belief at the Angel and Harlequin is that good food and good company are two of...
This cosy gastro pub in picturesque Long Whatton is a great spot for dinner or a fly-by coffee...
Clare named her tea rooms after her daughter but was inspired by her mum, Eunice, to honour the...
Haverfordwest is Pembrokeshire's ancient county town. It's a handy journey breaker before...
Dorchester is the Casterbridge of Thomas Hardy's novels. Escape the madding car crowds to enjoy...
Isaac Newton made his science-enhancing discoveries at Woolsthorpe Manor (now a National Trust...
If you seek a friendly café as you leave the M1 for Derby or Nottingham, head to Fintons, where...
Ely is worth every minute of diversion, with its glory of a cathedral and sense of peace. In the...
Squerryes' family motto means 'it's permitted to be joyful'. Joy isn't merely permitted at this...
Filled with a steady stream of visitors, it’s hard to believe that the Old Bank Tea Rooms came...
Carmarthen is a convenient staging post if you’re heading to Pembrokeshire or on to Ireland by...
Darts Farm, on the Exe estuary, is a vibrant farming, shopping and eating hub. Links to the soil...
Once Cullompton’s family grocer as the original signwork still proclaims, the Bakehouse is now a...
Swathed in Virginia creeper, you’ll find the Malthouse tucked away near the church in the heart...
From humble beginnings, this multi award-winning organic farm shop, deli and butchery now fills...
Backed by the gorse-strewn slopes of the Ochil Hills and the soaring gothic tower of the Wallace...
Not content with being England's official Book Town (even the bus shelter has a good selection),...
Romaldkirk is one of those lovely villages where little has changed in 200 years. It sits...
Romsey vies for the title of England's 'prettiest market town'. Encircled by rural beauty and...
This book exists to bring you such first-rate finds as The Old Dairy, a rustic café on a working...
If you venture south off the A303 in South Petherton you'll enter a rural idyll, driving past...
When in Salisbury, don't quench your caffeine and calorie cravings in an ordinary café: delight...
Originally a fruit farm, Lathcoats has flourished in all directions and now has a free Animal...
Sister to glamorous Askham Hall hotel and the Queen's Head pub down the road, this low,...
The Courtyard is within a horse's neigh of Ascot. Fresh, relaxing and festooned with foliage,...
The Tree House Café, overlooking Hopwood Park, is so much more than a quick stop-off. It's a...
Wright’s Food Emporium sagely adopted the Golden Grove Arms, a former village pub, when it...
