Vegan eating in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is jam-packed with fabulous eating out options, with everything from traditional tea rooms to Michelin-starred restaurants, and funky pop-up kitchens to enticing pubs with menus full of locally sourced ingredients. However, if you happen to be vegan, or even flexitarian, what’s dining out like for you in the Cotswolds? Will you have to bring a car full of vegan food to prepare your meals yourself or will you be able to relax, eat out and not worry?

We’ve asked our resident Bolthole Retreats vegan to share her ‘vegan eating in the Cotswolds’ insider knowledge. The results are far-reaching, from cafés to restaurants of every type spread all over the Cotswolds.

Vegan cafés in the Cotswolds

The top three choices for a slap-up vegan meal in a relaxed, café atmosphere are:

1. Vegetus, Winchcombe Street, Cheltenham. This Mediterranean cafe and deli is run by a welcoming and knowledgeable owner with a fully vegan menu.
2. Front Community Hub, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. It is a plant-based café with a zero waste refill shop and gallery showcasing local crafters and artists.
3. The Canteen, Nailsworth. It isn’t all vegan but you’ll have a wide choice of delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. The vegan breakfast is delicious and includes spicy scrambled tofu, nutmeg spinach, mushrooms, tomato, beans and toast.

Other recommendations:

1. Coach House Coffee, Stow-on-the-Wold
2. Abbey Home Farm Café, near Cirencester, based at Abbey Home Organic Farm
3. Glasshouse Cafe, Burford Garden Centre
4. The Den Bourton-on-the-Water

Vegan pubs in the Cotswolds

As far as we are aware, there aren’t any fully vegan pubs in the Cotswolds, but there are lots of pubs that have menus with vegan options. A pub with just one or two choices doesn’t make the cut, but if it has three or more, that’s enough in our view. Our insider’s top three choices are:

1. Royal Oak, Tetbury. Just down the hill from the town centre and next to the Tetbury Goods Shed, this cosy, local pub has a great vegan menu made from locally sourced produce that’s served in the pub or restaurant room.
2. Bathampton Mill, near Bath. A beautiful pub on the River Avon which has a full vegan menu with some mouth-watering dishes such as sweet potato massaman curry, roasted butternut squash pizza or a plant-based burger.
3. The Black Horse, Cirencester. This town centre pub has a full vegan menu with starters, mains, desserts and sides.
4. The Gardner’s Arms, Alderton. This friendly country pub has a fantastic range of plant-based options including choices for a Sunday lunch.

Other recommendations:

1. The Swan, Broadway
2. The Bull Hotel, Fairford
3. The Old Lodge, Minchinhampton Common
4. The Butcombe brewery pubs in Dyrham, Burford, Prestbury, Corsham, Cheltenham, Cirencester (and more). They aren’t vegan but they all have vegan options on their menu and they serve vegan-friendly Butcombe beer. Our guests receive a 10% discount on food at The Royal Oak in Prestbury too!

Vegan restaurants in the Cotswolds

If you’re looking for somewhere special with a great atmosphere, these are our top restaurant recommendations:

1. The Coconut Tree, Cheltenham. This serves Sri Lankan cuisine with a really good vegan menu (the Roots Menu). What’s not to like about cashew nuts and green peas cooked in coconut cream?
2. Karibu Vegan Bar & Kitchen, Stroud. They serve truly delicious plant-based food with a Southern African influence and have a good vegan wine, beer and gin menu, too.
3. The Green Rocket, Bath. A multi-award-winning cafe and restaurant open for evening meals on Fridays and Saturdays.

Vegan ice cream in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is lucky enough to have two national ice cream makers who produce vegan varieties.

1. Winstones have an ice cream parlour on Rodborough Common near Stroud.
2. Marshfield Farm, based in Marshfield near Bath, make four plant-based ice creams (mint chocolate, strawberry, salted caramel and vanilla) and six vegan sorbets.

There is also The Ice Cream Cottage in Tewkesbury which serves unbelievable ice cream tray treats and desserts, many of which are vegan. They are a takeaway only service open at weekends with a changing menu throughout the year.

Vegan fudge in the Cotswolds

Fudge seems to be all the rage and there’s no reason why vegans should miss out on this delicious treat, especially in the Cotswolds where we have our very own Cotswold Fudge Co.

1. If you can’t make it to a shop to buy some vegan fudge, order it direct from the Cotswold Fudge Co which sells individual packets of vegan fudge (sea salt, mocha, vanilla and chocolate, caramel and butterscotch) as well as hampers.
2. If you’re in or near Nailsworth, pop into Coco Confectionery. They sell Cotswold Fudge Co’s vegan sea salt fudge and mocha fudge, and lots of vegan chocolate too.
3. Roly’s Fudge Pantry is a national brand with a branch in Stow-on-the-Wold. They make a wide variety of fudge flavours including vegan options.

Read more: Best country pubs near Tetbury