Stroud’s Nine Best Independent Cafés, Shops and Stays

Blessed with an army of local heroes fighting to keep its high street independent, the spirited market town of Stroud charms with a treasure trove of tempting shops, places to stay and eateries, including a community-driven farm store, artisan coffee shop and bohemian circus gaining kudos among the Cotswold cool kids.

01 July, 2021

Words by
Grace Lee

Named as the UK's best place to live in 2021, Stroud has been elbowing its way onto the weekend-getaway map in recent years for its quirky mishmash of architectural styles, colourful independent shops and strong community spirit. Surrounded by a blanket of mature woodland and bewitchingly beautiful hills on all sides, it's no surprise that locals are proud of their hometown and feverishly keen to keep their high street local and independent.

With this in mind, we've rounded up the best shops, places to stay and eateries in Stroud as a hymn to those local heroes fighting the good fight. Arrive hungry, bring a generous tote for souvenir shopping and expect to make a few new friends along the way.

Keeping it local: our favourite independent stays, shops and eateries in Stroud

restaurant

Woodruffs Organic Café

Britain’s first 100-percent organic café, Woodruffs opened its teal-blue doors in 1988 and has been known among locals as the best spot in town for a slice of cake and cup of coffee ever since. Wrapped around a corner of Stroud’s main pedestrianised high street, the well-loved eatery – named after the original owner’s dog – serves up an eclectic range of organic coffees and indulgent homemade cakes, as well as a dizzying array of vegan and vegetarian lunches.

Address

24 High Street, GL5 1AJ

+44 1453 759195 Go to website

restaurant

JRool Bistro

Family-run bistro and wine bar JRooL, which is nestled in the heart of Stroud, dishes up an evolving menu of classically inspired dishes with a contemporary twist and an emphasis on honest, top-quality ingredients. With a friendly atmosphere inside and a delightfully secluded courtyard garden perfect for sunny days, husband-and-wife team Rachel and Jason’s elegant space feels less like a restaurant and more like dinner at a friend’s – albeit perhaps your most gastronomically-ambitious and wine-savvy one.

Address

12 Union Street, GL5 2HE

+44 1453 767123 Go to website

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restaurant

Star Anise Arts Café

This unassuming little café hidden behind a stone archway just off from the main high street draws the crowds for its wholesome vegetarian lunches, live music and programme of exhibitions throughout the year. The café was founded by three former pupils of the Concord Institute – a wholefood health and wellbeing programme – with the intention of nourishing the community through local, seasonal food prepared and cooked with an ethos of love and joy. Much of what arrives at your table is made from scratch, including the café’s very own vegan butter, a blend of soya and coconut oil, which is churned by in-house baker Alon.

Address

1 Gloucester Street, GL5 1QG

+44 1453 840021 Go to website

hotel

Woodchester Valley Vineyard

Producing a variety of still white, rosé and sparkling wines, Woodchester Valley is a family-owned vineyard with a farmhouse retreat and barn-conversion guest rooms that look out onto the manicured green vines below. The passion project of former Hong Kong law professional Fiona Shiner – who moved back to her Cotswolds hometown in 2002 – the winery offers oenophiles a tutored tasting and tour every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Address

Convent Lane, Woodchester, GL5 5HR

+44 7808 650883 Go to website

hotel

Hammonds Farm

Cocooned in over 100 acres of rolling green farmland, this creamy Cotswold self-catering stone farmhouse is bursting with sumptuous super-king beds and picture-perfect views over Stroud’s sweeping valleys. It’s the sort of homely country inn that offers up freshly baked biscuits on arrival, an apple orchard to stroll around and a friendly bunch of resident alpacas grazing photogenically in the surrounding fields.

Address

Wick Street, GL6 7QN

+44 7733 101137 Go to website

thingstodo

Giffords Circus

Well on its way to becoming a national treasure, glorious Giffords is a vintage village-green circus that tours the Cotswolds every summer. Blending traditional circus theatrics with a bohemian and glamorous twist – think dance, live music and side-splitting comedy – the show works its magic on all age groups and is quickly garnering a cult following made up of everyone from local farmers to resident rock stars.

Photo credit: Gem Hall

+44 1242 691181 Go to website

shopping

Thistle by Nature

Run by local Emma Thistlethwaite, who grew up in nearby Wotton-under-Edge, Thistle by Nature is more of an efflorescent ode to the great outdoors than a floral design studio. Spanning everything from botanical arts and crafts to wreaths and flower arrangements, Emma’s work focuses on folkloric florals and garden colour palettes with a respectful mindfulness of the ever-changing seasons.

Address

2 Bedford Street, GL5 1AY

+44 7938 893752 Go to website

shopping

Humphries & Begg

Founded by husband-and-wife duo Robbie Humphries and Alice Begg, who met while working at the Secret Garden Party festival, H&B started out as an online-only fabric maker. The brand evolved into a bricks-and-mortar shop in August 2020, when the couple were unable to set up their usual festival stalls during the pandemic. Now a thriving boutique, the shop sells a technicolour array of print and patchwork clothing for men and women, as well as beautifully designed homewares and fabric by the metre.

Address

Lansdown, GL5 1BB

+44 7763 913992 Go to website

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