The Foodie Edit: Eating Well in Herefordshire
You don't have to leave the farm to eat well here. Fresh bread from Peter Cooks Bread, Legges meat for the BBQ or a proper fry-up, a cheese board built from Herefordshire producers — all pre-ordered ahead of your stay, up to five days before you arrive, so it's there before you've unpacked. Fancy someone else doing the cooking entirely? A private chef dinner can be arranged too.
Herefordshire, one plate at a time
When you do want to eat out, the county doesn't make it hard. Draper's Lane Deli in Leominster with homemade pasta and locally sourced produce is a must. Peter Cooks Bread, worth the crumbs in your bag. Legges, the butchers, deli and pie shop whose meat and deli favourites now find their way into our hampers, most of it sourced within six miles of the counter. And if you fancy slipping away as two, 33 The Homend in Ledbury — a tiny fourteen-cover room specialising in day-boat fish and rare-breed meat, worth booking ahead by phone since it doesn't take online bookings or large groups.
Herefordshire's food scene doesn't shout about itself. It just quietly gets it right.
The Farm Gate Interview: Draper's Lane Deli
We're continuing our new interview series this month — eight rapid, unscripted questions put to the people making Herefordshire worth the trip. Answered by Samantha, founder of Draper's Lane Deli, Leominster.
One word for Herefordshire that isn't "quiet." Abundant.
What's happening at Draper's Lane that nobody ever asks about, but should? The pasta on your plate is chef Daniele's own recipe, the one he makes at home.
Which Brook House Woods stay matches your personality — Journeyman play, or Foxglove quiet? Journeyman play, always — though ask me again after a long Friday service.
If Draper's Lane had a soundtrack, what's playing? Cerys Matthews on a Sunday morning, Huey on shuffle, always finding something new.
Tell us a Herefordshire secret you probably shouldn't be telling us. Half the best things in this county aren't in the window — ask us about Trealy Farm and Wildflower Sourdough.
Which local business — not yours — would you send a stranger to? Get lost in Leominster's antiques — one of the best antique trails in the country.
What's coming up that you're most excited to share? Summervaganza — global small plates and live gypsy jazz, one night only.
Describe your perfect Herefordshire afternoon in five words. Delicious deli picnic, hilltop view.
Planning a food-led stay
Pre-order your hamper up to five days before you arrive — Legges meat, Peter Cooks Bread and a Herefordshire cheese board can all be waiting for you. Want to skip the cooking altogether? A private chef dinner can be arranged for an evening in our larger properties - Journeyman Treehouse and The Oast House. And if you're heading out, Draper's Lane Deli in Leominster is worth the trip for the group, while 33 The Homend in Ledbury is better suited to two — it’s often very in demand so advance booking is recommended!