When it comes to baked goods, Hobbs House are the gold standard. These independent Cotswold bakeries are run by the Herbert family, who have been baking for five generations. Hobbs House supply their award-winning organic bread to a growing number of independent shops in the region, but if you get the chance, a trip to a Hobbs House shop is an unmissable pleasure.

There are four bakeries, in Chipping Sodbury, Cirencester, Nailsworth and Tetbury, each one a cornucopia of loaves and irresistible confectionary. A trip to the Nailsworth shop is a favourite treat for my husband and I on a rare quiet morning.

Housed beside a babbling stream, it boasts a wood-fired oven in the open-plan kitchen. Downstairs is the bakery, lined with shelves of bread, and platters of sweet temptations. Upstairs is a cheerful little cafe, serving food and drinks, through from breakfast to afternoon tea. The coffee is excellent and the cakes are, naturally, perfection. We love the friendly staff who are imperturbable, kind, and knowledgeable. Passing back through the bakery on the way out, we are incapable of leaving empty-handed!

Images by Laura Pashby