Stratford upon Avon – not only Shakespeare
In 2018 I traveled to Stratford upon Avon in southern England. I accompanied my husband who attended a course there. As always before a trip, I researched what to see and do there. It was not easy, because William Shakespeare was born, lived and worked there and therefore a lot of activities revolve around him. If you would like more information about his places of residence, I recommend that you visit this page.
I was curious what else I could discover there, of course with a focus on culinary delights. And I found what I was looking for….
English food
You hear a lot of negative things about English food but I can’t confirm that. I have never eaten badly, but I like the English breakfast with eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms the most. But I like to leave out the beans. But if the full English breakfast is too much for you, you can still choose toast.
Then something sweet for lunch, for example scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam accompanied by a jug of tea – heavenly! Even if this should have been a five-o-clock tea.
In the many patisseries you will find at every corner, there is usually a rich selection of sweets but also of small salty meals, for example meat pies.
And for dinner there is English pub food.
Two Pubs I liked very much
On the one hand the “Garrick Inn“, which is the oldest pub in the city and serves authentic English food. There I ate the very best peppermint lamb.
On the other hand the “Lambs of sheep street” which is located very close to the Shakespeare Theatre in one of the oldest houses of Stratford as described on their website.
The lamb was really awesome, all very fresh, the portion plentiful but not too much. And the “Sticky toffee pudding” was a sweet (caloric) dream.
Admittedly, “Lambs” is no longer an actual pub, but rather a restaurant.
Excursions
Stratford upon Avon is, as the name suggests, by the Avon. Along the river there is a very nice footpath where you can watch the ducks and swans. Or you can stay in the adjacent park and watch the street artists. Over the river there are two bridges in the middle of the city, in the city park there also is a “chain ferry” which takes you to the other side. This means that the boat between two chains leading from one shore to the other. With a hand crank it is moved forward.
There are also 40-minute boat trips on the river.
Near the racecourse there is a bicycle rental and you can cycle to Welford-on-Avon by bike or walk on foot (about 4 miles/20 minutes by bike or 1 hour 30 minutes on foot).
The famous woodturner Phil Irons has his studio here.
Welford is very small but has a golf course and several houses with beautiful thatched roofs.
In a neighbouring village I also found a small coffee roastery that sells really good coffee.
Of course I have to see at least one market
From April to December the Waterside Upmarket takes place every Sunday and Bankholiday Monday.
About 60 stalls with food, handicrafts and gift ideas invite you to linger.
And if you want a really good, strong espresso, you can find it at the Volks Café stand! Yes, I also like coffee ?
There is also a street food market every Friday and Saturday in the middle of town.
