OUR PHILOSOPHY
Sustainable & Seasonal Café in Burford, Cotswolds
Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Events & Private Dining
Local & Artisanal Sourcing
At the heart of our kitchen is a commitment to supporting local producers. We work closely with small-scale farmers, growers, and craftspeople from the Burford area and beyond. This not only guarantees the highest quality ingredients but also fosters a sustainable food ecosystem that benefits our entire community.
Sustainable Practices
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us it is a way of life. From minimizing food waste to choosing eco-friendly packaging, every decision is made with the environment in mind. We are dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of our surroundings for future generations, ensuring that our practices are as nourishing for the planet as our food is for our guests.
Heritage & Innovation
Inspired by the aromatic charm of thyme and the distinctive character of lovage, our culinary creations pay homage to traditional flavours while embracing modern, creative twists. We invite you to experience a dining atmosphere that blends rustic charm with contemporary elegance, offering a warm and welcoming space to enjoy a meal that tells a story.
BEHIND THYME & LOVAGE
Thyme & Lovage is the creation of Hubert Kosmala, a chef restaurateur with twenty years’ experience working in some of the best restaurants in the UK, including riverside restaurant Pissarro in Chiswick and Bishopgate’s Balls Brothers.
Originally from Poland, since moving to the Cotswolds Hubert was Head Chef at the Burford Garden Company and latterly The Swan at Swinbrook. His passion for food transforms white plates into food canvasses, using the very best produce as inspiration.
Michelin-trained pastry chef Cindy Kosmala, is behind (and in front of) Burford’s acclaimed High Street favourite Hugo Lovage Patisserie.
She is very much part of the Thyme & Lovage team … your sweet afternoon treats are created in the Hugo Lovage pastry kitchen.
For Cindy & Hubert food is about family and this really is a family business. Their three children, Niko, Hugo and Elliott, all love the patisserie and café.
OUR SUPPLIERS
At Thyme & Lovage, our ethos is rooted in the art of seasonal cooking and the beauty of locally sourced ingredients. We believe that food is a natural celebration reflection of the changing seasons, the richness of our local landscape, and the care of dedicated farmers and artisans.
Based in the Cotswolds, New Wave offers the widest selection of superb-quality, responsibly sourced seafood; their fish and shellfish is caught in Britain’s coastal waters, mainly in Devon, Cornwall and Scotland, buying daily, direct from small day-boats and 3 fish auctions. Most of their smoked products are from local producers, including Severn and Wye Smokery.
For 30 years this family run wholesaler has delivered fresh seasonal fruit, vegetables, dairy and dry store goods to hospitality businesses in the Cotswolds.
With outlets in Burford, Morton-in-the-Marsh and Stow-in-the-Wold, they stock more than 120 different artisan and farmhouse cheeses, with a real focus on local quality producers, followed by British territorial cheese (Cheshires, Lancashires, Caerphilly etc.) and high quality French, Spanish & Italian cheese.
Growing delicious, seasonal, organic vegetables the market garden occupies a 2.5 acre site at Conygree Farm, an organic and regenerative farm on the National Trust Sherborne Park Estate. They grow around 50 types of vegetables and around 100 varieties using only hand tools and mainly following ‘no-dig’/’no-till’ principles.
Jesse Smith is a family owned company, based in Cirencester. Their reputation has been built on an uncompromising commitment to provenance, fair trade & quality. They source with care from producers who share a passion for flavour and the best of British produce.
Growing delicious, seasonal, organic vegetables the market garden occupies a 2.5 acre site at Conygree Farm, an organic and regenerative farm on the National Trust Sherborne Park Estate. They grow around 50 types of vegetables and around 100 varieties using only hand tools and mainly following ‘no-dig’/’no-till’ principles.
Mayfield Free Range Eggs is the passion of three generations of an Oxfordshire farming family committed to providing the best care possible for their hens – roaming free on acres of lush, grassy fields, with plenty of space for natural hen behaviours such as dust bathing and foraging.