The Straw Kitchen

The Straw Kitchen is the cafe at Whichford Pottery, situated on Barrats Hill in Whichford near Shipston-on-Stour. Built from straw bales and natural materials by Maia, Jim and Dominique Keeling's eldest daughter, and her partner Christine, it opened its doors in May 2014 after a year of renovating an old barn at the end of the carpark. The cafe has an uncompromising commitment to sustainability, ethical food production and respect for community and planet. The seasonal menu is simple and stylish, changing weekly according to what is growing in the kitchen garden and what local suppliers are producing. Diners can expect everything from traditional cafe classics to beetroot and feta on toast with honey, hearty super brunches, herby soups, ramens, Bahn Xeo pancakes, Sri Lankan curries, gorgeous salads, mountains of homemade cakes and what they describe as the best bacon sarnies for miles around. Everything is baked in house, with a love of pickling, fermenting and preserving. Seating is limited indoors but there is plenty of outdoor seating under a covered terrace, and visitors are welcome to bring their own blankets and camping chairs to use on the grass. Food can be eaten on site or taken away.