M&S Chipping Norton

On the high street

The dependable first stop

There's a particular comfort in knowing exactly what you're getting, and the M&S Foodhall on Chipping Norton high street delivers on that front every time. The deli counter is genuinely good for picnic supplies: the sourdough, the charcuterie and the cheese all punch above what you'd expect from a market-town branch. The ready meals are a lifesaver on that first night when you've spent the afternoon unpacking and nobody feels like cooking, and the wine range, while it leans predictable, has plenty of honest mid-tier bottles and the odd seasonal surprise.

It sits right in the middle of town, a ten-minute drive from the cottage, with the New Street pay-and-display car park a two-minute walk away. Like most M&S Simply Food halls it opens early and stays open into the evening seven days a week, so it works whether you're grabbing breakfast on the way in or a bottle of red on the way back from a walk.

What we actually buy here

• Breakfast on arrivalGood bread, proper butter, bacon and eggs, pastries and decent coffee: enough to see everyone through the first morning without a full supermarket run.
• The first-night dinnerA roast chicken, a bag of salad and a crumble, or one of the dine-in deals if you'd rather not think about it at all after a long drive down.
• Picnics and days outDeli pots, pork pies, scotch eggs and fruit that travel well for a day at Blenheim, a walk from the door, or a spread in the cottage garden.
• A bottle and a treatA reliable red or a chilled fizz for the fire, and, non-negotiable with children in tow, the Colin the Caterpillar bites.

Rounding out the cottage shop

M&S rarely covers everything, so we pair it with a couple of other stops within the same few streets. The Co-op is straight across the road for basics, bin bags and last-minute bits; Sainsbury's and Aldi are both a short drive out for a bigger weekly shop. When you want something more special, Eagles Fine Foods is the local deli to know, and the farm shops at Daylesford and Wykham Park are worth the trip when you feel like cooking something properly. Between them you can stock the cottage kitchen without ever driving far.

When you'd rather someone else cooked

Some nights the kitchen stays cold, and Chipping Norton has good options a few doors from the food hall. The Chequers is the town's own living room, all low beams, open fires and unfussy plates; The Blue Boar is the oldest coaching inn in town, pouring pints since 1641. If you want the full picture, our guide to eating and drinking in the area runs from village pubs to farm-to-table restaurants and everything between.

“First stop on arrival, every time. Grab a roast chicken, a decent red and some of those Colin the Caterpillar bites for the kids. Sorted.”

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Also nearby

• Co-op Chipping Norton · Supermarket · Chipping Norton
• Eagles Fine Foods · Deli · Deddington
• The Chequers · Pub · Chipping Norton
• The Blue Boar · Pub · Chipping Norton