Last week I took myself down south for a long weekend away. I headed to Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds to enjoy the beginnings of spring and to check out some places that I’ve always wanted to visit – Bicester Village and Daylesford Farm.
Bicester Village is a large designer shopping outlet, that’s laid out like a village, with over 160 designer brands at reduced prices. The designer stores are all selling past season pieces and cult items at up to 60% off RRP. My tip for doing Bicester Village as easily and stress-free as possible, would be to arrive early – before 10.30AM. This way you are guaranteed to find a parking space and can have a wander round to find your favourite stores without it being too busy. And if you finish all your shopping early, you can check out the rest of what Warwickshire has to offer. The next time i’m in this area, I definitely want to explore more of Bicester aside from this luxury outlet. The town looks a lovely place and i’ve seen some beautiful Bicester afternoon tea!
When I was there last week, Bicester Village was all decorated for Chinese New Year, and there was some extra promotions on in stores to celebrate it. Before I arrived, I knew that I was going to be all about the Kate Spade store, as I love that brand so much. They were offering an extra 20% off their already outlet-discounted items, and an extra 40% off items that were further discounted in their sale. This meant that there were some stunning leather tote bags on offer for around just £70 instead of over £300 – what a bargain!
After stopping for a cupcake at Lola’s Cupcakes, another store that I loved and thought had some great discounts, was Alexander McQueen. Their handbags and scarves were selling at 40% off of the normal retail price. This meant, for example, that this bag originally at £1195, was selling for £720, and the scarves were selling at £160 from £265.
The next day, I headed over to the luxurious Daylesford Farm. This is about a 30 minute drive from Bicester Village, and is set in the beautiful Cotswolds. This is a great place to come if you are looking for fresh food or produce for a dinner party or picnic lunch.
There are so many fresh fruits and vegetables on offer, all grown on the farm. They also have a wide selection of meats and cooked deli items, as well as wines and champagnes, and their own tea blends.
Daylesford Farm is a lot bigger, and has a lot more to look at, than I expected. It’s set over two floors, and there is a series of adjoining buildings and pretty outdoor spaces to enjoy too. I particularly loved the gorgeous, simplistic clothing and accessories in The Bamford Barn. They are expensive, but they are all pieces you would keep for decades. I’m definitely going to visit Daylesford Farm again. They have a wonderful garden and flower section, and run workshops in bouquet making and wreath making, that I’d love to attend. There is also a spa on-site that I’d love to have a treatment at. Next time I want to stay in one of pretty Cotswolds villages I drove through this weekend! Have you visited Bicester Village or Daylesford Farm before? To find out more about what I’m loving, and what I’m doing, head over to my Instagram.
