Our back story
In 1998, Rob’s parents — Robbie and Alan — launched Lynwood Café in a small rural village in Australia. Their roots ran deep in the countryside, where they also ran Lynwood Preserves, crafting jams, chutneys and preserves that became beloved locally. Over time, the café grew beyond its modest beginnings, evolving into a welcoming gathering spot, known for its warmth, simplicity and honest food.
Years later, Rob and Kats set their sight on the UK. They believed that the soul of Australian café culture — unhurried conversation over good coffee, generosity, and casual community — could find a home in the Cotswolds. In January 2015, they opened their first UK café in the market town of Lechlade, and with that, Lynwood & Co in England was born.
Growing with Purpose (Not Just Scale)
What began as a single café has blossomed into a family of cafés across the region — from Lechlade to Fairford, Burford, Carterton, Cirencester, Bampton, Northleach, Moreton-in-Marsh & most recently Witney.
Yet each new location has been chosen with care. We resisted the temptation to expand too fast. Our guiding principles have always been:
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Quality over quantity — every café must reflect our values
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Traceability & integrity — sourcing ingredients from local, independent producers
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Community & connection — ensuring each café becomes a “living room” of its town
Behind the scenes, we’ve built a central production kitchen and bakery in Carterton, allowing all our cafés to benefit from consistent craftsmanship, while still keeping flavour local.
What We Stand For
Coffee, Bread, Happiness
This isn’t just a tagline — it’s our daily practice. We partner exclusively with Extract Coffee Roasters, whose passion for roasting reflects our own. Our breads are fermented slowly in our bakery, using organic flours from Shipton Mill and crafted each morning.
Local, Honest Sourcing
We believe in low food miles and high care. Some of our key suppliers:
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Meat: from Cutler & Bayliss, just a stone’s throw from our flagship café
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Eggs: from a free‐range Oxfordshire farm, three generations strong
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Veg, dairy, dry goods: via Bramleys in Cirencester, a trusted local wholesaler
Every ingredient tells a story, and we try to honour that.
Rooted in Community
We don’t just serve communities — we are part of them. Each café aims to be more than a place to eat and drink. We host fundraisers, support youth sports, offer our space for gatherings, and believe in giving back.
In 2016, we were voted Best Coffee Shop by Cotswold Life’s Food & Drink Awards, and we’ve even featured in The Guardian’s list of the UK’s best breakfast spots.
But awards aren’t what drives us — the smiles, conversations, and sense of belonging do.
Looking Forward
We’ve come far from our first café in Lechlade in 2015. Today, with a dedicated team (nearly 150 strong) across all sites, we strive to deepen our roots, not just grow in number.
Our vision is to be the leading café & bakery group in the Cotswolds — one that’s unmistakably local, undeniably warm, and always true to its humble beginnings. We plan to keep innovating — whether that’s via a wholesale arm, home delivery, or new café spaces — but always with the same heart.
We hope that when you step through our doors, you feel welcomed, seen, and a little bit at home.
