Thyme

Arrivals at Thyme are wholly idyllic affairs. Country lanes fringed by grassy banks, glimpses of a medieval stone church, into an enclosure immaculately framed by manorial barns and 17th century cottages like an open embrace. “A village within a village.” Only the sound of one’s own car door closing amongst birdsong; footsteps from a cook stepping out to collect sprigs of rosemary; a therapist carrying towels neatly folded, moving between spa rooms; or subdued voices screened by tall fruiting shrubs, of fellow guests on post-lunch ambles through the 150-acre estate’s gardens. As Thyme continues to modernise, the Hibbert family remains as ever sympathetic and committed to human comfort, history, and sustainability. Here, Caryn shares their story.

Words below by Caryn.

Thyme — Hotel, Spa, Farm & Cookery School. Southrop Manor Estate, Gloucestershire. Photo courtesy of Thyme.

Grounds at Thyme and the Southrop Manor Estate. Photo: courtesy of Thyme

Thyme and the Southrop Manor Estate. Photo: Rich Stapleton

Thyme is a family story which has evolved greatly throughout the last ten years. Family is ingrained within the restoration of Thyme, which I initially undertook with my father Michael Bertioli as we combined our interests in architecture, conservation, and design. We have now extended this timeless warmth with the recent launch of Thyme’s daughter brand “Bertioli by Thyme” led by my daughter Camilla Hibbert. This includes hand-painted table linens and silk wear, which depict the flora that inhabit Thyme’s wild spaces. My son, Charlie Hibbert, is Head Chef at the Ox Barn, Thyme’s destination restaurant. With his team, Charlie works meticulously to select and grow the fruits, vegetables, and herbs used to create his menus, modern British food that is farm-based and plant-inspired.

Together, we have taken time to make Thyme. Our combined passion for the land, food, and entertaining merges with our love of local heritage, beauty, and conservation to create a thoughtful place for guests, with love and attention.

Thyme’s founder, Caryn Hibbert. Southrop Manor Estate, Gloucestershire. Photo courtesy of Thyme.

“Thyme has been ahead of the curve in many different ways, and that can be challenging, but ultimately hugely rewarding too.”

Thyme — Hotel, Spa, Farm & Cookery School. Southrop Manor Estate, Gloucestershire. Photo: Rich Stapleton courtesy of Thyme.

‘English Rose’ Room at Thyme — Hotel, Spa, Farm & Cookery School. Southrop Manor Estate, Gloucestershire. Photo: Rich Stapleton courtesy of Thyme.

Whilst combining a medical career in London with raising three children, my heart never wavered from my countryside upbringing. Consequently, upon stumbling across Southrop Manor in an issue of Country Life, I decided to devote my time to restoring the various dilapidated buildings.

Since purchasing the land in 2002, we have paved a journey, restoring Thyme and the Southrop Manor Estate. Thyme began as a destination Cookery School, but has since expanded into a hotel, restaurant, spa, shop, and village pub — now known as “a village within a village.”

This village within a village is a true celebration of the natural beauty of the surrounding area. This entails a sustainable ethos, which lies at the core of our kitchen garden and farm, ensuring a gentle footprint in the local and global landscape. As the impact of eco-tourism and green-thinking has grown, Thyme has been ahead of the curve in many different ways, and that can be challenging, but ultimately hugely rewarding too.

There is a perfect space in this market for a rural-based hotel to offer a real escape from the stresses of modern life. Thyme’s hospitality focuses on enabling guests to feel a real connection to the land, the seasons, and to nature. Our 31 bedrooms have been thoughtfully decorated, taking inspiration from their botanical names, such as “English Rose” and “Lemonbalm.” Thyme aims to bring the outside in and enables guests to feel a sense of escapism and relaxation.

Eco-tourism has become a buzzword, and the result should benefit guests and hoteliers on many levels. Sustainability does not mean compromising customer experience, and the sustainability drive is one of continuous improvement, striving to address environmental impact whilst making pragmatic choices for the business. Green credentials are fuelling a new narrative in hospitality, generating questions that we are able to answer with a confidence that comes from years of running the business with ethical and environmental choices that are influenced by our countryside location. The challenge is to ensure that, as the business expands, it never loses sight of those core principles — but with passionate individuals within our team, we are confident about the future.

“We are committed to supporting small artisanal producers and local suppliers, relationships that are characterised by honesty and fairness.”

We consider collaborations, partnerships, and supply chain to be integral part of our success. Choosing who to work with is not only based on quality and competitiveness, but also adherence to social, ethical, and environmental principles — a pre-requisite to working with us and developing lasting business friendships. We are committed to supporting responsible, artisanal producers and local suppliers, relationships that are characterised by honesty and fairness, bringing benefits to both parties.

We are finding this particularly rewarding within the new retail side of the business: sustainable supply chains, ethical production, the environmental impact of consumables, a movement away from “fast fashion” and packaging issues — all of these affect and drive the development of Thyme’s retail.

Thyme continues to develop. We are continually evolving in line with a passion for the land. We have just launched our founding silk wear collection, in addition to a Botanical Bothy soon.