What THYME does

Thyme is a privately held, family-owned English country estate located in Southrop, Gloucestershire, within the Cotswolds. Founded in 2002 by Caryn Hibbert, who acquired the 17th-century Southrop Manor and adjacent agricultural buildings, Thyme began as a cookery school and has evolved into a multi-vertical luxury destination spanning a 150-acre estate with 31 bedrooms dispersed across historic houses and cottages. The business is led by Caryn Hibbert (Founder and Creative Director) together with her son Charlie Hibbert (Chef Patron, overseeing Ox Barn and broader F&B) and daughter Camilla Hibbert (communications and marketing), with a wider team of approximately 52 employees.

The estate operates as a destination resort under a 'village within a village' model, combining accommodation, dining, wellness, education, and retail under one property. Core product lines include: overnight stays across 31 bedrooms; the Ox Barn fine dining restaurant (awarded three stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association for its garden-led seasonal British cuisine); the Swan village pub; the Meadow Spa featuring an outdoor spring-water swimming pool and a new Botanical Bothy treatment concept; the Cookery School offering scheduled and private classes; the Piggery boutique retail outlet; and a Calendar of Happenings programme of workshops and events. Sub-brands include Bertioli by Thyme, a proprietary botanical beauty and homeware line distributed online via bertioli.co.uk and on-site, with additional product lines including the Baa Bar and Orchid House poolside dining.

Thyme's go-to-market is fully direct-to-consumer, with guests booking accommodation, dining, spa, and cookery classes via the website, email ([email protected]), or phone, and paying in full at the time of booking. Pricing is positioned at the premium tier of UK country house hospitality, with packaged wellness weekends starting from £1,160, Ox Barn dinners at £60 per person, cookery classes from £95, and spa treatments such as the Bertioli Breathe, Nurture & Restore ritual at £145; service charges of 5-12.5% are added. Customer segments are diversified across luxury travelers, wellness seekers, food enthusiasts, families with older children, and private event clients. The business holds no external funding and is wholly bootstrapped within the Hibbert family, operating under Thyme and Bertioli branding from a single UK estate with no disclosed expansion beyond the Southrop location.

Name

THYME

Legal name

Thyme

Website

https://thyme.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Thyme is a family-owned luxury English country estate in the Cotswolds offering 31 bedrooms, fine dining, a botanical spa, a cookery school, retail, and the Bertioli beauty brand to affluent leisure travelers and event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Country Estate Hospitality

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Farmhouses, Country Houses & Vineyard Estates (THAMAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Resort-Area Full-Service Hotels (Non–All-Inclusive) (THAGAAAD), Luxury Villas & Residences Resorts (THAGACAM), Cabins & Cottages (THAMADAA)

Keywords

• Luxury country hotel
• Farm-to-fork dining
• Botanical spa retreat
• Cookery school experiences
• Curated lifestyle boutique

Headquarters

HQ city

Southrop

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Accommodation: 31-32 bedrooms across historic houses and cottages on the 150-acre estate. Rooms available from 4pm check-in, 11am departure. Subject to 5% service charge for bookings.
2. Ox Barn Restaurant: Fine dining restaurant in restored 19th-century oxen house. Set menu dining with seasonal produce from kitchen gardens. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lunch welcomes families; breakfast and dinner over 12s only.
3. The Swan Pub: Village pub serving classic pub food with family-friendly atmosphere. Features a cygnets menu for children. Part of the estate offering.
4. Meadow Spa: Spa treatments including Bertioli rituals (Breathe, Nurture & Restore at £145), open for residents only on weekends and Bank Holidays. Features outdoor spring-water pool.
5. Cookery School: Classes and workshops including 'Master a Dish' scheduled sessions (£95) and private experiences for 2 people (£450).
6. Retail Shop (The Piggery): Boutique selling Bertioli beauty products, linens, handmade ceramics, antiques, and curated artisan products. Online shop available at bertioli.co.uk.
7. Gift Vouchers: Vouchers available for spa treatments, dining experiences, cookery classes, and overnight stays. Sold through bertioli.co.uk.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thyme is a historic English country estate in the Cotswolds operating as an integrated luxury hospitality destination. It offers 31 bedrooms of accommodation, multiple farm-to-fork dining venues (Ox Barn restaurant and The Swan pub), the Meadow Spa with botanical treatments and outdoor spring-water pool, a Cookery School, working kitchen gardens and farm, an on-site Piggery boutique, and a Calendar of Happenings featuring seasonal events.

Product overview

Thyme is a historic English country estate in the Cotswolds offering a 'village within a village' hospitality experience. The property features 31 bedrooms across restored 17th-century houses and cottages, complemented by multiple dining venues (Ox Barn restaurant, The Swan pub, Orchid House, Baa Bar), the Meadow Spa with its Botanical Bothy concept, a Cookery School, working Farm & Gardens, curated Piggery shop, and an extensive Calendar of Happenings featuring seasonal workshops and events. The affiliated Bertioli by Thyme sub-brand extends the experience through botanical beauty products and homeware available online and on-site. The estate spans 150 acres and operates on a farm-to-fork ethos with produce from its own gardens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bertioli by Thyme: Botanical beauty brand offering skincare, bathing products, breathing balms, and homeware inspired by the water meadows and wild spaces of Thyme estate.
• The Ox Barn
• The Swan
• Meadow Spa
• The Piggery

Products and services

• Thyme Accommodation (Stay) Luxury accommodation comprising 31 bedrooms dispersed across 17th-century houses and cottages on a 150-acre Cotswolds estate, surrounded by formal gardens and farmland. Available for overnight stays from £750 for two nights with full prepayment at booking and a 5% service charge.
• Ox Barn Restaurant Fine dining restaurant in a restored 19th-century oxen house serving seasonal British cuisine with produce from the estate's kitchen gardens. Awarded three stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Set menu dinners from £60 per person.
• The Swan Pub Village pub serving classic British food with ingredients sourced from Thyme's farm and gardens, family-friendly atmosphere with a children's (Cygnets) menu. Included in Cotswolds Gentleman Top 50 Pubs 2024.
• Meadow Spa Botanical-inspired spa featuring an outdoor spring-water swimming pool, treatment rooms in Meadow Cottage, and signature Bertioli rituals (e.g. Breathe, Nurture & Restore at £145). Named Best Hotel Spa by The Sunday Times in 2022. Residents only on weekends and Bank Holidays.
• The Cookery School (The School) Hands-on cookery school set in a restored tithe barn, teaching seasonal cooking techniques using produce from the estate's kitchen gardens. Includes scheduled 'Master a Dish' classes at £95 per person and private classes for two people at £450.
• Farm & Gardens Working farm and extensive kitchen gardens producing vegetables, herbs, and flowers, with formal gardens designed by Bunny Guinness. Supplies produce for the estate's restaurants and serves as a visitor attraction.
• Bertioli by Thyme Beauty and homeware brand offering botanical-inspired products including breathing balms, bath salts, hand and body wash, and table linens. Available globally online at bertioli.co.uk and on-site at The Piggery.
• The Piggery (Shop) Curated boutique selling handmade ceramics, antiques, linens, and Bertioli products, including items designed by founder Caryn Hibbert. Located on-site at the Thyme estate.
• Calendar of Happenings Seasonal programme of talks, workshops, and events covering cookery, floristry, cocktails, painting, and garden tours, hosted at the estate throughout the year.
• Events & Gatherings Private dining and celebration spaces including the Tithe Barn for corporate events, weddings, and exclusive-use gatherings across the estate.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers available for spa treatments, dining experiences, cookery classes, and overnight stays, sold online through bertioli.co.uk.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three stars awarded by the Sustainable Restaurant Association for Ox Barn's seasonal cuisine
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PlantlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThyme is a Patron of Plantlife, the conservation charity which helps landowners restore and create meadows and owns/manages meadow reserves across Britain. Partnership focused on wildflower meadow conservation and UK biodiversity.
• TuskminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTusk partnered with Thyme in promoting conservation of wild spaces. Founded 30 years ago to safeguard wildlife and habitats of Africa.
• Artelium WineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtelium Wine, an estate in the South Downs redefining English wine, partnered with Thyme for Ox Barn Wine Supper Club events featuring four-course menus paired with Artelium wines.
• Bunny GuinnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGarden designer Bunny Guinness designed the formal gardens around the houses, cottages and barns at Thyme.
• Aurelia Probiotic SkincareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer partnership with Aurelia Probiotic Skincare for spa treatments. Thyme has since launched its own Bertioli beauty collection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons: Oxfordshire luxury country house hotel with two-Michelin-star chef-led dining and formal gardens. Comparable chef-led country estate identity and luxury positioning; broader Belmond group provides scale advantages Thyme lacks.
• Babington House: Somerset countryside members' hotel with spa, dining, and events. Comparable countryside luxury estate format, although broader Soho House membership ecosystem provides differentiation and distribution.
• Ballymaloe House: Irish country house hotel founded on a cookery school, family-run, with farm-to-fork dining and gardens. Mirrors Thyme's founding cookery-school-to-destination-estate trajectory and family ownership model.

Direct peers

• Cowley Manor: Cotswolds country house hotel with spa, formal gardens, and modern British dining. Direct overlap in heritage estate assets, garden-led brand identity, and the £300-700/night luxury leisure price tier.
• Calcot & Spa: Cotswolds-based luxury country house hotel with spa, multiple restaurants, and family-friendly amenities. Closest direct competitor in the English countryside luxury estate segment with overlapping farm-to-fork positioning.
• Barnsley House: Boutique Cotswolds hotel in a restored 18th-century estate with gardens by Rosemary Verey, spa, and fine dining. Comparable heritage-estate positioning, garden-led identity, and mid-market luxury price tier.
• The Lygon Arms: Historic Cotswolds hotel offering rooms, multiple dining venues, and spa in a heritage building. Overlaps with Thyme on country estate positioning, multi-revenue-stream model, and luxury leisure travel market.
• Dormy House: Cotswolds boutique hotel and spa in a 17th-century farmhouse with multiple restaurants. Highly comparable heritage-estate format, multi-venue F&B structure, and countryside wellness positioning.
• Soho Farmhouse: Oxfordshire countryside members' house and hotel with restaurants, spa, and wellness. Comparable destination-resort model, multi-revenue streams, and affluent UK adult leisure target customer, albeit with a more contemporary positioning.
• The Newt in Somerset: Somerset estate hotel with farm-to-fork dining, working gardens, spa, and a strong proprietary retail brand (The Newt Cyder, skincare). Closest peer to Thyme's combination of estate, gardens, and scaled own-brand product extension.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ThymeUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThymeSouthrop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thyme-at-southrop-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/thyme_southrop
• Pinterestpinterest.com/thyme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about THYME