One Day with Carole Bamford

ONE DAY WITH | MASTERS & MUSES | WORLD OF CABANA 

For more than 40 years, British businesswoman Carole Bamford has championed organic farming and sustainable living through her companies, Daylesford Organic and Bamford. She talks Sophie Goodwin through the rhythms and rituals of her day, sharing the importance of the people (and animals) in her life, her dedication to the lunar cycle and recent fascination with longevity.

INTERVIEW BY SOPHIE GOODWIN | MASTERS & MUSES | 28 OCTOBER 2025

Carole Bamford practising morning yoga at home.

Whatever the weather, I start every morning with a dog walk. Afterwards, I practice meditation and gentle Pilates with my Indian teacher, Vettri Selvan. It makes me feel calmer, more focused and clear-headed. Afterwards I drink a homemade turmeric tonic, which is naturally warming and eases my body into the day.

My first encounter with Vettri over 15 years ago spurred me to start something that had been growing in me for a while: the wish to bring what I had learned in India about healing back to Daylesford. Vettri was my yoga instructor throughout my stay there and when I met him I knew I had encountered somebody very special and very spiritual. After each session he would leave me with three thoughts for the day, a practice that really moved me. After bumping into him a second time, I felt our paths had been destined to cross, so I invited him to come back to England and set up what has become our Haybarn Spa. 

Most weekdays I work from Daylesford’s office in the Cotswolds. It looks out over the farm’s market garden where we grow the produce for our farmshops and cafés. On other days I might head up to London for meetings - we recently launched our organic broths and soups in Marks & Spencer, so I’ve spent some great mornings at their offices in Paddington. No day is the same. I might be meeting my team, visiting suppliers, tasting new products, going into the farm shops. Sometimes I review designs for our own ranges, or source antiques for our portfolio of refurbished pubs and cottages. My businesses are so diverse that one moment I’m designing with creatives, the next in a strategy meeting, or I could find myself in wellies, checking on our animals.

Lately, I’ve become fascinated with the idea of longevity. At The Club, Bamford’s wellness community, we’ve introduced new holistic treatments including bespoke IV drips with red light therapy. I am also very excited by the circularity of the innovations happening between my businesses. These include transforming Merino wool and hides from our beef cattle into a beautiful collection of knitted and leather accessories, and using grape waste from the harvest of our vineyard, Léoube, into a Bamford resveratrol serum.

The way I dress evolves with the seasons. As autumn deepens, I find myself drawn to cosy natural materials in colours that reflect the changing landscape. From Bamford’s AW25 collection, I’ve been loving our shearling gilet, wool riding skirt and soft cashmere Retreat jumper. I’ll always add jewellery too – often a long crystal Ganesh necklace – and, frequently, sunglasses.

I love music. When we have fittings and design meetings for Bamford, we’ll often curate a playlist that reflects the mood of the collection. Our AW25 pieces are quite 70s-inspired with lots of rich browns and silk paisley scarves, so Van Morrison’s Into The Mystic became a studio favourite. In terms of art, I find Ellsworth Kelly’s line drawings perfectly capture the fragile essence of the natural world around us. I have one hanging in my office and find its simplicity completely captivating. To me, they feel more like portraits of individual plants rather than anonymous pieces of art.

Carole Bamford photographed at home in the Cotswolds. Image by Simon Upton.

When I’m at work, lunch will often be tasting new dish ideas with my food team and chefs. The Trough was one of the first restaurants in the UK to receive a Green Michelin Star, and our menus always follow the rhythm of the seasons and whichever produce is being harvested from the farm’s market garden.

I feel very fortunate to work with a great team. Some of my team have been with me since Daylesford began over 20 years ago. I’ve always sought out people with a genuine love for what we do: individuals who want to connect with nature and bring that passion to life through their work. My husband, Anthony, where needed, will also help with decision-making. We’ve been married for 51 years and no one knows me better.

Whenever I’m in London I’ll visit Brompton Oratory to light a candle. It’s not as decorative as some of the Catholic churches I’ve visited in Europe, but it always brings me a deep sense of peace and gratitude. The outward-facing parts of my work are essential for promoting my passion for sustainability and encouraging others to join us in living more consciously, but I also need solitude - time to reflect, recharge and find a sense of balance.

Carole Bamford and her husband, Anthony Bamford, have been married 51 years.

The first things that I would save in a fire: two little chairs in my bedroom. They hold my and my husband's childhood teddies. They are truly irreplaceable and, aside from photograph albums, the first things that I would save in a fire.

I like to unwind by walking my dogs, enjoying the stillness of nature as the sun sets. It’s the perfect time to quieten my mind after a busy day. If I’m meeting friends, we might pop into The Fox at Oddington for one of Sam Brown’s cocktails. He is Head of Bars across all our Daylesford pubs and has been at The Fox since we opened. He is an excellent mixologist - ensuring our cocktail menu changes with each season - and he makes the best margaritas in the Cotswolds. The Spicy Marg has become a favorite with locals, made using chillies from the farm’s market garden for an extra kick.

Tracking the lunar cycle has become an important ritual. I have always felt profoundly affected by the moon, so tracking this helps me to predict my moods, and find comfort in nature’s rhythms. On weekends, this means getting outdoors for a blustery walk with my dogs and family, followed by a long, leisurely lunch at home. I’m happiest when the fires are lit and we’re all gathered around a table sharing good food, stories and laughter.

Travel is both inspiration and restoration. I still find it as exciting as it did when I first stepped onto an aeroplane. To me, it is the university of life. The opportunity to discover somewhere new is an adventure and I know I am always going to learn from it. This summer I spent two weeks embracing la dolce vita on the Amalfi Coast - a place which always sparks my curiosity. There is so much explore - from sourcing marble in Carrara and seeing the sculptures in Pietrasanta, to visiting the Forte dei Marmi fish market and the incredible Seghezzo delicatessen in Santa Margherita. 

Jaipur is my spiritual home, however. The colors, people and heritage of craft first captured my heart when I was in my twenties and I’ve never lost the sense of joy and anticipation that I feel every time I return.

I’m about to publish my fourth book, Château Léoube: Provence Living. It’s a window onto a place that I truly believe to be one of the most beautiful in the world - this book feels like one of the most personal projects I’ve ever done. I’m also excited to take a taste of the ‘Hamptons of England’ across the Atlantic early next year. With so many loyal American visitors to the Cotswolds, launching a limited Daylesford capsule in the U.S. feels like a natural next step.

Carole and Anthony Bamford. All images © Carole Bamford.