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Stumbling Upon a Gem

We went to Cheltenham to look at buildings and so did no research whatsoever into pubs and beer, but luck was on our side when we found the Sandford Park Alehouse.

After an hour or two’s nosing around, we eventually got hungry and thirsty, at which point, we saw a sign outside a plain-looking, white-painted building: CHEESE TOASTIES £4.99. ‘That’ll do,’ we said, and went in.

Immediately, our Spidey-senses began to tingle: a map of Belgium? As in the country where the beer comes from? Our first glimpse of the bar confirmed our suspicion: somehow, we had managed to stumble upon Cheltenham’s own ‘craft beer bar’.

Sandford Park Alehouse: bar.

A bright, airy, multi-room pub with décor just cosy enough to prevent it feeling sterile, enlivened considerably by maps on every wall. It reminded us, in fact, of Cask in Pimlico before it got its corporate makeover.

There was also lots of beer, though the selection wasn’t as large as at some better-known bars, and was perhaps also (thankfully?) a touch more conservative. A row of hand pumps offered cask ales from multiple Golden Pint nominees Oakham, among others. We couldn’t fault the condition of Oakham Citra or Crouch Vale Brewer’s Gold, though we wish we hadn’t drunk them in that order. (You can’t come back down the hop-ladder.)

zwicklThe real highlight was a kegged beer from Germany, via a row of taps behind the bar. Bayreuther Bierbrauerei Zwickl, at £3.90 a pint, didn’t seem exorbitantly priced (we pay £3.40+ for Doom Bar in Penzance) but we hesitated until the barman leaned over conspiratorially and said, ‘It’s served in one of these’, waving a narrow, handled ceramic mug. ‘People who like this beer really love it,’ he told us, and he was right. It was a Bavarian holiday in a jug — a little sweetness, gentle lemon-rind notes, and just enough dryness at the end to prompt another swig. It was probably (intentionally) cloudy, but we couldn’t tell, and didn’t care.

Once we’d got comfortable under a fascinating map of the Middle East, it was hard to move, and we drank one more than we had intended as we observed the crowd. The people around us were a little more middle-aged and tweedy than at the ‘craft’ places in Bristol, perhaps, but then that might just be Cheltenham. We, hurtling into middle age (though not yet into tweed), felt quite at home.

On the basis of this first visit, it felt as if the Sandford Park Alehouse might as well have been designed with us in mind, and, when we visit Cheltenham again, it will be with the specific intention of verifying that feeling with a second equally lengthy session in the same cosy corner.

The Sandford Park Alehouse is at 20 High Street, ten minutes walk from the city centre, and 30 minutes from the station.

16 replies on “Stumbling Upon a Gem”

Aktien Zwickl was one of my favourite everyday quaffers in Germany, along with the same brewery’s Aktien Landbier Frankisch Dunkel. The stein’s nice too!

Hurrah for tweed. Also I think that’s what I liked about the place, it felt like a good Cheltenham pub that also happened to offer quality craft beer, rather than being a designed ‘destination’ – The Brewer’s Gold was dead good as was the other Oakham beer, and next time will definitely give the food a try, especially the cheesesteak.

Now this is useful. I may need to do a mission to Cheltenham soon so will keep this in my back pocket.

I am reading your blog for the first time in years and am leaving comments on all the posts. It will get annoying I’m sure.

These days, it’s Ray Bailey and Jessica Boak. Pseudonyms originally because we both had employers who weren’t keen on staff blogging; now it’s mostly because, having invested eight years in them, it’d be daft to try to promote a book without them.

looks great, well done. Great subject matter. I hadn’t heard hide nor hair from you two for years, not until you very kindly sent me that scan of the pub guide featuring the Finborough to my twitter account! I wasn’t aware you’d moved away from London – at least I know now you weren’t just avoiding the Gunnies!

Moved from Cheltenham about 18 ago months ago, not long before the SPA opened. Been back a couple of times and enjoyed the beer there greatly. Good town for nice, comfortable boozers, can be hard to find the exotic or new wave ‘craft’ breweries but some of the good local stuff from Prescott, Hobsons, Wye Valley, Purity, Cotswold Spring etc is usually on tap somewhere and in good condition.

Did you get round to visiting Favourite Beers, an excellent bottle shop about 5 mins walk from the SPA?

No, we didn’t make it to Favourite Beers — had bought too many books so no room for lugging bottles about, and we have a decent shop in Truro now, anyway.

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