Arkell’s Brewery has added another venue to its ever-expanding list of pubs, this time in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
The Wiltshire brewer purchased The Sudeley Arms, located on the corner of Prestbury Road and Portland Square, in December of last year, and has completed a full refurbishment with its new tenants – Dodo Pub Co, at a cost of nearly one million pounds. It opened in time for the Easter weekend.
The pub has been renamed by Dodo to The Airs & Graces, after the cockney rhyming slang for the races, which felt like the natural choice given its proximity to the racecourse.
This is the second pub Arkell’s has purchased in Gloucestershire in the last two years, and this time they have partnered with Dodo, who also run The Bottle of Sauce on Ambrose Street in Cheltenham.
Arkell’s managing director, George Arkell, said: “Since COVID, the hospitality trade has been under huge pressure, however, well-run community-focused pubs are still fantastic businesses to be involved with. The Airs and Graces, run by the enthusiastic pub group Dodo and its young team, fits squarely in that category. Over the last two years, we have invested well over five million pounds in upgrading our existing pubs and purchasing new ones, and we are really excited to have been able to get The Airs & Graces open in time for Easter.“
He continued: “We have collaborated with Dodo for over 10 years, on various projects, here in Cheltenham and in Oxfordshire, and love their enthusiasm and support for the local community. We are sure they will do a fantastic job here and that the ‘Airs and Graces’ will be a great addition to Cheltenham.”
Co-founder of Dodo, Leo Johnson, added: “We’ve been looking for an eighth site for a while and expanding in Cheltenham seemed like the natural choice for us.”
For Arkell’s Brewery: 01793 823026 or email: arkells@arkells.com For more information on Dodo Pub Co, please visit dodopubs.com
