Opening on Thursday 28 March 2024, Dodo Pub Co's newest Cheltenham venue, The Airs and Graces, invited SoGlos for an exclusive first look inside before the first customers come through the doors.
Formerly The Sudeley Arms, the historic pub on Prestbury Road has had a complete transformation inside and out, giving it a new lease of life in Dodo's signature style. Cockney rhyming slang for races, The Airs and Graces is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Cheltenham's equestrian heritage — much like its sister pub The Bottle of Sauce, which is Cockney rhyming slang for horse.
While the interior is comfortingly familiar to its sister pub, The Airs and Graces has its own distinctive look and feel. The colour palette is a nod to co-founder Leo Johnson's Dutch heritage, with rich blues and muted yellows with pops of red, while the furniture and decor is sourced from antiques markets for a unique, laid-back style.
One of the biggest changes is the relocation of the bar, which has really opened up the ground floor of the pub and given it a much more free-flowing layout. A colourful wall mural leads guests upstairs where there's additional seating, too.
The upstairs area also works as a function and conference venue, with a TV screen and flexible layout, which can cater for 22 people banquet-style for parties, or 32 in a more relaxed layout. There'll also be an outdoor area with space for around 20 to 30 people when the weather gets warmer.
The Airs and Graces has Dodo Pub Co's biggest pizza menu, too, with 10 different options from the Bee Sting with tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, hot honey and basil to the truffle funghi with a white base, mozzarella, mushrooms, parmesan and truffle oil — plus a variety of extra toppings to add on and a selection of 'crust dippin' sauces.
There's also substantial 'snackettes' like tater tots, Caesar salad and smoked mozzarella bites; a choice of breads spanning garlic and rosemary, Marmite and mozzarella, and 'nduja and burratina; and even sweet treats, with a delectable-sounding hot baked cookie served with vanilla ice cream — and there's 25 per cent off all food during its opening week.
Leo said 'it's about good food, good drinks, good company' and that the aim is for The Airs and Graces to be a local, neighbourhood pub that's consistently good, to get people coming back over and over again.
Even the launch date was decided with locals in mind, so rather than opening during the Cheltenham Festival to cater to tourists, it's officially opening to the public at 5pm on Thursday 28 March 2024 for local residents to enjoy.
