The Pheasant Inn, Cheltenham

A crossroads pub in local stone and a recent addition to the Donnington stable, I believe (there's a Hall's Brewing Company sign on the front wall, made of four tiles - see photo). Initial impressions were not good, with the front lawn cluttered with picnic tables, the interior feeling more like a motorway service station cafeteria than a pub and the staff seeming distracted and unfocused at soon after opening time. The three Donnington beers were on the bar, so I went for my usual BB plus the only one I hadn't tried before, Cotswold Gold. I rated both of them NBSS 2.5, with the BB slightly underwhelming and the Gold both too cold and too hoppy, with a real in-your-face orange flavour, the combination of cold and flavour reminding me of an orange ice lolly. (I've had the same beer again subsequently, including the bottled version which I quite liked, but never got this orange hit again. Strange.) Date of visit: 14th September 2023

Lovely pub from the Donnington Brewery. This had a couple of outstanding features. Gorgeous front garden, completed with dining pods. An 11am opener on a Sunday. Excellent and great value food/service. Beerwise, most people in the Cotswolds know what the Donnington Range is. The SBA was kept very well. Its better than Arkells. Just.