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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Kemble Brewery, Fairview, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
GL52 2JF
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Kemble Brewery
Semi-traditional backstreet alehouse; modern laminate floor, perimeter seating, army green and off-white shades. Of genuine interest are the bespoke hogshead table tops done-out with old breweries of yore toppers. Stringed guitar-family instruments hung around the perimeter – for show or play? 6 Nations on the telly. Five cask on over six pumps - 3x Wye Valley, 1x Stroud and a super pint of Hanlon's Port Stout (NBSS 4). No sign of the Kemble brewery; it’s long-defunct, apparently a long-passed landlord made cider from apples in the garden. So all pretty good bar a downer that the barman was, shall we say, standoffish and only seemed interested in chatting to his mates which he continued to do whilst serving me. It’s worth popping in for the beer quality, shame the welcome wasn’t better; a friendlier bar manner would have really elevated it. GBG’23 listed of course. 7.5
On 15th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Kemble Brewery
Lurking up a back street on the northern edge of the town centre initial impressions weren’t good, a bar blockers paradise, foody smell and reserved signs on a number of tables. This wasn’t helped by my beer being iffy; not off but flat and a more than slight vinegary hint, it is GBG 2022 listed and Cask Marque although that was going to expire soon. To be more positive it’s a nice looking building and the interior is cosy Victorian with bench seating and Britannia tables. Wooden but modern floor and there’s some dining seating further back. Tongue & groove to the dado then white walls above decorated with musical instruments. Six handpulls with beers from small breweries, Hanlons, Union, Ramsbury and two from Wye Valley. Four times three kegs dotted about the counter. Very much a locals pub and none the worse for that.
On 11th September 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Kemble Brewery
Tucked away in the back streets but well worth seeking out. 5 real ales and “craft keg”.
On 9th March 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Kemble Brewery
A back street gem this one and well worth a visit. Unfortunately the pub is tied to Punch Taverns, but nevertheless it does feel and run like a well nurtured freehouse. The pub is c.1847 and was previously a butchers shop and also at one stage it was a cider house, with the rear garden full of apple trees. Six ales on handpump on our visit, Skinners Betty Stogs, two from Wye Valley HPA & Butty Bach, two from Purity UBU and Bunny Hop, and Adnams Ghost Ship. I went for the Ghost Ship, which was in tip top condition. We stayed a little longer than anticipated, as we were having such a good chat with the barman and a couple of locals at the bar.
On 2nd March 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Kemble Brewery Inn
A very friendly back street boozer,well worth seeking out.The interior is small with a bench running below the front window,a bar along the left side,a few tables and chairs with a large mirror on the way to a very decent beer garden,partially covered.The flatscreen was airing The Open,and regulars gathered around the bar for some banter.There is a small kitchen to the side,but no sign of food offered,it appears a wet led pub.There are some interesting wooden carved heads and masks dotted about the interior and a CTFC shirt hanging on one of these carvings shows the pub's allegiance.I imaging on matchdays the pub will be busy.
The 6 handpumps were drawing London Pride,Box Steam Tunnel Vision,Backyard Hoard,Milton Icarus,Wye Valley Butty Bach ,Wickwar Bob with a replacement in Mordue Nothumbrian Blonde.Due to a downpour our crawl rested here for three ales and all we sampled were in good nick.It's not in the GBG but maybe should be. The jokey sign outside points the way to The Jolly Brewmaster ,a GBG regular,but it's a complicated route while to the right is marked as "Here be Dragons" or in other words no pubs for miles !
Definitely worth a revisit,the chatty guv'nor also gave some very good recommendations on other real ale pubs worth a crawl visit, it's an old school local with some very decent ale.
On 20th July 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Kemble Brewery Inn
The Kemble Brewery Inn is a bit tricky to find being tucked away in the Victorian back streets of the Pittville district in the North of Cheltenham on the way towards the towns football team ground.
But it is worth the effort to search out this small but deservedly popular, back-street local.
Originally built as a butcher's shop in 1845 it became a pub in 1847 and it still retains the studs on the ceiling where the meat hooks were hung. The first owner came from Kemble and made cider from apples picked in the rear orchard. At some stage acquired by Ind Coope, The Kemble Brewery was acquired by Archers Brewery of Swindon in 1988 but in recent years was sold again as a ‘free house’. And it continues as a wonderful traditional back street local pub selling good ales.
Externally you could easily walk straight past it as it blends in well with the rest of terraced Victorian housing stock on Fairview Street as there is no obvious pub signage except for the name on the window wood surround and on the lantern which protrudes between the first floor windows. In fact the only things that infer a pub are the empty beer barrels which are usually stacked against the front wall and the sound of joviality coming from within, which is how we homed in on it or a late dark evening.
Internally it is one small room with seating on the three sides of the central serving bar. And then there is a small courtyard garden with a bit of a Mediterranean feel that can relieve the pressure in the pub on fair weather days.
The pub normally offers six ales mainly from local breweries and one from further afield alongside Weston's Traditional Scrumpy.
Unfortunately for me on my visits over the bank holiday weekend, the beer from further afield was Fullers London Pride, a usually ubiquitous offering for us Londoners. But fortunately the other ales available included Dartford Jail Ale, Oxfordshire Ales Triple B and Ramsbury Brewery Kennet Valley and all the ones we tried were well kept.
Very eclectic but friendly mix of locals for our visits, especially for the late Sunday evening one that included several still drowning their sorrows from watching Cheltenham Town be knocked out of the division playoffs by Northampton earlier in the day.
On 31st May 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about Kemble Brewery Inn
A great back street pub that is a little distance north of the town centre but well worth finding out. A nice selection of ales on with two Cotswold Spring ales on during our visit. There is also a very pleasant garden out the back. A great signpost out the front giving directionsto the pub, the town and to where you can find dragons!h
On 19th March 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
an_ ecumenical_matter left this review about Kemble Brewery Inn
Did a route march in the slush to get here and my entourage had surpassed the stage of scepticism by the time we found the place but we were rewarded by a cosy pub. Cricket was on the telly,the landlord and lady were friendly. There were about 6 ales,we had the Wye Valley Butty Bach that was very good and reasonably priced.
On 23rd January 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 39 recommendations about 38 pubs]