The Brewery Cheltenham was once home to the Cheltenham Original Brewery, which was first opened in 1760, and then completely rebuilt in 1897 following a fire. The venue has now been completely redeveloped to provide Cheltenham with 200,000 square feet of retail and leisure space. Opened in May 2006, many of the original features from 1897 remain and the area is host to numerous restaurants, bars and leisure facilities.
Restaurants
Spread over two floors, there are good range of restaurants where visitors can enjoy a main meal, light lunch or simply have a drink. These include Après, an award winning restaurant and bar with a Scandinavian approach. The Real China offers a fixed price buffet with numerous options prepared by chefs recruited from Hong Kong and China. There is also American style dining available at Ruby Tuesday, which serves up burgers, buffalo wings and other favourites from across the pond. Other options include Mexican, Italian and traditional British pub style dining.
Entertainment
The 11-screen Cineworld cinema shows all of the latest movie releases, as well as some classics and offers special screenings for children. The second cinema at the Brewery – the Screening Rooms – offers a luxury approach to cinema viewing with large comfortable seating, a concierge service and a bar. The bar serves soft drinks, cocktails, wines and beers, as well as deli-boards for your snacking pleasure during the film.
The national health and fitness company, Fitness First, also has a branch at the Brewery. The gym offers personal trainers and a full range of the latest and greatest gym equipment. Members of this gym can even get discounts at many of the restaurants within the Brewery.
For families with children, the Brewery has a large indoor soft-play centre called the Play Farm. Here children between 0-12 years of age will find various structures to develop their crawling and climbing skills, whilst parents can relax in the café area with free Wi-Fi and daily newspapers. Regular events include toddler mornings and teatime specials.
Events
The Brewery’s large space makes it an ideal venue for various events that are held throughout the year. Past events include celebrations for Cinco de Mayo, craft workshops with various themes, and Chinese New Year celebrations. At Christmas, Santa Claus even makes an appearance with his real live reindeer companions and events are also organised to keep your kiddos occupied during the school holidays. There is also a regular Burger Festival for those foodies out there and a Global Dance Festival where visitors can learn a new dance move or two.
Redevelopment of the Brewery
In 2012, permission was granted for Phase II of the Brewery redevelopment scheme. This will redevelop part of the high street and provide pedestrian access to the existing site. Plans include the inclusion of a large retail space, a hotel and apartments. Furthermore, a new ten pin bowling alley, operated by Hollywood Bowl, is due to open shortly that will have 16 bowling lanes, a bar, café and gaming area.
Getting There
The Brewery’s central location within Cheltenham ensures that it is easily accessible for visitors who are staying in city centre, whilst the inclusion of a large NCP car park allows access for those travelling by car. The train station is also a 25-minute walk away. Lastly, there are park-and-ride facilities with free parking outside of Cheltenham near to junction 11 of the M5 with a bus service that goes directly to the town centre.