Brakspear opens flagship boutique hotel

Pub operator and brewer Brakspear has opened the doors to its new boutique hotel - The Frogmill near Cheltenham – its biggest project in its 240-year history. The 16th century inn in Shipton Oliffe, near Andoversfold, Gloucestershire, is now Brakspear’s biggest managed site and comprises a 100-cover restaurant, bar, 28-boutique bedrooms and wedding and conference facilities for up to 150 guests, all housed within extensive grounds. Brakspear purchased the Grade II listed Frogmill in December 2015 and the inn has been given an extensive eight-month redevelopment, including creating a bar at the heart of the site in a former cellar space and transforming the inn’s former bar area into a cosy snug with open fire. The redesign has retained many of the building’s original features including fireplaces, flagstone floors, exposed beams and a wisteria-covered stone pergola and watermill in the grounds. The Frogmill’s new-look restaurant area has been extended with a spacious open plan layout. The inn will offer all-day dining with seasonally changing breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday menus, as well as daily specials and a speedy ‘working lunch’ midweek menu. The kitchen team is being led by head chef Jonathon Pons, formerly of the award-winning Feathered Nest in Nether Westcote, Oxfordshire and Cheltenham’s Ellenborough Park. He will work with Brakspear’s executive chef Arthur Knights. The Frogmill’s boutique bedrooms have been designed to offer style and comfort, with Feather and Black beds and statement wallpapers from William Morris and Zoffany. The refurbished wedding and events space features a minstrel gallery complete with traditional imported French balustrading; ideal for wedding photographs. Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: “The redevelopment of the Frogmill has been an extensive project, which has seen our biggest investment in a site to date. We are really excited about the potential of this fantastic inn.” He adds: “I’m really proud of what we have achieved in terms of the look and feel of the Frogmill and its food, drink and accommodation. We have a great track record of running successful, award-winning pubs and have a strong infrastructure and great team in place to enable us to replicate our success at this larger, more complex site.” The Frogmill takes Brakspear’s managed estate to 12 sites. The division was formed in 2013 with the opening of the Bull on Bell Street in Henley-on-Thames. Eight sites – including the Frogmill – currently offer accommodation, with a total of just over 100 rooms.