HISTORY
Ethos Hotel has a sweet history as its 59 Western Road location was once the site of the Grandpont Bakery, owned by Charlie Crapper. Charlie also owned a grocer’s shop and coal merchant’s yard, located just north of St. Matthew’s Church, originally built in 1890 and still very much in service today, just around the corner from Ethos Hotel.
The bakery specialized in providing dough for local residents to take home and knead into a loaf. Some would add fruit, turning the dough into a “lardy cake.” The residents would then return to the bakery with their creation packed in a tin so that Charlie could bake it in his ovens.
Charlie Crapper passed away in 1937, but the bakery continued to thrive under the supervision of one of his employees, Mr. Backs. Then, in 1948, part of the bakery premises was leased to Arthur Carter, who established the Grandpont Creamery. His fine, homemade ice creams were sold in villages throughout Oxfordshire and at St. Giles’ Fair.
Directly across from 59 Western Road is the site of Ethos Hotel’s fully licensed bar and restaurant, Caffè Ethos. Originally known as Marlborough House, built in 1888, it stands at the corner of Marlborough Road and Western Road and carries on the sweet tradition of baking and ice creams.
Our delectable dessert menu has such offerings as Tiramisu, Molten Chocolate Pudding, Bread and Butter Pudding, Key Lime Italian Meringue Pie, and Crespelle Dolci, which are light and luscious Italian style crepes. Our gelato, sorbet, and frozen yoghurts come in a variety of flavours and would make the Grandpont Creamery proud.
We thank the South Oxford Community Centre for details that helped us provide this history.
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