Sandwiched between Cambridge and St Neots, in the small village of Toseland you can find the ‘Dinky Drinky Box’, a charming converted horsebox bar. Cursed without a pub of its own, Toseland and the surrounding villages now have an opportunity for locals to get together and socialise with a few bevvies every month over the summer time. All within a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
What makes the ‘Dinky Drinky Box’ special is that it’s all outdoors. On a sunny day there is nowhere that comes close for a perfect summer drink, with its big open space, generous seating options, and ice cream bar. You can even bring your own picnic blanket if you wish. This makes it accessible for families, dog owners, and beer enthusiasts alike.
Better yet, this is not just a generic bar run out of a horsebox. The Dinky Drinky Box is run by my very own sister- and brother-in-law, Lou and Aidan, who are passionate about their drinks. With a combined knowledge on craft beer, gin, prosecco and wine, which will rival most experts. It is exactly that passion that they put into selecting what’s on offer. Before you ask, yes, I do get special treatment for being related – I have to help clean up after! 😂
In fact, it was during one of my visits here previously that I discovered my love for Lukas beer. A Bavarian-style Helles lager made with Hallertau hops. This has been a favourite of mine ever since, all thanks to trusting Aidan’s recommendation!
They also do an order service where you can purchase craft beer and other beverages through their website. Read more about my experience here.
The team at the Dinky Drinky Box love to get into the spirit of things. During last weekends Easter event they put on an Easter egg hunt for the children. Don’t think that the Easter festivities ended with the children however, as they even had a mini-egg chocolate stout on tap. I even heard rumours of certain louts drinking it from chocolate Easter eggs 😂
There may only be 4 taps but the choices are well selected. Not only did they have a lager (Lukas) and a mini egg stout at both ends of the beer spectrum but there was also a really nice NE Pale Ale by the ‘Secret Brewing Project’ called ‘Draco’. This was a great choice for a sunny spring day, as it was sessionable (at 5.1%) but also had a little more flavour than the Lukas. This made the choices available really balanced and diverse snugly sitting between the stout and lager. Better still, there was a selection of cans available. I didn’t have any of these during my last visit but I did see someone drinking a can of ‘Deep In The Woods’ by Verdant.
There is a large teepee on site which offers shade and privacy. This was very useful during my last visit as I had a new born baby to tend to. There is lots of comfortable seating inside and it is a great place for people to get away from the sun if needed – and has been used to shelter people from the odd shower too. It was lovely seeing lots of children inside playing amongst themselves as they are free to roam the large garden and give their parents some much needed peace.
There are also events over this summer for those craft beer enthusiasts, with the Overtone Tap Takeover in July. This will be one not to miss!
For those of you wondering with all the beer drinking, yes, there are portable toilets…4, in fact!
Sitting in the garden drinking beer can be hard work. As mentioned previously, there is a shop managed by a local resident in case you need to freshen up with an ice cream. This is from the ‘Saffron Ice Cream Company’ which offers authentic hand made ice cream. I was keen to try this myself as I am a big fan of vanilla and very often this can be a flavour overlooked. This stuff however is made from Madagascan vanilla pod. Top marks!
Keep an eye out for the Dinky Drinky Box as it only opens a few times a year. It will be well worth the visit for anyone who appreciates a drink in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere outdoors. For more information make sure you visit their website.
Here are a few examples of other beers I have had during previous visits that you might expect to find in future.
Thanks for reading!
The Cambridge Foodies 