Duke of York chosen as Pub of the Year by local CAMRA group

Monday, 23 March 2026 11:34

The Duke of York has been chosen as the local 2026 Pub of the Year by the Salisbury & South Wilts branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

The pub in York Road, Salisbury, has seven handpumps and the range and quality of its real ales, together with its atmosphere and community focus, won it the title.

Members of the Salisbury & South Wilts branch of CAMRA voted it their City Pub of the Year, and an independent panel from the
neighbouring branch then decided between it and the members’ choice as local Rural Pub of the Year for the overall South Wiltshire title.

Manager Paul Postance and landlord Jonty Newbery were presented with the winner’s certificate by Keith Foster, Pub of the Year co-ordinator for the Salisbury & South Wilts branch of CAMRA, at a gathering of pub regulars and CAMRA members.

“The Duke of York is a deserving winner of Salisbury and South Wilts CAMRA Pub of the Year,” said Keith after the presentation. “A wide range of well-kept ales is always on offer, together with a warm and friendly welcome to both regulars and visitors. It is a true local asset.”

Landlord Jonty had a simple explanation for the Duke of York’s success. “It is a nice pub, full of nice people,” he said.

The panel, which made the final decision between city and rural winners, was led by John Buckley, from CAMRA’s North Hampshire branch, who described the Duke of York as “a traditional wet-led conversationalist's pub where the beer and customer interaction are the prime characteristics. By the thinnest of margins on that immeasurable aspect of 'character', the extra shout goes to the Duke of York.”

The Duke of York dates from Edwardian times and was originally built for Folliott’s, a Salisbury brewery. The latter was taken over by Ushers of Trowbridge in 1919, and the Ushers' name is still on the pub sign along with the white rose, the heraldic badge of the royal house of York