New 'boozer' to open in the city centre

Tuesday, 17 February 2026 07:16

The former Pizza Hut premises in the city centre is set to open as a "drinkers' pub".

The building at 40 Blue Boar Row has been empty for more than five years, but will open as a ‘drinking establishment’ owned by pubco Amber Taverns.

The company owns more than 170 ‘wet-led’ pubs in the UK, mostly in Scotland and the north of England. 'Wet-led' means no - or very little - food will be available to customers.

“Major refurbishments” are also planned for the premises, as Amber Taverns anticipate that the venue to be open by the end of this year.

Permission to convert the property into a ‘drinking establishment’ was granted by Wiltshire Council in December last year.

The news comes as government figures show more than one pub per day in the UK is closing for good.

The Market Tavern across the Market Place from the new venture is owned by local company Chickpea Group. The group’s co-founder Ethan Davids has previously told Salisbury Radio, “Things are incredibly tough for hospitality operators right now, and the current government is doing everything in its power to make our lives even harder.”

Despite this reference to increases in the rateable value of the group’s 10 existing venues, which include the Pembroke Arms and The Dog and Gun, Ethan adds that Chickpea are also looking to expand, “We have a solid pipeline of new openings in the next 12 months and have ambitious growth plans.

"One of our objectives is to ‘reignite rural icons’ and something we feel very strongly about is making hospitality a considered and fulfilling career choice for people in the countryside - this is why growth, despite the challenges we're currently facing, is very much on the agenda."

The Amber Taverns website says, "We are passionate about our Public houses and the communities that they serve.

"We ensure that they are refurbished to a very high standard and offer a fantastic drinks selection and audio-visual package including the full TNT and Sky Sports portfolio."