West Country pub and pizza group bring country boozer ‘back to life’

Finding a good, affordable place to stay for a weekend away from the city is often a greater challenge than prescribed. Thanks to a boom in domestic travel, vast numbers of new hotels have sprung up to meet the demand.

One new launch is The Bell and Crown, a place that looks to have the makings of a reliable pub with rooms from the local hospitality enterprise The Chickpea Group.

Its location – in the village of Zeals, on the western edge of Cranbourne Chase in Wiltshire – is also ideal for exploring the neighbouring counties of Somerset and Dorset.

The pub’s proximity to a swathe of The Good Food Guide recommended restaurants, including Bruton’s Osip and the Beckford Arms near Tisbury, could well turn The Bell and Crown into many a gourmand’s countryside bolthole.

The pub has been gently modernised over the years. The addition of six new rooms, which will go for around £100 a night, has been many months in the making and is the latest chapter in the regeneration, bringing spaces in the former coaching inn back to life thanks to the handiwork of local builder Matt Hirst.

This expansion is the most recent venture from the Davids family, whose collection of pubs include among others The Dog & Gun Inn in Wiltshire, The Grosvenor Arms in Salisbury and a successful local brand, Nole Pizza.

Overseen by chef Joey Haynes, the menu at The Bell and Crown won’t just feature their famed sourdough slices. Instead, the dishes will largely look to reflect their take on pub classics – think ‘nduja Scotch eggs, Brixham seabass with lentil dhal, and crab rarebit.

Against a backdrop of industry challenges where rising costs on all fronts paint a grim picture for many operators and an expensive reality for consumers, it’s encouraging to see a small independent group on the front foot, investing in their future.

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The Chickpea Group operates a handful of pubs with rooms and pizza shops in the south west of England. It’s owned and run by brother and sister duo Ethan and Jordan Davids, along with their friend Tommy Tullis.

The team said its aim is “to provide pared back hospitality with relaxed eating and drinking in cosy, country boozers.”

In November 2021, Ethan teamed up with Max Halley to open The Five Bells in Salisbury and they are set to open another pub in Bath next month. Ethan became good friends with Max when the Grosvenor Arms in Hindon became his local.

The pair are looking to open more pubs together this year as a separate side arm to the Chickpea business.