Duke of York in Salisbury awarded CAMRA City Pub of the Year

The Duke of York has been recognised by Salisbury and South Wiltshire’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for the third year running, this time winning the ‘City Pub of the Year’ award.

Landlord Jonty Newbery, 59, went up against six other pubs and came out on top.

The Duke has seven real ales, three of which change weekly, and Jonty described it as a “fun, friendly pub with a good atmosphere run by a cat called Pansey.”

GFB from the Hopback Brewery is the most popular real ale at the Duke, while Quadhop from Downton Brewery follows second with Hopback's Summer Lightning tailing a close third. 

Jonty Newbery can be found daily at The Duke of York as the face of the pub. (Image: Joshua Truksa/Newsquest)

Jonty bought the pub in 2014 as an investment and it was run by then-councillor Matt Dean before he decided to take it over in 2019.

Read more: ​Duke of York celebrates five years under current leadership

He said the customers who come to the Duke seeking real ales are the “type of people who go to backstreet boozers” and Jonty thinks his establishment fits the bill due to its authenticity as a “proper old fashioned pub”.

“They are hard to run because the type of people who drink real ale want a nice environment. I try to greet everybody on the way in and put them in a relaxed frame of mind,” he explained.

Jonty decided to keep the pub open for 100 hours a week last January, partly as a business move but also because he enjoys the company of his customers.

“Running a pub is a lifestyle, it is not a factory outlet,” he said, adding: “I get to know all my customers. I love it.”

Chair of Salisbury and South Wiltshire CAMRA Ian Turner awards Jonty Newbery and Paul Cooper at the Duke of York Pub of the Year 2022.

Despite feeling slight disappointment that the rural Cuckoo Inn, in Redlynch, was named CAMRA’s overall ‘Pub of the Year’, Jonty is no stranger to winning the award as it was handed to the Duke in 2022 and 2023.

If anything, coming second has motivated him to improve, he said: “If I had won Pub of the Year again I would have given up. Second means I can win it next year.

“We will just keep going as we are now but try and do it slightly better. Trying is everything, winning is boring.”

Ultimately Jonty is content with the pub’s current state. Opening from 12 noon every day has allowed him to catch a lunchtime customer-base and means he “has always got someone to talk to”.

“I have made a lot of friends and I’m very well-anchored by friends,” he said.

For more information visit dukeofyorksalisbury.co.uk.