A venue 'championing the arts' with free original live music every week says it is challenging what it means to be a pub.
The Winchester Gate, on Rampart Road, advertises itself as Salisbury's "original music venue".
Owners Abi and Robb Blake took over the pub in 2016 and it has been going from strength to strength following the Covid pandemic.
It sets itself apart from other venues in the city by focusing on the arts.
This ranges from live music acts to poetry, quiz nights and a family-oriented drag queen event.
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General manager Jamie Lillycrop has a passion for the arts and joined the team in August 2020.
The 28-year-old described the pub as "an open safe space that is approachable for anyone", adding: “Pubs can have a negative reputation as being just a place for people to go and get drunk, we are far beyond that."
The pub rotates its on-tap selection of four locally-made real ales, as well as offering three guest ciders and two "quirky" craft beers.
Guests can expect ales from local breweries including Dark Revolution, Plain Ales and Stone Daisy.
Inclusivity is a cornerstone of the business and "99 per cent" of the live music offered at the Winchester Gate is free.
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"We think that's what sets us apart and it's what we're known for. We believe that the arts should be open for everyone," added Jamie.
January is a difficult time of year for establishments across the country, Jamie said "there's no denying that", but he doesn't think Dry January is having an impact on business.
He said: "We have a huge range of non-alcoholic beers. People feel the pinch in January. We are doing okay though."
Energy and product costs are a point of concern for the Winchester Gate as it has seen a 40 per cent rise in oil costs for its loaded chips.
This has encouraged the pub to find "clever" ways of making money to "survive", Jamie said: "Sometimes it's not about making a profit, you're doing it to survive."
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For Jamie, the pub's weekly quiz night is a "mammoth effort" but it has been the venue's biggest recent success since launching it in May 2021.
On Wednesday, January 18, 21 teams signed up to take part in the "smart quiz" which uses electronic tablets.
To see upcoming events or more information visit thewinchestergate.com.
This story is the latest in our series on the pubs in and around Salisbury and how they are coping in difficult economic times.
You can read stories on The Dust Hole here, The Ox Row Inn here, The Royal George here, and The Duke of York here.
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