The Village Freehouse: Covid was a 'breath of fresh air'

Adrian Leonard, 53, has owned the Village Freehouse since March 2016 and in that time it has undergone a refurbishment and culture shift.

The pub, at 33-35 Wilton Road, has been attracting a younger crowd on the outskirts of town and Adrian said "Covid was a breath of fresh air" for his business.

He added: "Youngsters started coming in before lockdown and March 2020 was an ideal time for me to close and do up the pub."

Inside the Village Freehouse. (Image: Salisbury Journal)

Since then, Adrian has maintained a "strong fanbase of regulars".

Read more: NHS to leave Salisbury City Hall after Covid vaccination drive

Freddie Fontete-Jones was one of Adrian's regulars and he has put up his picture in the pub to remember him.

'Only the strong will survive'

During his 29 years working in the pub industry, Adrian has overcome a few large challenges.

The smoking ban in 2007 stood out to him as a catalyst for change in the industry since it "changed people's culture of drinking".

"The last kick in the teeth was the smoking ban but only the strong will survive the cost of living crisis," he added.

On Boxing Day in 2021, the pub's chimney fell into the road, but it was fixed quickly. Adrian joked that "Santa Claus was too big" for the Village.

The pub sells a range of locally-sourced food. (Image: Salisbury Journal)

Adrian said he's a big fan of supporting local businesses and he sources his food from Manor Farm Meats, in Burcombe, as well as Naked Bagel, in Minster Street.

"It's quality, simple as that, and it's important to me. Lots of things in this world are manufactured for the wrong reasons and we don't want to be part of that," he said.

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A traditional quiz is run every other Tuesday and Adrian plans to install a darts board ready for the summer when business picks up.

Sport is one of the pub's strong points. The Village has its own cricket club that plays at Harnham and it is in its ninth season.

BT and Sky Sports are shown across the four screens with the Six Nations being the pub's "kickstart" to the year.

Being a pub on the outskirts of the city centre is not a disadvantage, according to Adrian. He said: "Most people walk here because they want to drink, and if you do something well people will come to you."

You can read stories on The Dust Hole here, The Ox Row Inn here, The Royal George here, The Duke of York here, The Five Bells here, and The Winchester Gate here.