A NEW restaurant, wine bar and wine shop is set to open a second site in Salisbury early next month.

Wilding, which will fill the empty space on High Street left by Cafe Rouge, will open its doors on Wednesday, August 4. 

The Salisbury site will join the original Wilding restaurant that opened in Oxford’s Jericho district in May, and will have a 90-cover space inside, and an expansive, restaurant-front window overlooking a 50-cover al fresco terrace.

Based on the concept of "wilding" - the practice of regenerating overworked land to return it to nature - and a commitment to make as little impact on the environment as possible, the restaurant will share the same locally-sourced menu that prioritises seasonality and local provenance as its predecessor. 

Being Wiltshire-based, it will enjoy different suppliers to Oxford, with ingredients foraged by Executive Chef Dominique Goltinger and sourced locally from environmentally-responsible businesses that support Founder Kent Barker’s Wilding ethos, such as The Real Cure, Fussels Fine Foods and The Wasabi Company. 

A short distance from founder Kent Barker’s award-winning Eight Stony Street in Frome, Somerset, Wilding Salisbury will share suppliers with its sister restaurant, offering the likes of an expertly-curated charcuterie board that combines local cured meats from Westcombe Dairy and Tempus Charcuterie with pâté and rillettes made in-house. 

Having worked in the industry for more than 30 years, Barker has come to "pair his two restaurants creatively to champion sustainability and local provenance, while serving wine and seasonal foods in both Wilding and Eight Stony Street in a casual and unassuming way".

The menu, created by Executive Chef Dominique Goltinger (from kitchens such as Bistrot Bruno Loubet and most recently Maremma in Brixton), will uphold its provincial values with standout dishes that espouse local West country products including Potato gnocchi with aubergine, Westcombe ricotta and basil pesto; Stuffed young vegetable with quinoa and Rosary goats cheese, tomato sauce; and Chalk stream trout tartare with Hampshire wasabi and watercress.

Wines come courtesy of Barker and Head of Wine, Sarah Helliwell, who celebrate sustainability and minimal intervention through their specially selected list of wines that originate from local, sustainable and passionate producers.

Helliwell has chosen 40 wines by the glass and 10 on tap, and a choice of eight fine wines.

Wines by the bottle include Bride Valley Cremant sourced from Dorset (£27), an Organic Austrian Zweigelt and five low-intervention orange wines (also available by the glass), with over 200 selected bottles available to purchase from the wine shop.

The restaurant intends to provide a platform for as many local products and producers as possible, and as such serves locally-roasted coffee and luxury ecologically-friendly skincare brand La Eva.

Opening hours are: 

  • Tuesday- Saturday: 11am – 11pm
    (Kitchen: 12pm-9pm Tuesday to Thurs, 12pm-10pm Friday – Saturday)
  • Sunday: 11- 6pm
    (Kitchen: 12pm-5pm)