A small team of local business people are exploring plans to reopen the Horse and Groom in Westbury – the popular local pub that closed earlier this year – and they want the community’s help in shaping its future.
The team, who are Westbury people and wish to remain anonymous at this early stage – operating under the name Smith & Field – say their aim is to bring back the Horse and Groom as a food-led, community venue.
“We’ve long known the Horse and Groom as one of Westbury’s more cherished pubs. It proudly claims the ‘Best Beer Garden in Westbury’ — not our words, but what the signage says — and something that seems to be widely agreed upon by locals,” they say.
“It’s a lovely, traditional country pub in the heart of the town, and we believe Westbury feels its absence quite keenly while it remains closed.
“The site has all the right ingredients for a truly great pub: a beautiful garden, a cosy and welcoming atmosphere, and a central location that places it right at the heart of the community.”
In recent years, the pub had been run by Bob and Carol Musker and following Bob’s death in February 2023, Carol took on the challenge of running the pub alone. Last year, she decided to sell up and after two sales fell through at the last minute, she decided to close.
The Smith & Field team say, “The pub was previously food-led, and we would likely continue in that direction – offering accessible, high-quality pub food with a traditional or modern gastro twist. We’re strong advocates for working with local suppliers – from brewers and cider makers to farmers and butchers. Wiltshire is home to so many incredible producers that it would be a missed opportunity not to celebrate them.
“That said, our plans are being shaped in part by the feedback we’re receiving from locals. While we have our ideas, we’re firm believers that a community pub should reflect the needs and desires of the people it serves. We’d like to lean into the heritage of the Horse and Groom and Westbury itself -creating something that feels rooted in the town’s story, not separate from it.
“Alongside food and drink, we would look to introduce regular entertainment: live music, quiz nights, game nights, and events that welcome families, friends, and neighbours alike.
“To help guide our thinking, we’ve launched a short community survey for residents of Westbury and the surrounding villages. The survey is completely anonymous, requires no personal information, and takes less than two minutes to complete. It’s simply about hearing directly from locals – what they’d love to see from their local pub if it were to return.
“It’s difficult to pin down a precise timeline, as a number of factors are outside our direct control but if all goes to plan, we would hope to reopen within three to six months but much depends on how the next few steps unfold.
“We’re a group of experienced hospitality professionals with backgrounds ranging from fine dining restaurants to village pubs and high-street bars. The Horse and Groom would be run under a new start-up company focused on reviving some of Wiltshire’s much-loved local pubs. We’re also, quite simply, pub people – we love what they represent in a community, and we want to do right by Westbury.
“From what we’ve seen so far, the site would benefit from some refreshing inside and out – bringing the garden up to its full potential and making the interiors even more inviting.
“We intend to keep the name and preserve anything of historical or local value. The pub should reflect its roots, not erase them. While nothing is confirmed and no decisions have been made, we feel strongly that any future for the site should be shaped by the views of the people who live here.”
To take the survey, visit: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WQTYDQ/ or scan the QR code below.
