A town centre pub is opening another venue in Swindon within the next month.

The Drink Valley microbrewery on Fleet Street is a family-run business known for their Indian street food and variety of craft beers and ales.

After a successful three years in the town centre, owner Dhiraj Pujari is bringing the business to 53 Devizes Road in Old Town and is feeling confident that his range of homemade beers will be a valuable addition to the nightlife scene.

Dhiraj said: “We’re bringing our new craft beers to Old Town and it will be a different style of food. We’re looking more at continental food. We don’t want to repeat everything and have it the same – it’s not like it’s miles away – so we want to have something exclusive and different.

“We have our own brewery, so we specialise in craft beers and ales and not many other pubs have their own craft beers. We also have beers from different breweries over the UK, plus some imported ones. The majority of beers will be different compared to New Town.

(Image: The Drink Valley)

“There will be live music and other events, like comedy nights. We will have more space and a separate space upstairs and downstairs, so we can hold multiple things running at the same time.

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“I’m really excited. We actually started the business at the end of Covid, so we’ve faced quite a few different challenges and the energy crisis and cost of living crisis.

"The town centre is dying and market-wise it has been a bit difficult, but we’ve survived with people supporting us. It’s going well and given us more strength to open another venue.”

He added: “We got the keys in August so from that point we’ve had people working, even on a Saturday, to get it going as soon as possible.

“We can’t disclose exactly when we’re opening but it will be the end of November.”

The site was formerly Connie's Chinese Restaurant and takeaway, which closed on Saturday, June 21 after 42 years in Old Town.

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Dhiraj submitted plans to Swindon Borough Council to convert the building into a pub and restaurant and they gave him the go-ahead to add a small extension to the rear of the building, allowing the kitchen area to be moved further back, so the space freed up can be used as a bar and seating area.

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