A pub in Swindon described as “great and cheap” will close and be replaced by an American-themed restaurant.

The Brookhouse Farm in Middleleaze, is a Hungry Horse, a chain of family-friendly pubs offering affordable meals - but not for long, as it is due to close in early February 2025.

It will reopen as a Hickory’s Smokehouse restaurant in late Spring 2025, a chain described as an “authentic BBQ smokehouse restaurant”.

Both Hungry Horse and Hickory’s Smokehouse are owned by Greene King, the brewery and national pub chain.

Greene King has been transforming some of the sites it owns into new Hickory’s Smokehouse branches as it works to make it a national brand.

There are already 23 Hickory’s restaurants in the UK with the nearest existing branch in Gloucester.

It is understood that the Hickory’s will employ many more people at the venue than The Brookhouse Farm did, and The Brookhouse Farm team has been notified and a formal consultation process has begun. 

Under TUPE (employment protection) legislation, the current team could transfer to Hickory’s. However, Greene King is also exploring other opportunities for the team to move to other pubs in the nearby area.Inside the Hickory's in Adel, Leeds (Image: Supplied)

Some customers of the Farmhouse may be disappointed by the news. One said: “The food was great and for such a cheap price too.”

A spokesperson for Hickory’s said: “We are delighted to be coming to Swindon, we have been looking at the area for a while & now felt the right time to come further South.

“Our other restaurants have been embraced wholeheartedly by the local community, so coming to Swindon is genuinely exciting for us all. Our ambition is to create something truly special, and we are looking forward to becoming part of the community.”

Hickory’s will have a menu of Southern American-inspired drinks and food cooked “low ’n’ slow” in smokers shipped from Missouri.Inside the Hickory's in Adel, Leeds (Image: Pic supplied) Planning permission has been applied for on behalf of Greene King to extend and refurbish the venue to “bring it up to date and also to reflect the Hickory’s theme”.

Documents say: “The proposed side extension will increase the size of the front of house element and will allow for a re-arrangement within the building to a higher standard and facilitate easier movement between the areas of the front of house.”

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