Pub review: The Grosvenor Arms, Hindon

Words: Tristan O'Hana / Images: Ed Schofield

It was in April 2023 when I first met the trio behind Chickpea Group. Three young, zealous operators in brother and sister Ethan and Jordan Davids, and Tommy Tullis, a longtime friend. When I met with them at The Queen’s Head in Broad Chalke, each one was yet to celebrate their 30th birthdays, but were overseeing five very impressive pub businesses, alongside a separate pizza brand in Salisbury called Nole. It was a fledgling outfit that was deservedly turning heads from across the industry. 

I remember leaving my time with Chickpea, which involved visiting three of its sites in Wiltshire, a little green – jealous, frustrated, baffled even as to why there couldn’t be a local pub of such standards closer to home/me. The pubs around where I live are… fine. But when you witness how seemingly simple it is for Chickpea to create an alluring mix of atmosphere, aesthetic, service, quality food and drink, and wholesomeness within each of its venues, you really are left scratching your head as to how some get it so wrong. 

Hop forward a year and a half and this expanding group is at 10 sites, with more on the way. Seeing as they’d doubled their pub footprint since I last set foot in a Chickpea venue, the Christmas break seemed like an appropriate time to visit another outlet to check if that alluring mix of pub perfection was still successfully being rolled out. Turns out there was no point in even checking, for of course it was. 

Dining by the fire at The Grosvenor Arms

Upon arriving at The Grosvenor Arms in Hindon – another village I would never have known about were it not for Chickpea – it is seconds before we’re acknowledged with a smile and a “hello” from behind the bar. This is no freak occurrence. Back in April 2023, Jordan explained to me about their three-second rule. “Three seconds within walking through the door, you need to be acknowledged,” she said. I was at The Grosvenor for two days, in and out of its doors many times, and not once was that rule forgotten. A giant nod here to Kit Edgell, who ran the show while we were there – not a beat was missed during 48 hours of busy trading. 

Chickpea refers to its pubs as ‘boozers’. Now, that word will have specific connotations for each of you, but for me it’s derivative of what classic pubs once were and still should be. When used by Chickpea, the word boozer demonstrates this group’s mission of prioritising the fundamental qualities that, despite modern expectations of the hospitality industry, pubs must deliver. It goes back to my list from earlier in the piece: atmosphere, aesthetic, service, and quality food and drink. The wintry chill during the days of our visit undoubtedly enhanced this, but The Grosvenor’s candle-lit rooms, roaring fire, dogs under tables and warm smiles on the front-of-house team all combined to showcase what a contemporary pub should be made of. Going back to that interview in 2023, Tommy cleverly summed up their offer: “We like to work with contrasts and oxymorons everywhere. It’s similar to us and the pubs themselves, I guess, where youth meets age.”  I bumped into Tommy the morning of our departure and once again asked him to head a little further east so I could have a Chickpea pub as my local. Sadly, it’s just not their turf. 

A classic autumnal dish from a Chickpea menu

When it comes to food and drink, The Grosvenor rolls out Chickpea’s style as well as any of the other sites I’ve been too. It is food that makes you want to stay in that pub for as long as possible, grazing throughout the afternoon as you watch the stack of logs by the entrance fire slowly reduce, one by one burning away the day. Rarebit croquettes with pickled shallots and sour cream; pork and apple scotch egg with black pudding and brown sauce; a double cheeseburger; beef and stout pie with mash, greens and gravy. You can see why some of these sit under the menu heading of ‘pub bangers’. 

The mains become a bit more explorative, which also paves the way for the exemplary handling of dietary requirements that I witnessed at the end of the year. A chickpea and sweet potato cake with wild mushrooms and sprout leaves; roast beetroot and sprouting broccoli with goats’ cheese and lentil dressing; and a confit duck leg with cassoulet and salsa verde. If you know the group, you can recognise this as a classic Chickpea menu, but each site still delivers its offer with a touch of individuality.  

One of the nine rooms at The Grosvenor Arms

As we were there on a Sunday, it would have been remiss not to do this properly. First, perfectly seasoned (thanks to a pre-made batch) Bloody Marys, followed by a well-kept pint of Rude Giant Best (produced by the brewery co-owned by Ethan). These drinks are designed for preparation ahead of settling into a roast sirloin with all the trimmings and a large glass of malbec. And when they say ‘all the trimmings’, they really mean it. At just £23, this is arguably the best value (and quality) roast I’ve encountered in many years. 

Alas, all good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be relived again of course, which is precisely what I intend to do. I mentioned that Chickpea is on its 10th opening, but it’s obvious Tommy, Jordan and Ethan are only just getting started. Who knows, at this rate maybe there will be one of their sites near me after all. One can only hope. 

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