Chickpea moves into retail with new deli store

Retail move: Chickpea to launch West Country deli
Retail move: Chickpea to launch West Country deli (Chickpea Group)

West Country pub operator Chickpea Group is set to open a new deli, bakery, butchery and provisions store on the A303 in Wiltshire next year.

Chickpea Provisions is scheduled to open in Chicklade in March 2027, on the former Sol Bakery site, which was previously home to Little Chef.

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The move marks a diversification for Chickpea Group, which operates rural pubs with rooms across Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Hampshire.

Central hub

The group said the new site would also act as a central hub to supply its existing pubs through its bakery, butchery and deli offer.

Chickpea co-founder and chief executive Ethan Davids said: “We are excited to be opening Chickpea Provisions next year and can’t wait to creatively grow our business and our footprint in the West Country.

Davids said the business planned to work with suppliers and makers close to its existing pubs, as well as producers local to Chicklade.

He added: “We get a massive kick bringing buzz and vibrance to the countryside and this part of the countryside is our homeland. Provisions allows us to do this in a slightly different setting but with the same outcome, a quality hospitality experience for people who live here or are passing through the West Country.”

Roadside hospitality

The offer will include a deli selling local cheeses, meats, charcuterie and groceries, as well as own-brand products, a bottle shop, locally made ales and ciders, flowers from local growers, clothing, merchandise and lifestyle brands.

The deli will serve salads made with local produce and sandwiches created in collaboration with chef and food writer Max Halley.

An on-site bakery will produce focaccia, pastries, filled doughnuts and fresh loaves, while the butchery will sell meat from local farms and larger cooked cuts for a hot sandwich of the day.

Tea and coffee from local roasters will be served throughout the day, alongside soft serve ice cream with seasonal toppings.

Food will be available to take away, with indoor seating, outdoor space, a children’s play area and a secure dog walking area also planned.

The move follows the group’s appointment of former Laine Pub Company chief executive and co-founder Gavin George as chair, with the business gearing up for its next phase of growth.