Inside Swindon's newest restaurant 'going down a storm' with locals
Hickory's Smokehouse in Middleleaze was scheduled to open on Monday, May 26 but work to transform the former Brookhouse Farm Hungry Horse pub ran ahead of schedule and the team opened up the restaurant three days early.
A spokesperson for the restaurant said they have been 'blown away' by the reaction from guests coming in to be the first to test out the new eatery over a busy bank holiday weekend.
"Once we announced that we were able to open a little earlier than planned, guests heard the news and came to check out their new smokehouse", a spokesperson said.
"So far, the team are settling in well, guests seem to love what we have done with the place and our smokehouse classics seem to be going down a storm."
The Texan restaurant features a relaxed neighbourhood bar area, large sporting screens and cosy booths.
For younger visitors, the site boasts a 'movie room' with specially designed menus, an interactive fro-co (frozen custard) creation station and an outdoor play area.
The menu includes dishes such as Memphis ribs, Texas-style brisket and BBQ pulled pork, which are all smoked using hickory wood.
(Image: Hickory's Smokehouse)
(Image: Hickory's Smokehouse)
(Image: Hickory's Smokehouse) Milkshakes, burgers, steaks and fajitas are expected to be popular choices, and the restaurant assures that vegetarians are also covered on the menu.
The Chester-based company opened their first Hickory's in the city over 15 years ago and now has restaurants across the Midlands, Yorkshire, North Wales, and one in Gloucester.
The Swindon branch is the first of its kind in Wiltshire.
Staff at Hickory's say they're "thrilled to be opening in Swindon", and can't believe the warm welcome they've had.
Recommended reading
Swindon's top-rated Indian restaurant still on the market as price reduced
"We are beyond happy to be in Swindon," said general manager Ajay Palmer, a Swindon local.
"I have been part of the Hickory's family for over seven years now, and to be finally opening here in my hometown is an absolute privilege.
"We have all been overwhelmed by the welcome we have had, and we cannot wait to introduce them to our new home and hopefully convert a whole host of new fans to all things BBQ."
To kick off the opening, Hickory's invited over 300 guests to come and try their menu, including representatives from Swindon Town FC, locally based charities, schools and businesses.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
5 minutes ago
- CNBC
Bank of America says these five stocks have more room to run ahead of earnings
Bank of America said this week it sees a host of companies that are well positioned ahead of earnings. Analysts named stocks like Amazon that have compelling valuations or expected catalysts as quarterly reporting season continues. Other buy-rated names it cited include: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Oddity Tech , Bilibili and AppLovin. Oddity Tech The global beauty tech platform is firing on all cylinders, the firm wrote. Analyst Anna Lizzul praised the company's "innovative" digital offering in a recent note and says it has a wide moat for growth. "With the vast majority of its sales direct-to-consumer (DTC) we see ODD at a strategic vantage point to grow with this rise," she wrote. The firm also raised its price target to $80 per share from $68 in advance of the company's earnings report on Aug. 4. "We see ODD well positioned to benefit from the beauty category increasingly moving to online sales as consumers' preferred purchasing channels shift," she went on to say. Shares are up 64% this year. Bilibili Analyst Miranda Zhuang is standing by shares of the China-based online video platform. Bank of America recently attended an investor day and came away feeling even more constructive on the stock. "Management highlighted strategies centering on high-quality content, AI empowerment to content and monetization, long-lifecycle games," she wrote. Zhuang raised her price target on the stock to $27 per share from $25 citing the company's second-quarter earnings report in mid-August as yet another positive catalyst for the stock. "We reiterate our Buy rating given Bilibili's unique platform value proposition, long growth runway, and benefits from AI," Zhuang said. Bilibili shares are up 28% this year. Anheuser-Busch InBev Shares of the alcoholic beverage giant have plenty more room to run, according to the firm. The company is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on July 31. "Volume in Q2 will likely be held back, again, by China and the US, but we expect continued margin expansion in Q2, supporting +5.6% organic EBITDA growth," analyst Andrea Pistacchi wrote. However, despite the possible volume decline, the firm says there's plenty of other positive catalysts. "One of the main areas of focus for Q2/H1 results will be share buy backs," he said. Meanwhile, shares of the company are up almost 40% this year. "We continue to like ABI, as one of the most reliable staples compounders," he went on to say. Oddity Tech "An innovative consumer tech platform, ODD utilizes proprietary technology to provide consumers with product recommendations. We see ODD well positioned to benefit from the beauty category increasingly moving to online sales as consumers' preferred purchasing channels shift. ... With the vast majority of its sales direct-to-consumer (DTC) we see ODD at a strategic vantage point to grow with this rise." Bilibili "Management highlighted strategies centering on high-quality content, AI empowerment to content and monetization, long-lifecycle games. ... We reiterate our Buy rating given Bilibili's unique platform value proposition, long growth runway, and benefits from AI. ... We expect 2Q ad business to benefit from good ad spend from ecommerce campaigns and the digital products category." Anheuser-Busch InBev "Volume in Q2 will likely be held back, again, by China and the US, but we expect continued margin expansion in Q2, supporting +5.6% organic EBITDA growth. .... One of the main areas of focus for Q2/H1 results will be share buy backs. ... We continue to like ABI, as one of the most reliable staples compounders." AppLovin "APP remains top pick under coverage. We see big upside to CY26 EBITDA expectations, with this print potentially prompting upward revisions; the vast majority of investors we spoke with appear to exclude both a continued managed service onboarding ramp, and a major self-serve ramp in CY26." Amazon "Expect retail beat, AWS growth in focus for 2nd half. ... We think Amazon's focus on the customers and the buyer experience is right for the Internet. We think Amazon is well positioned to capitalize on the global growth of eCommerce and other secular trends such as cloud computing, online advertising and connected devices." Read more.
New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jerry Jones' latest doomed standoff, plus MLB's best stat line ever?
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! We're holding out for a great weekend. Micah Parsons, the 26-year-old defensive dynamo with 52 1/2 sacks and two first-team All-Pro nods across his first four seasons, reported to Dallas Cowboys training camp this week. But he's still waiting for a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid edge rusher in football, and Jerry Jones is talking like an owner who won't make that deal. He has suggested he didn't even know Parsons' agent's name, and last week, he exaggerated Parsons' minimal injury history. Parsons' rookie contract runs out after this season. If any of this seems familiar, well… It turned out to be a familiar pattern. Fast forward a few decades, and Jones' form holds: Jones isn't always this hostile toward his stars. He didn't say anything so inflammatory about Dak Prescott as the sides negotiated their megadeal, for example. And these public standoffs between Jones and his most important players usually end up being pointlessly fleeting. Jones is a capitalist's capitalist and a showman, and one wonders if he somehow enjoys this. I asked someone who would know: Jon Machota, the longtime Cowboys beat writer covering the team for The Athletic: Does Jones have a real plan, or can he just not help himself? 💬 There's no question Jones loves the business side of football, and that includes negotiating contracts. He's probably won on most deals in his business life, from oil and gas to real estate to football. He certainly won on his gamble to buy the Cowboys for $140 million in 1989. But he hasn't been winning when it comes to the deals of his top players. After Prescott eventually became the highest-paid player at $60 million per season, most thought other QBs would top that, but it hasn't happened. Prescott, Elliott, Lamb, Martin and Dez Bryant have all eventually gotten what they wanted. There's no reason to think the same won't happen for Parsons. At some point, wouldn't Jones change his PR strategy? Well, perhaps not: 💬 While the holdouts cause angst for so many involved, it never seems to bother Jones. It's as if this is part of the fun for him: It keeps everyone talking about him, which he clearly enjoys. At 82, he is highly unlikely to change. Congrats in advance to Parsons. The greatest stat line ever? A's rookie Nick Kurtz became the 20th player to hit four home runs in a game last night. But it wasn't your ordinary four-homer game (if such a thing exists). Kurtz finished the night 6-for-6 with eight RBIs, six runs and 19 total bases — and was a few feet shy of the first five-homer game in MLB history. Oh, and the 22-year-old did it in just his 66th major-league game. It's an all-timer. Advertisement Messi suspended by MLS Lionel Messi and fellow Inter Miami star Jordi Alba were suspended one game for skipping Wednesday's MLS All-Star Game. MLS commissioner Don Garber told The Athletic the decision to suspend the players was a very difficult one, although the policy has been in place for a number of years. Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas called the rule 'draconian' while relaying that Messi was 'extremely upset' by the suspension. Read his full comments. More news: The Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart finally reached agreement on his four-year, fully guaranteed contract. The standoff is over. More than 100 NFL players were fined for reselling Super Bowl 59 tickets above face value, a league source told The Athletic. Read more here. In college football news, Michigan and Western Michigan are set to open the 2026 season in Germany. It's a first. The Yankees made their first move of the trade deadline, acquiring Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon. Reviews are mixed. 📺 WNBA: Sparks at Liberty 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV Though not nearly as dominant so far as they were in their title-winning season last year, the Liberty remain a front-line contender. The recent return of Jonquel Jones from injury, to join Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, will only make them better. 📺 MLB: Dodgers at Red Sox 7:15 p.m. ET on Fox Has there ever been a more fun stylistic clash of left-handed starters than 37-year-old Clayton Kershaw and 26-year-old Garrett Crochet? Our MLB staff picked one player from each franchise who will be wearing a new uniform by Thursday. Click. Time's list of the 100 best podcasts ever, featuring 'The Tennis Podcast' — which joined The Athletic's network earlier this year — among six sports picks. Brendan Kuty's great read on how Aaron Judge helps make his teammates better. I just finished this affecting story in New York Magazine about how two high school football buddies ended up joining a coup in Congo. Haunting, but brilliantly done. — Chris Branch Branch recommended these straw cups for toddlers a while ago, and I regret how long we waited to get a couple. The most spill-proof we've tried, much to my little guy's frustration. — Torrey Hart Aaron Rodgers has a lot more to lose with the Steelers than he did with the Jets, as Ian O'Connor writes. Saw 'Mission Impossible' and 'Superman' last weekend. Pure popcorn cinema. Kept muttering 'Love going to da movies' to myself. 10/10. — Patrick Iversen Advertisement Ben Pickman had a helpful primer earlier this week on WNBA CBA negotiations, including the current sticking points. Was reminded this week it's been 10 years since Tame Impala's 'Currents' dropped. A top-drawer evolution. Even Pitchfork was like dang. — Chris Sprow Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Tour de France detour after a herd of cows was culled. Most-read on the website yesterday: 'An MLB pitcher walked away from $12 million. He tells us why he has no regrets.' Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Fast Company
34 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Beef costs, burrito blues, and boarding groups: The business stories everyone's talking about this week
If this past week's headlines are any indication, the U.S. consumer economy is being pulled in every direction at once. Grocery bills are getting heavier, while retail giants and airlines are rewriting some of their most familiar playbooks. At the same time, the housing market is cooling in dozens of major metro areas, Chipotle is feeling the sting of diner belt-tightening, and the late-night TV world is suddenly united in a war of words over CBS's surprise cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In grocery, one of the country's quirkiest retailers is on a tear: Trader Joe's announced 30 new store openings across 17 states and D.C., pushing the grocer closer to the 600-location mark. Meanwhile, if you were planning to load up on burger patties for the summer, brace yourself. Beef prices have surged to the highest levels on record, and there's no quick fix in sight as the U.S. cattle herd hits its lowest level since 1951. Elsewhere, big companies are making moves: Target is scaling back its popular price-match policy, Southwest Airlines is ditching open seating in favor of assigned boarding groups, and Chipotle's latest earnings reveal that even fast casual isn't immune to shifting consumer spending. Here's what you need to know from this week in business: Trader Joe's expands with 30 new stores across 17 states Trader Joe's is in growth mode, adding 30 new locations that will push it past 600 stores nationally. The expansion—spanning California, Texas, New York, Oklahoma, and more—is a striking contrast to the wave of retail closures hitting other chains. The next to open: Northridge, CA, on July 21. Beef prices hit record highs Ground beef now averages $6.12 a pound, with steak prices rising 8% to $11.49 per pound. Persistent droughts, shrinking cattle herds, and new trade disruptions mean grilling season is going to stay expensive for the foreseeable future. Colbert cancellation spurs late-night revolt CBS's decision to cancel The Late Show by 2026 has united late-night hosts, who are openly mocking the network and its corporate parent. Many see the timing—just after Colbert criticized a Trump-related settlement—as politically charged. Target scales back price-matching Starting July 28, Target will only match prices found at other Target locations or on ending its longstanding policy of matching major competitors like Amazon and Walmart. Chipotle feels the pinch as diners spend less Chipotle's stock fell 12% after its second-quarter results revealed slowing comparable sales. The company blames macroeconomic pressures and says low-income diners are prioritizing value. Housing market cools in 109 metros More than a third of the nation's 300 largest housing markets saw year-over-year price declines in June, with Austin, Tampa, Dallas, Miami, and Phoenix leading the drop. Southwest Airlines ends open seating Southwest's famed open-seating policy is ending. Starting July 29, passengers will purchase tickets with assigned seats and board using an eight-group system, a major brand shift for the carrier. McGraw Hill goes public McGraw Hill, the 137-year-old education publisher known for its textbooks and digital learning platforms, made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange this week under the ticker 'MH' at $17 per share. The IPO raised roughly $386 million, valuing the company at about $3.25 billion as it shifts its focus from print to digital education. Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Tax Cuts: Winners and Losers
