The Great Decoy will be located in Hurstbourne Tarrant in the newly renovated The George & Dragon.
Operating as a classic English pub, the space will seat around 90 covers inside with a further 60 seats in the rear courtyard.
The kitchen will focus on a hearty pub offering using seasonal British produce, with an emphasis on sourcing from local suppliers in Hampshire and the surrounding counties.
The menu will feature a mix of Chickpea favourites, including pies made by the team at sister pub The Pembroke Arms, alongside the group’s ‘Pub Banger’ selection of classics such as Quarr Cross venison steak frites with peppercorn sauce; and beer-battered fish and chips with smashed peas and curry sauce; as well as seasonal specials and Sunday roasts.
Nole pizza will be available daily, alongside an à la carte menu featuring dishes such as day boat fish with hollandaise and monksbeard; English lamb with bacon, peas and mint; buffalo mozzarella and grilled peach salad; and oyster mushroom skewers with tahini and fennel. Desserts, including chocolate nemesis and treacle tart with Hampshire clotted cream, will follow.
The bar will offer a selection of wines, local beers and ales, including the group’s own Rude Giant, alongside a cocktail list of classics and Negroni shots served throughout the day, including at breakfast.
Upstairs, the property offers eight bedrooms featuring king-sized beds.
The name reflects the area’s wartime history, when the site and surrounding countryside were used by the British Army as part of a network of decoy sites designed to mislead enemy aircraft and divert bombing raids away from strategic targets.
“At Chickpea our mission is to reimagine rural hospitality and we’re going to do that at the Great Decoy by breathing fresh life into this iconic roadside inn,” says Ethan Davids, Chickpea Group co-founder.
“The Decoy will be everything one expects from a country boozer with bedrooms - warm and genuine hospitality; exceptional food and drink; and supremely comfortable bedrooms for the best night’s sleep.
“More broadly, the Great Decoy marks our ongoing commitment to constant but considered growth.
“The pub is the beating heart of rural living, which is why we get such a buzz from bringing them back to life.”
Chickpea Group is a South West England operator of pubs with rooms, run by siblings Ethan and Jordan Davids alongside their friend Tommy Tullis.
The group focuses on restoring and sustaining rural pubs, with the aim of reviving long-established community venues.
It’s portfolio in the South West of England includes The Bell & Crown, The Dog & Gun, The Grosvenor Arms, The Fleur de Lys and The Pembroke Arms, as well as its pizza concept Nole on the Square.