Main Street News

The White Hart in Salisbury, CT, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Originally built as a farmhouse in 1806, the White Hart underwent a large-scale renovation in 2010 and officially reopened its doors in 2014. 

The White Hart boasts 16 guest rooms, three dining rooms, a taproom with a full-service bar, two outdoor dining patios, a large porch with drink service, a ballroom, and White Hart Provisions, a cafe. 

The desire to reimagine the White Hart was driven by a “sense of sorrow that it had been closed for five years and that everyone driving by at night saw a dark building on the town green,” said Conley Rollins, one of the owning partners. “The opportunity to get life back into the building was the inspiration.”

When reopening, the owners wanted to remain loyal to the White Hart’s brand and the stag that accompanies the logo while modernizing it and making it fit the reimagined vision of the inn. They worked on the logo with Megan Wilson, who at the time, had a store in West Cornwall, CT, called Ancient Industries. 

“Over time and in many different forms, the stag – which had been the personal badge of Richard II – had been part of the White Hart branding. Megan did an incredible job keeping that history, but modernizing it in a way that feels more welcoming and contemporary – acknowledging the history without being stuffy.” 

Expansion and growth

There are many ways in which the White Hart has changed in the past ten years. Some of the changes were driven by the pandemic and changing demographics of the area, some were driven by feedback from customers, and some were driven by the realities of running a business and making it sustainable. 

One of the most visible changes is the addition of Provisions, which is the White Hart’s cafe and general store. Provisions provides a more casual atmosphere where customers can order at the counter and dine inside the cafe or outside on the front green, or grab-and-go breakfast or lunch and be on their way. 

Another of the biggest changes to the White Hart in the past ten years is the expansion of the seating options on the front green. 

“All of these things are interconnected,” Conley said. “I think what connects them all is the interest in making sure that the White Hart feels alive and has energy.” 

He shared that in the first few years, he tried all sorts of options to encourage more activity on the front porch and lawn but none were particularly successful. After opening Provisions, he found that having a more casual set of food and drink options was what made the difference. 

“Those changes made a huge difference in the energy that you feel when you walk into or even just drive by the White Hart.” 

On the menu 

Speaking of Provisions, the White Hart takes its dining options seriously and likes to provide a variety of food via different outlets. 

The White Hart’s head chef Paul Pearson shares that the tap room has a weekly evolving menu with a few dishes that remain – the burger and fish and chips, for example, stay on the menu. The rest of the offerings are switched out depending on what is in season and available from local farms in the area. 

“The rest of the menu is a culmination of ideas from things done in the past, whether at the White Hart or different places that I’ve worked and brought to light in a different way,” Paul said. “I also collaborate with other members of the team to get their input and ideas, but it’s really based on seasonality, what is available, and what the kitchen is excited about at that moment in time.” 

The menu at the White Hart features a variety of global flavors in its dishes. Whether it be influences from India, southeast Asia, or South America, the chefs are always looking for ways to add in different combinations of flavors and ingredients to create more interesting flavor profiles. 

Provisions, on the other hand, offers a more consistent menu for breakfast and lunch, mainly consisting of salads, sandwiches, and other things that are easy to take on-the-go. 

The White Hart sources as much product as it can from local purveyors. The beef comes from Whippoorwill Farm in Salisbury, it sources sausage for breakfast sandwiches from Jacuterie in Ancram, NY, and in the summer and fall, it utilizes a variety of farms throughout Connecticut and the Hudson Valley for produce.

Most recently, the White Hart purchased a mobile, wood-fired pizza oven. Each Wednesday, the White Hart hosts a pizza night on the green and serves a variety of Neapolitan-style pies. The menu consists of three standing pies and a weekly rotating one based on ingredient availability. 

“The atmosphere is amazing,” Paul said. “It’s a community feel with lots of familiar faces coming back every week.” 

Community connections

“It’s hard to believe that we’re at ten years,” Conley said. 

He shared that it’s important for the White Hart to be a place that fosters community, not only because it’s located on the town green in the center of Salisbury, but also because it connects with the history of the location. 

“Whether used for the common grazing of livestock or town meetings, town greens have always been venues for building and activating community – and for bringing people together,” he said. “Going back to the inspiration ten years ago, what was exciting was the chance to bring life back to the White Hart. Fostering a sense of community was what really allowed that to happen.” 

Going forward, the White Hart is hoping to continue improving its offerings and overall service. The biggest long-term goal is to continue to keep the White Hart strong for the next ten years. 

“It’s been through a lot of ups and downs – including the five-year closure and at least one bankruptcy over its long history. Making sure this is a business that keeps the town green vibrant continues to remain the inspiration.” •

The White Hart Inn will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of its re-opening in August. Keep your eyes and ears open for special events being planned! Details will be on Instagram at @whitehart_inn & @whitehart_provisions and on its website whitehartinn.com.