The Snooty Fox, Crawley

Located directly opposite the station, this large roadside Greene King pub has the feel of a family-oriented diner, with a vast open-plan interior. The space features parquet flooring and a prominent U-shaped bar at its centre, adorned with traditional wooden panels, an elephant head brass footrail, and a mirrored bar back. The front area is mostly filled with backless benches, perimeter banquettes, a pool table, and several slot machines, and was notably busy with children and families during my visit. To the rear, a raised section to one side was fenced off for a private event, while the back-left area offered a more relaxed setup with armchairs, high tables, and a fireplace. Decor included grey wood panelling with warm-coloured paint or patterned wallpaper above, and a mishmash of wall art, branded chalkboards, and sports-themed paraphernalia. TV screens throughout showed live football with the sound on. Old Golden Hen was the only cask ale available, with four more clips on the pumps but all supposedly not yet ready. Lilley’s Pineapple cider was also on one of the handles. The Golden Hen was drinkable but unremarkable and there's no sense that cask ale is in any way a priority. The pub was lively and clearly popular with families, although the service was nothing much to write home about and I can't say it was a particularly welcoming place - maybe a day of listening to screaming kids takes the edge off your customer service skills. In many ways, this is the sort of reassuringly disappointing pub experience you'd expect from somewhere directly opposite a train station - dull beer, miserable service, unimaginative interior - it all checks out. Add in the fact that it's been branded as a family dining venue and it's hard to find plus points. In mitigation, there aren't too many options in the vicinity, so an open pub is at least better than nothing, the sports coverage may be of interest to some and they at least have a drinkable ale option, with clips suggesting you might expect a wider range at certain times. Not on my revisit list, but it'll just about make do if you miss your train. Date of visit: 2nd February 2025

Official site of The Snooty Fox - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of The Snooty Fox - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk