The Fox & Hounds, Towcester

Official site of The Fox & Hounds - www.thefoxandhoundswhittlebury.co.uk

Official site of The Fox & Hounds - www.thefoxandhoundswhittlebury.co.uk

Modern gastropub with a heavy food-led operation. Fairly sparse inside - light wood floor, white and teal shades and a TV fishtank (yes, really). There are also signed menus framed in the bogs – signed by who and why was not explained. Gravel patio to the rear. Four ales on; Pride, Brakspear Bitter, a house beer and Born to be Wild Dog. I tried the latter which was undrinkable and it was taken off with profuse apologies. The house beer was in better nick but a fairly grotty brew. Expensive too at £1.80 a half. There were quite a few things here to dislike and as a pub (rather than restaurant), it really doesn’t offer anything that makes it worth a stop.

A good sized village pub that has resisted the temptation to go down the “gastro” route, and instead serves up decent honest pub grub which makes a welcome change. The friendly landlord had apparently only been there a couple of months, and being the only pub in a reasonably big village I hope they can make a go of it in these difficult times. First impressions on entering the pub from the front was “where’s the bar?” Somewhat unusually you couldn’t see it as you walk in. I persevered though and found it towards the back of the pub. The pub is divided in to two rooms at the front, and a more open plan area at the back. The paintwork on the walls is a mixture of maroon, lemon and a pale khaki green, which might sound an odd combination but seems to work well enough. The two rooms at the front were both carpeted and had brick fire-places with wood burning stoves. They both had plenty of tables and chairs, with the ones on the left all being laid up for food. The area at the rear has a similar colour scheme, but with it’s sanded boards on the floor has a rather more contemporary feel. Further back again is a small outside patio area. As previously mentioned, the menu is your traditional “pub grub” with all the usual suspects such as Chilli Con Carne, Ham Egg & Chips, Pie of the day, Scampi & Chips, etc. Most of the main courses were in the £8 to £10 range, and my Beer Battered Haddock was a generous portion that I struggled to finish. A couple of slices of baguette were provided while I was waiting which is unusual in a pub. Beers on tap were the local Foxy Hound from Silverstone and London Pride. The solitary cider was Thatcher’s Gold which makes a welcome change from the ubiquitous Strongbow around these parts.