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THE RED FOX - TAKEAWAY by Si Hall & Nicola Rigby
We are fans of The Red Fox and have missed the many opportunities of being able to pop in for a drink with a client , lunch with friends or dinner with the family . We also miss the many events we both organise and attend in The Little Fox or just sitting in the gorgeous gardens with a bottle of wine eating pizza .
This lockdown The Red Fox decided to offer a Click & Collect service at the weekends with a selection of some of their most popular dishes . When we spoke to David Green , the landlord , he said that the offer had been well received and they were busy and it was great to be able to keep offering a Red Fox hit at home and seeing customers , all be it he would prefer that in the pub and not the car park , but needs must for now . The ordering process is quick and simple online and you when you arrive , clear signage points you to a small marquee . David was there , in appropriate PPE , to greet us . Once you give your name , a quick radio to the kitchen and the food appears via a contactless collection , you don ’ t even need to leave your car .
This is one of the best Drive Thru ' s we have seen and the usual great service from the Red Fox . The food is well presented in lovely packaging that kept the food warm until we got it home . We opted for a buttermilk chicken burger with garlic mayonnaise & bacon , served with coleslaw and fries and a braised lamb shoulder served with mashed potato , vegetables and a pot of gravy . For dessert we went with Sticky Toffee Pudding and a Chocolate brownie , both served with Cheshire Farm ice cream . Whilst the main food came piping hot , the desserts had a few instructions to finish at home , which was a great idea as we were really full so could postpone the puddings until later .
When we heard about the latest offer , Afternoon Tea and Grazing Boxes , we had to go and take a look . Set-up separately on the website under ‘ events ’ you can choose from either Afternoon Tea which is priced at £ 14.95 per person or a Grazing Box at £ 39.95 for 2 . We decided to pick one of each .
You simply buy a ticket and collection is anytime between 2pm & 5pm on the chosen day . Once again , we arrived and there was a small queue out front , but we could stay in the car which was great as it was wet and cold . Soon as it was our turn , we showed our ticket and within minutes the food arrived in their rustic packaging . As we were leaving the queue was growing showing how popular the offer has become . We got home and set on opening the boxes and the presentation was the first thing to hit us with lots of colours , we didn ’ t know where to start first ... The Afternoon Tea consisted of a selection of freshly made finger sandwiches - chicken and mayonnaise , ham and English mustard , prawns with marie rose sauce , and cream cheese and cucumber , we also got a home made sausage roll and a quiche , all was fresh and very tasty . On to the sweet side , we got a freshly baked sultana scone with a pot of jam and clotted cream , as well as a glazed lemon tart , chocolate eclair and meringue nest with Chantilly cream and berries .
Then onto the epic Grazing Box ( what a great idea !), this was the one we were really looking forward too , a genius concept which came from David thinking about a sharing offer , but with a twist . The Little Fox do amazing grazing tables for events , so David and head Chef Andy set about trying to re-create this in a box for people to enjoy at home and I can honestly say they have hit the nail on the head with this .
The box was packed with treats and it was hard to know what to go for first ... The main elements consisted of a selection of Cheeses ( Camembert , Mature cheddar , Stilton & a Mozzerella ball ) a Spanish Meats selection ( Prosciutto ham , chorizo & salami Milano ) a chicken , truffle and herb terrine , a cheese and onion quiche and a homemade sage and apple sausage roll . This was all mixed in with some lovely extras - including Balsamic onions , mixed olives , Hummus , crudities , apricot chutney & apple chutney , mixed in with more fruit and vegetables ( honestly too many to list here ) Just look at the pictures . You get a separate box which contains , breads , crackers and a balsamic oil . This really is a ‘ grazing ’ box and we happily grazed our way through the box over a few hours with a bottle of wine .
Speaking to David the idea was just to offer them for special occasions but they sold out very quickly so they are now going to continue to offer both Afternoon Tea and Grazing Boxed each weekend .
The Verdict . The usual high level of service and attention to detail you get from the Red Fox , we loved to see the Red Fox adapting to the current climate and being inventive with their offer . These are great for you to enjoy or to buy as a gift for someone who perhaps deserves a doorstep treat . Personally , we hope they continue with the grazing boxes even when they re-open which we all hope is soon .
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