REVIEW: Fox in Hale Barns

Fox is the first £1million gourmet restaurant in Hale Barns and is owned by former Living Ventures director, Danny Fox.

It only opened in September but has already gained a sterling reputation. Situated in The Square, in the heart of Hale Barns, Fox offers first class city-centre-worthy fine dining without the trek and has become a hit with its suburban-loving visitors.

We took a trip on a wintry day in November and we could not have asked for a better experience.

Our welcome was warm and it was a pleasant to have an alternative to pub grub Sunday without having to venture into Manchester.

Fox had a distinct artisanal feel and we felt instantly comfortable in the warm, intimate surroundings.

We settled down to Chicken Satay and Gambas Pil Pil – not very adventurous on our part but the dishes were superb, with beautiful presentation.

We oft find little thought goes into starter presentation, with a lot of white plate gleaming through sparse portions, but this was most definitely not the case, with scrumptious accompaniments.

The main course was Flash Grilled Flattened Rump Steak with Sweet Potato Chips for Mr Cunningham and Monkfish, King Prawn and Scallop Skewers, with a side of roasted pepper, grilled broccoli, quinoa, for myself.

My seafood skewers were heavenly, with melt in your mouth monkfish. I’m usually not a fan of roasted pepper – it’s the texture – but I was pleasantly surprised.

John Thompson of Fox in Hale Barns with his Logs Direct ‘Woody Award'

The steak was the stand-out dish though (I can vouch for that, I sneakily stuck in when the half’s head was turned) with the generously portioned sweet potato chips perfectly cooked – crisp but beautifully soft inside.

We were kicking ourselves afterwards for not choosing one of the Woodfired Sourdough Pizzas, which the restaurant has quickly become famous for.

The restaurant recently scooped a ‘Woody Award’ – the only accolade in the restaurant sector specifically for chefs cooking with a wood-fired oven.

Head Chef John Thompson said: “It’s brilliant to have won an award so early on in our life as a restaurant and we shall be keeping our ‘Woody’ in full view in our pizza area.”

But we didn’t stay disappointed for too long. For dessert, I ordered my go-to, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Mr Cunningham chose his, Lemon Tart. Since winning his company ‘Bake-Off’ Mr Cunningham is a tough judge when it comes to tarts but he had to admit defeat here – Fox’s is superior.

My pudding was just as delicious. The only downfall was that I had slightly burned my tongue on the sauce. But I imagine this is more telling about my eagerness than anything else. It was exquisite.

All topped off with a glass of Prosecco, it is safe to say we will be back to sample more of Fox’s delights.

Fox's woodfired sourdough pizzas have quickly become famous

But what really stood-out for me, apart from the food, was the atmosphere.

At times we felt we were the only two customers in the room, with the waiters attentive but not invasive, and the restaurant as a whole emanated a chilled, laid back and welcoming vibe.

I could have easily wiled away the hours there. And it looks like many others have cottoned on to this too judging by a quick glance around the room.

From young families to old friends, it has a diverse clientele, something I believe is quite a feat.

But one thing they all had in common? They were smiling and relaxed.

And that, to me, is a sign of a good establishment.

(Oh, and they didn’t have anyone cleaning and clanging cutlery on the restaurant floor – my number one pet hate.)

A Foxy Fine **** from me.

Visit foxrg.com for more.