Review: The Fox Inn Pie & Pint night

We all know there is no shortage of charming country pubs in and around Oxford.

But how many of them offer a pie and a pint for £15 on a Tuesday night?

It was a cold and misty evening when Chiara and I wended our way to the Fox Inn, and it was lovely to be greeted by the sight (and smell!) of a roaring fire in the hearth when we bundled in the front door. The pub has been recently refurbished but still makes the most of its traditional, low-beamed architecture, and it has a lovely ambience – not to mention plenty of seating, both indoors and outdoors.

It was a quiet evening when we arrived but there was still the nice background hubbub of some locals at the bar, including a friendly dog. We were greeted by the very welcoming staff, all of whom remained attentive and helpful throughout our meal.

We had two options for the ‘pie and a pint’ offer: venison and pheasant, or spiced curried butternut squash. It was a tough choice, and I was really impressed by the unusual offering of flavours; I’d been expecting a classic steak and ale (and wouldn’t have been mad about it at all).

We opted for the venison and pheasant. I felt like a Tudor queen.

The options for the pints were more limited, as the bar had a fairly standard range of draught beers and ales. As pale ale drinkers, we went for Beavertown Neck Oil.

As soon as it was put in front of me, the pie was ticking all my boxes.

First off, it was fully encased in pastry rather than being served in a pot with a pastry ‘lid’. It was beautifully dark in colour, and I could just tell it would make a satisfying crunch when cut into (spoiler alert – it did).

The pie was well-filled with large chunks of tender meat.

The combination of pheasant and venison could easily have been a bit overpowering, but they were balanced by the generous helping of gravy. The pastry itself was beautifully buttery, and hit the perfect spot of being caramelised and crunchy on the outside and slightly stodgy on the inside where it met the filling.

The accompanying thick-cut chips were well-cooked, and it was nice to have a dollop of green cabbage on the side. We decided this was a thoroughly underrated vegetable, and perfectly suited to a hearty winter’s meal.

This was a large portion of food, and it was undeniably rich. As a whole, the dish was perhaps a bit over-salted for me, and by the end I was gulping down the Neck Oil. Nevertheless, this was absolutely value for money at £15 a head.

The waiting and kitchen staff were lovely and the vibe was very relaxed – although, top tip, we have it on good authority from our waitress that the place gets quickly filled up for their Sunday roast.