Brunning and Price to renovate The Fox Revived
December 2016
Brunning and Price are well on their way with the redevelopment of the Fox Revived on the cross roads in Norwood Hill. The pub has been closed now for quite a while to allow a complete refurbishment internally and externally.
Gone is the old leaky conservatory to be replaced by a light and airy green oak extension which overlooks a new stone terrace area. The bar now sits at the heart of the building, large enough to allow for an array of 6 local cask ales and shelves stocked full of over 40 wines and countless spirits.
It isn't the first time that Brunning and Price have been involved in the history of this pub. They operated it around 20 years ago, and enjoyed great success. Many of the locals remember those days and have shared stories of how things used to be. The Fox Revived was the starting platform for many things that have now filtered into many of B&P's 57 pubs. The slow braised Lamb shoulder, which adorns most menus, was first introduced here in response to a large amount of requests for lamb from New Zealand cabin crew who were once regulars and many ex patrons recall the stuffed fox that sat looking out of the window with a cigar in his mouth and a pint in his hand. The taxidermy creation was often 'liberated' to be found in various places throughout the village only to be returned to his position in the pub. Sadly the original fox is no more, but rumour has it a 'mark 2' might be making an appearance. Hopefully it will be as popular, if not as well travelled, as the first.
Sadly, the pub was in a much worse state of repairs than first thought and there has had to be some major works to transform it back into the kind of country pub that will sit at the very heart of the local community. So the opening date moved from before Christmas to the beginning of February, giving time to finish off the building work and build up a team of around 40 crew members. Ryan Martinez will take over the reins. Ryan has worked for Brunning and Price for many years, latterly in the roll of Deputy at the Architect, which is nestled next to Chester race course. For Ryan this will be a homecoming as he was born and bred in Crawley and still has family members close by.
One of Ryan's earliest memories is of his mum and dad taking him for Sunday lunch at the Fox Revived, "Everyone knew it. It had huge heritage in the area and is still used as a land mark. My aunty and uncle used to 'court' there before they married."
As well as Ryan's 10 year old 'Westie' Harvey who will join him at the pub, he will also be joined by Lucy Dakin as Deputy manager, currently an Assistant manager at the Hayhurst, another pub in the B&P family in Bostock Green. Now that the management team is in place they are busily looking for enthusiastic, personable people to make up the rest of the 40 strong team.
"We are looking for lots of local 'crew members' to work in the bar, or waiting, kitchen and maintenance roles. You don't need to have experience, just genuinely love working with people and being generally 'hospitable', we will happily teach the rest if needed. To apply, for any role, please send your CV with a covering letter telling us about you and what makes you tick to [email protected], check out our website www.foxrevived.co.uk or find us on Facebook". Even though the opening is still a little way off, we are actively recruiting as we start their training now so that people can get the hang of things ahead of the opening.
"I'm really looking forward to creating our menu, finding some great new local suppliers and forming relationships. I love the idea of running beer festivals and evenings where customers can meet local brewers to find out more about their beers and taste what's on offer locally. We are fortunate to have a wealth of brewers in the area to choose from and I would love to hear from our customers about what they would like us to stock. The pub has a great bar at its heart and I hope that it will be a hub of local life. I've also heard of many local folk singers from the local residents so perhaps that would be something we could explore once we get a little more established.
Dogs will be welcomed in the bar area and we are busy mapping suitable circular walks from and to the pub so that customers can start their ramble with a little drink and then work up an appetite to dine on their return.
Our plan is to open in early February. We will update the website and Facebook with any notable dates and plans as they are finalised so we encourage anyone who is interested to follow our progress there."
For more photos, updates and vacancies at the pub, please 'Like us on Facebook' or see our 'Fox Revived website'.
