It’s been an absolute age since The Man Bird and I were last at The Fox and Goose Inn, on the fabulously named ‘Pudding Pie Hill’, so it was lovely to be invited back. As regular readers of the blog know, I only take Him Indoors along to do the photos (joking; his company is pretty good) and, as coincidence would have it, The Fox and Goose is where The Man had taken a jolly snazzy photo of a Razor Clam that ended up being published!
Anyway, we grabbed one of the many on-site parking spots and headed inside this beautiful building. One of the team, Lynne, greeted us very warmly and, after confirming our reservation, asked us where we’d like to sit: in the snug or in the Orangery? Given that the last vestiges of the evening’s light were still clinging on, we decided to go in the Orangery and admire the stunning views over the ‘Shire’s countryside and further over to ‘Vegas, aka Chesterfield. For those of you that have furry family members, you’ll be pleased to know that dogs are allowed in the bar area and snug, and those of you who have smaller children will appreciate the provision of high-chairs at The Fox and Goose. I do love to see babies and children dining out; I think that for so long, us Brits have lagged behind our continental cousins in integrating children in this aspect of life. Top Marks to this Chesterfield team for promoting inclusion.
No need to guess the ethos of The Fox and Goose Inn: a neon sign exclaiming ‘Keep It Foxy’ grabs your attention at the back of the faux-foliage festooned booth table that is the focal point of the Orangery! Fairy light garlands are strewn all over the ceiling, creating a magical, romantic vibe and more of the lush faux foliage decorates the windows. Pale gold velvet upholsters the booths’ banquette and the free-standing chairs, though some of the chairs have a striking burgundy-and-cream-striped fabric on them. One wall has a delightful, dark blue, vertical-plane panel on it for even more visual interest and another pop of colour.
The wine selection at The Fox and Goose is laudable as well; I was having to take my time in deciding what to sip. Eventually, a cheeky Rioja won my heart…though a Pinot Noir had also tempted me; His Nibs had a pint of lager. We hadn’t intentionally opted to visit this restaurant on its [Friday] Italian Night, but as luck would have it, I had spotted the mouth-watering sounding Seafood Linguine (£22.95) as we’d been looking through the menu, so that was my mind made up for my main. I do need to just point out that if four or more dine on the Italian menu, then you get a whopping 20% off the food bill – pretty flipping fab, I think you’ll agree?
I had thought about having the Mussels in White Wine and Cream to start (again, from the Italian Night menu) but then I spotted the Guinness-braised Mussels with Chorizo and Irish Soda Bread (£8.95 or £17.95 as a main), and that piqued my interest instead. The Man opted for Pil Pil Prawns as his starter (£8.95 or £16.95 as a main), having come around to their charms in Tapas feasts. As his second course, The Man chose Beef and Bakewell Bitter Stew with Roasted Carrots, Creamy Mash and Irish Soda bread (£19.95).
It wasn’t long before our starters were being carefully placed down, including a finger bowl of warm water with lemon in for me – a very nice service touch. With our usual enthusiasm, we tucked in, both smiling with happiness as we took that first mouthful. I had plenty of good sized in-shell Mussels to keep me occupied, and I was surprised by how much I liked the pairing of the Seafood with Guinness. Moules Mariniere is a classic, so you’re never going to topple it off its perch but, crikey, this morsel was very much up there as a challenger. Alongside the Mussels, tiny pieces of Chorizo, sliced White Onion and Herbs, and the Stout’s chocolatey, malty notes all paired gorgeously together to make a really tasty starter. Obviously, the Soda Bread got used to mop up all the last bits of the liquor!
How many juicy King Prawns can you fit in a small, flattish, round bowl? Blooming loads…well, Chef at The Fox and Goose can, anyway; a generous helping was what His Nibs got! Each fragrant Prawn was meatily textured and pleasingly firm to the bite. A pungent bath of Garlic and Chilli-infused Olive Oil had been used to cook them, and the flavour ran riot over The Man’s palate, swaggering with confidence. The good-sized slice of bouncy Focaccia was used to soak up every last scrap of it: when something’s this tasty, you don’t want to miss any, do you?
Having polished off the starters, it was time to chow down on our mains, both of which came in shallow bowl/plate hybrids. A carefully arranged dome/swirl of perfectly cooked Linguine was topped with plenty of Mussels and even more King Prawns – I was going to have my work cut out to finish this! The Tomato-based sauce was unctuous and incredibly rich, pimped with the unmistakeable ping of Garlic and a nice heat from Chilli. When I have pasta and sauce, I always look for the clingability that the sauce has; to me, it needs to have that hint of jilted-lover’s desperation that gives it a firm grip on the pasta. Chef had got it bang-on-the-money with this dish, relating to all the elements. I even gave the charred Lemon Wedge a squeeze over it all before I tucked in, just for an added hint of sharpness.
No less impressive was His Nibs’ Beef and Bakewell Bitter Stew; this was proper, honest comfort food. The chunks of Beef were beautifully tasty and so tender that they just melted in the mouth. You simply can’t have a Stew without a partnering thick gravy, and the one here was glorious in terms of texture and richness of flavour. Lots of baby Shallots and Roasted Carrots were in the Stew as well, lending their subtle allium notes and sweetness to the mix. What was particularly clever about the presentation here, though, was the layer of Cabbage between the Stew and the Mashed Potato – talk about a tasty solution to preventing the tatties and Stew mingling. No word of a lie, there is nothing that you could criticise here; the empty plate was testament to His Nibs’ verdict.
You can’t come to The Fox and Goose Inn on Pudding Pie Hill and not have a Pudding – you just can’t! The Man and I were firmly in the market for a sweet treat anyway, but as soon as I was informed that Chef’s French Toast that day (£8.95) was Limoncello and Raspberry that was all I needed to hear. The Man went for his beloved Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, Rum-soaked Raisins and Custard (£7.95).
As you know, His Nibs has [probably!] had more Sticky Toffee puds than he’s had hot dinners, so when he said this was delicious, you can take it that it was a good ‘un. Mid-textured, the Pudding was more than satiating and it didn’t lay heavy on the tummy which, let’s face it, is not what you need or want at the conclusion of a meal, is it? Flavour-wise, it was beautifully rich and certainly aptly described, with a nice bath of sweet (but not sickly) Butterscotch Sauce to ‘wet’ it just enough in the mouth. Chef had been generous with the Rum-soaked Raisins, which added a unique slant on this Fox and Goose pud. Although not strictly needed, the addition of a creamy Custard never goes amiss, and The Man tipped it from its little jug as he was nearing the end of eating the Sticky Toffee Pudding.
French Toast has always sounded a trifle enigmatic and sexy, and I was so down for this minx, let me tell you! I am pleased to report that it lived up to my dreams with its thick, buttery slices of Brioche that were perfectly crisp on their outer with those irresistibly pillowy inners. I detected a nice hint of Lemon, matched by the exuberance of Raspberry to produce a gloriously fruity-yet-indulgent dessert. Adding even more luxury was a cloud of whipped Cream and pieces of crunchy, sweet meringue. Safe to say that this was serving main character energy, with a dose of Gallic nonchalance: “is just my nature, Cherie”. Magnifique!
Lynne and her colleagues had done a fantastic job throughout our time at The Fox and Goose Inn; check-backs had been carried out at each course, and enquiries made as to whether we needed more drinks etc. Hot Wings happily given here again. As well as Friday’s Italian Night, the Fox and Goose offers 2 Pies for £29 on Thursdays, and Steak Night Saturdays serve up 2X 10oz Rump Steaks for £35, with the option to add on a bottle of House Wine for £14 - meal for two for £49? Yes please! Sunday Lunch is from £18.95, with the Roasts served with all the trimmings.
To book a table call 01246 566335, or visit www.thefoxandgooseinn.com and hit the ‘book a table’ tab. The Fox and Goose is closed Mon-Weds, open Thurs Noon-10pm, Fri & Sat Noon-11pm, and Sunday Noon-7pm.
