ACROSS Wirral, there is a range of fantastic pubs, and we felt they needed to be given the spotlight.
In today's Pub of the Week feature, Chris tells us about the Fox and Hounds in Barnston.
If you would like your pub to feature as Pub of the Week, email tabitha.wilson@newsquest.co.uk
What’s your full name?
Chris Sweeney
What’s the name of the pub?
The Fox & Hounds
What’s the address?
107 Barnston Road, Barnston Village, Heswall, CH61 1BW
Are you the owner/manager?
I am the manager of the business, it’s a small family-run group with four sites on the Wirral and a few more in Wales called Stange & Co.
When did you open the pub?
Its been a pub for over 400 years, I have only been here for 3.
Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?
I grew up in East London, and I have managed pubs, restaurants, and hotels all my life.
Tell me a bit about your pub
It's a wonderful old pub with a huge amount of character and charm.
Authentic restored bar areas, a hidden courtyard garden, and a very light and bright conservatory area.
Do you do food? If so, what is your most popular dish
We have a very good food trade and a strong, long-standing kitchen team, with some of them being here for 15 years plus.
Best sellers on the menu would be the steak and ale pie or fish and chips, although we do have a really nice menu with a mixture of pub favourites and seasonal dishes.
Why did you decide to open your pub?
I have always been keen on pubs and just naturally progressed to managing many of them over the years.
The Fox has been a pub for hundreds of years, and it is without a doubt the friendliest pub I have ever worked in.
What’s your business background?
I worked in pubs while at university and then went straight into opening up pubs and restaurants for Bass Taverns at the time (not a great use of my electrical engineering qualification).
Overall I spent 12 years with Mitchells and Butlers down south, running and opening many different businesses, then another 11 years with Marston’s up this way, managing, opening, and overseeing multiple sites.
What makes your pub different from others in the same area/field? What sets your pub apart from your competitors?
The Fox and Hounds is the epitome of why I got hooked on hospitality in the first place; it’s a great building with bags of history and character that just can’t be replicated.
We focus on authentic, honest food and drink, quality produce served in quality surroundings, hopefully making memories for our guests, and always taking pride in what we do.
Our food is amazing and evenly matched by the service we strive to deliver; we have an extensive wine list and a beer lineup to keep everyone interested, including 5 hand-pulled cask ales.
Why do loyal customers return to your pub?
I hope customers return because they feel genuinely welcome and valued, not just another booking or another pint to pour.
We try to create something special here; many people all over the world try to recreate the traditional British pub, and most fail, but I believe we have the essence of it here, and to be able to top it off with great food and first-class service is a pleasure.
What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your pub?
Over the summer, we have planned live acoustic music sessions every Saturday afternoon between 3 pm and 7 pm in our courtyard garden.
It's been something we have been slowly building over the last few years, and this year we are adding on extra acts and will have a pop-up bar to help the afternoons along.
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