Fox and Hounds, Westerhamback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
AVOID THIS PUB UNTIL IT CHANGES HANDS.
I wish that I had read these comments before going to this pub today for lunch.
My mother, who is visiting from France, booked a table for a joint birthday lunch for my sister and me. As my other sister had to go back to Manchester and my daughter to Bristol after lunch, she booked the 6 of us in for the 12.30 'sitting'. I won't usually go anywhere that has 'sittings' but she and my sister had fond memories of the place, it's halfway between hers and mine, and we could all go for a walk on Toys Hill in the morning - so I said nothing, which I now much regret.
Although the food was good and the waiting staff friendly, we were treated to the rudest and most aggressive display of foul manners from Tony Hickmott that I have ever experienced. It included not bringing the main course for my sister with the rest and then, after she had cancelled her order, bringing it 20 minutes later and when she rejected it, Mr Hickmott came and slammed it down in front of here and said - 'it's been cooked and you'll pay for it whether you eat it or not.' Then he harangued me about it for several minutes including complaining that we had been late (I had arrived on time at 12.30 with my daughter and they couldn't find our table as they had recorded our name wrongly).
Later, when - after paying the bill for �130, my mother ( who is in her late 70s) told him that she was disappointed with his behaviour which had spoiled our enjoyment of the occasion, he grabbed her and told her to go back to France. I didn't call the police because I just wanted to get out of there and away from such an unpleasant experience as fast as possible.
My view is that this man's aggression and rudeness are out of control and I do not consider him a suitable person to hold a licence. I certainly recommend that you do not go there until it changes hands.
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The Fox and Hounds could be a really good pub. It's in a beautiful area, the staff are generally friendly, the pub inside and outside looks good. But this is all spoilt by the rudest most aggressive landlord I have ever come across!
Judging by the lack of customers in the garden on a warm Sunday lunch time and the lack of reasonably priced food, the cheapest dish is a ploughmans at �7.95, walkers and families are not welcome!
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There is nothing sadder in life than a shattered memory. This was once one of the truly great pubs in the area. good atmosphere, good beer and a bar full of friendly locals. It was a joy to spend time there. My, how it has fallen from grace. Don't get me wrong, things move on and nothing can stay the same, but to destroy such a well liked venue so thoroughly is quite an achievement.
I shall not go into specifics, but on first entrance i thought the changes were sympathetic to the old pub and the original layout. fair enough, the dining area makes good commercial sense, and so actually was a change for the better as food was not really avaialble in the old days. A freindly barmaid took our drinks order and asked if we would like to see the menu. tick the box there then.
sat down, and watched the staff go about their business, and was asked if we would like another drink. tick a second box. The menu seemd a bit pricy, but the vibes were good, so it could have been worth the money.
It then went all down hill when the owning family including rude son appeared on the scene. I don't think i have ever come across three people who could be more ill suited to dealing with their potential customers, the public. Or be less appreciative of their staff's efforts. Was horrific. am pretty thick skinned and been to many parts of the world to encounter and deal with all sorts, but the tone and language of the owners even made me feel uncomfortable. Needless to say, we drank up very quickly and left for the White Hart down the road, which at least tries to do a good job.
What a shame about the fox and Hounds near Toys Hill. never going back there until i hear that the place has changed hands for the better.
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I wish the rating could be higher, as the setting was marvellous, the beer (I tried the Morlands Bitter - 4 out of 5), and the food that 5 or 6 of us had ordered looked excellent. But we never got a chance to have a second pint, and only one of us managed to eat. It was a bit strange from when we first arrived, just after 12.00, to be greeted with a demand that we provide change as walkers always turn up with 20 pound notes and they'd have no change by 12.30. Then we had to order all the food on a tab, and he'd provide an itemised bill and calculator at the end so we could work out who owed what. OK not unreasonable, but then we had to sit all on one table, which he proceeded to organise (5 of us did, 3 wished to sit out in the garden). Since one order was for the outside, he was a bit put out ..... the food was served, I was ordering a second round of drinks when there was some heated confrontation outside. Apparently one of our number had unwisely bit into hgos own sandwich, with the coffee he had bought. This seemed to trigger an excess of anger, and he was still fuming to us as he came back inside. This was over the top, and when one of our group commented to him a further tirade was let rip ..... and we were told to first shut up, and then get out. Walkers weren't welcome, and no we couldn't eat our just served food etc. We were just to go, and piss off. His wife then came out and tried to insist that we still had to pay for the food - a contract had been made. She did not seem to appreciate that we had already been told to go, and no payment would be taken. She tried to block us from leaving, did not want to be touched (!), and would call the police.
All in all it seems Tony Hickmott has licked the customer problem in a unique way. Down in the village they told us that he and his wife had had the pub for 5 years, and noone local goes there anymore. We could see why!
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Called in after "Singles Night" at the local tip.
First pint of Guinness Red. A pleasant interlude and a most welcome pint.
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This pub has two entries on this website. These comments should be listed under the entry for 'Fox and Hounds' at Biggin Hill, as that's what these comments refer to. You can see the picture of the pub too, just to be sure.
It is full of 'well 'ard geezers' 'though. Not my choice of venue for a good evening out, although they do have bar billiards, so that's something at least.
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Food reasonably priced served quickly. Beers well kept and various.
Sadly, rather smoky and somewhat over endowed with "well'ard geezers" shouting and swearing! Nevertheless nice to visit in summer, to sit outside and watch the world go by.
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Very characterful, and notable for the fact my (ex) husband revealed his infidelity to me in a corner alcove. Luckily, the beer was to good to cry into, and the big bowl of hot chips the landlady brought over (seeing my distress) were wonderfully thick and crunchy - homemade tomato sauce too. Unfortunately, I have never returned, as I divorced ex-husband, took him for a fortune, remarried and emigrated to Australia. Next time I am in the UK, I will return with new husband to same alcove, and grill him. Hopefully, there will be no need for the wonderful chips.
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