The Fox and Raven, Chelmsford - pub details
Address: Barnes Mill Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6NL [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 34716) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Chelmsford (1.4 miles)
Chain: Vintage Inns
by chris
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> Current user rating: 1.8/10 (rated by 4 users)
other pubs nearby:
Barnes Farm, Chelmer Village (0.0 miles), Thomas Mildmay, Chelmsford (0.7 miles), Red Lion, Chelmsford (0.7 miles), Alma, Chelmsford (0.7 miles), Oddfellows Arms, Chelmsford (0.7 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Fox and Raven, Chelmsford
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
| I'm afraid that while the pub itself is full of character and in a nice location with good outside dining areas this is not a destination for lovers of real ale. The landlord seems to think that every guest beer he puts on should be dispensed through a small diameter sparkler to produce a pint of Boddingtons. Not my idea of enjoying a pint. This pubs badly needs a landlord who understands something about real ale and how to serve it. A real disappointment as it used to be so much better. We still go there sometimes in the nice weather as we can cycle there with the kids but I only ever drink lager there nowadays. Says it all really. Beer4Daddy - 2 Jun 2013 10:22 |
| A lovely sunny day, with my wife, daughter and grand-daughter, looking forward to relaxing and pleasant lunch at The Fox and Raven. It was not too busy, but there were plenty of customers enjoying the weather. My grand-daughter's children's steak, despite being asked how it should be cooked, came out like shoe leather. We ordered a replacement sausage dish thinking it would come out quicker. It didn't!. My daughter and I had the burger which was really overdone, but my daughter did not want to send it back. My wife would not comment on her meal as she was already embarrassed by this time. For me, I would have sent it all back. Waitress and Assistant Managers comment were that the children's steak had to be well done, and burgers had to be well done. Well, I think that I was well done!! On settling up, I told the Assistant Manager what I would and would not pay for. This was done, and without any apology, we left. NEVER TO RETURN! but then I don't think they care anyway. Recommendation: Find somewhere else, but regrettably in Chelmsford, there are few establishments you can really depend on for consistency and value. gfinlay - 6 May 2011 15:45 |
| An offering from the Vintage Inns chain. On first impressions all is well with this charming looking pub, a pleasant and spacious car park, a large garden overlooking Watermeadows, a charming period farmhouse building, everything in the garden seems peachy right up until the point you reach the bar and are pulled up with the kind of jolt to the nervous system which normally only occurs when you slam your tallywhacker in the car door. You have definitely entered pub-chain hell; from the overpretentious descriptions of the re-heated cardboard food, the crappy plonk being promoted with crass faux-wine buff jargon, the restricted beer selection, the permanently marked chalk boards full of "specials". Welcome 21st century England, the big corporations have our balls in a vice and we are not even yelling. Ale is run through the chiller, swanneck and sparkler which makes you feel as if you are drinking a pint in Yorkshire, not Essex (hint; the beer in this county is usually served a cellar temperature and should be only mildly effervescent). The place is always packed out and service is consequently slow. The service is also identikit corporate British with name badges and set greeting phrases. Soft drinks can only be ordered by the brand name, don't think of mistaking a Coke for a Pepsi or a Britvik for a J2O, this will provoke the staff into the kind of psycotic pedantry usually only exhibited by Courtroom lawyers. The food is asembled in a factory, blast frozen, lorried over to the pub and re-heated and put on your plate. This is standard with most chain pubs. The result is much akin to chewing on a plate of pulped newspaper which has been liberally sprayed with salt. However, despite the above mauling I can manage to sqeueeze of a few points out for the Fox and Ravens. Firstly, The place is clean and tidy and pleasant looking inside and out. Secondly, The staff do work hard. Thirdly, (and this is really a negative positive) there just ain't that many better places in Chelmsford. 3/10 Jay28 - 26 Aug 2008 16:09 |
| reasonably priced beers and plenty of space to sit, chat, drink etc. average food though which is a shame. those chips.... I always think to myself "STOP RE-HEATING THEM... It just makes them taste bad and in no way makes me think they're fresh" that's the annoying thing. with the meals you either get chips of mashed potato. chips are rank, and the mash is that powder stuff they mix with water... just make sure you have a bite to eat before going there (you'll save a few quid too) Harvor - 18 Aug 2008 16:10 |
