Tucked away in the stylish, yet serene, picturesque village of Ripponden (Yorkshire), is the Fox Bar & Bistro. Locals to Yorkshire may well of seen pictures of the picnic bench themed afternoon teas adorning their Instagram feeds, as it certainly seems to be a popular afternoon tea choice at the moment, and with good reason.
I’m not sure why, but I expected a super old fashioned venue after seeing pictures of the afternoon tea online, but that couldn’t be further from reality. A trendy, spacious and airy pub / bar / restaurant with a superb atmosphere is what you’re greeted by, with rows of the latest gin decorating the space. There’s even an upstairs dining area too, but for all the space the place offers, I’d still highly recommend booking, as it seems to fill up fast.
Afternoon tea will set you back £19.95 per person, but my goodness you will certainly get your fill of food for that price – I challenge you not to come home with leftovers. I’ve said it before on my blog, but I think it’s difficult to offer something unique with afternoon tea at the moment, as it’s a big thing and so to stand out within that market is an achievement in itself – The Fox really does succeed at that. Forget your traditional finger sandwiches, here you’re served with mini soup pots; mini (not quite mini, mind!) lamb burgers; crispy haddock and chips (literally like real chip shop fish – and the chips are incredible); mini corn on the cob, with lashings of butter; and a watermelon and feta salad – a clever combination that also works very well as a palette cleanser.
Sweet treats include fruit scones with strawberry chantilly (you have to have scones, right?); caramel shortbread (the most rich and gooey one I’ve ever tried); a humongous whack of Victoria sponge cake; mini watermelon milk bottle drinks (pleasant, but could have been colder); creme brûlée (incredible); and brandy snap baskets filled with cream and blueberries (THE. BEST.); OH and… and!!! home-made ginger snap biscuits. Very Yorkshire, very fun, and very filling. However, I do believe this can change seasonally, and as I paid a visit on the cusp of a season change, maybe check out the menu before you go.
All in all a fab, quirky, memorable afternoon tea that was thoroughly enjoyed by all. My only disappointment was the hot chocolate I ordered afterwards that, once you got past the cream and marshmallows, pretty much tasted like your standard machine offering; however that can be forgiven thanks to the pure chocoholic joy the caramel shortbread gave me…
The Fox Bar & Bistro: 46 Oldham Road, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, Sowerby Bridge HX6 4DP. Phone: 01422 825880
This looks incredible and everything is so HUGE!). It’s nice to come away from the traditional afternoon tea offerings. I think we are planning a trip to Yorkshire soon, so I’ll be sure to visit! Thank you for sharing xx
Let me know what you think! xx