Rutland Restaurants: The Fox, North Luffenham
Celebrating 10 years of hospitality, Jason Allen’s community pub restaurant offers quality dining, value for money and a warm welcome… support your local this summer, by enjoying drinking and dining in the sunshine, supporting Rutland and Stamford’s independent businesses!
Ten years ago, publican and champion of Rutland tourism Jason Allen reopened his North Luffenham pub restaurant, The Fox, and above the bar is the promise that there are ‘no strangers in the place, only friends you haven’t met.’
400 pubs called last orders and closed their doors in 2024, bringing the number of operational British pubs below 40,000 for the first time since records were kept. Happily, some are performing very well and helping to challenge preconceptions about the state of the industry.
The Fox is just such a pub, but it isn’t happening by accident: “Sometimes running a pub seems like the hardest job in the world,” says Jason. “But happily, there are a far greater number of days when you realise that it’s a really enjoyable profession too.”
“We’ve a superb team, we’re in a lovely village and we’ve very loyal regular customers who ensure we’ve both restaurant diners and a good wet trade too. To remain successful we need to look after both markets, and to make sure that our guests have a great visit every time and leave feeling like the pub is their pub.”
Today’s pub restaurant diners no longer accept that restaurant dining has the edge over pub food. As customers our expectations have been elevated to demand first class dishes from every local village pub.
Happily, Jason has worked alongside Richard Page, for a decade and a half, and along with another equally well-valued, long-standing member of the team Kay Lambert at front of house.
The team provides dining out during both lunchtime and evening service, via a single menu which comprises six starters, seven pub classics, four specials, and six dessert options, all freshly prepared in house with blackboards providing a couple of additional ad hoc specials based on supplier recommendations and the availability of really special ingredients.
“The idea was never to be a gastropub,” says Jason, “In fact the term is less relevant than ever these days. Instead, we want to provide satisfying home-cooked food with dishes priced as competitively as their quality allows, and using local ingredients and suppliers where possible.”
Butchery is supplied by Owen Taylor, established for well over a century and specialising in supplying beef, pork and lamb from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Fish is delivered each day, as is fruit and veg, although as Pride goes to press the team are eagerly awaiting the first crop of Manton strawberries and a fresh crop of asparagus from The Fox’s kitchen garden.
Equally local are a number of the ales and spirits pulled behind the bar. Two permanent ales are Oakham Ales’ JHB and Grainstore’s Cunning Fox, the latter exclusive to the pub. There are always two guest ale pumps too, from 14 local microbreweries.
Dishes feature a key ingredient which is allowed to shine, without fussiness or competing elements, portions are generous – too generous according to some diners. Presentation is clean and stylish, and the team is happy to accommodate food allergens and accommodate those with meat-free or vegan diets.
Naturally you’ll expect a country pub to have that cosy feel, and all year round there’s something to delight at The Fox. In the cooler months there’s a couple of wood burning stoves, chunky beams and wing chairs in which to get comfortable.
By summer, however, the outdoor terrace is a delight with lots of lovely hanging baskets brimming with fuchsias and chunky outdoor tables with parasols for a welcome bit of shade.
The restaurant itself is very pretty, with chunky oak furniture, Lloyd Loom chairs and low ceilings. As well as the restaurant, locals can also avail themselves of The Den, which is an unofficial village hall for residents of North Luffenham and home to community groups such as Rutland Musical Theatre.
Also in the summer months, live music on selected Sundays is provided by Uppingham Soul and Jazz bands and similarly well-regarded artists.
Whilst Jason, as a publican, is understandably keen to send a message to support The Fox and every other village pub, it’s also important to him in respect of his work with Discover Rutland. The official destination management organisation for the county was established 15 years ago, with Jason serving as its chairperson for the last five years.
With over 140 members across Rutland’s retail, café, pub, restaurant and tourism sectors, the group’s collaboration allows businesses to nurture the £170m benefit that tourism has to Rutland, encouraging 1.51m visitors to the area each year, and support 1,600 full time-equivalent jobs. It’s vital, Jason says, that as a county we remain proactive about encouraging people to enjoy Rutland, including those businesses providing food and drink to locals and to those from outside the area.
Meanwhile, as Jason approaches his 10 years at The Fox, he’s already planning a summer of celebrations to mark the milestone. Having left a career in retail to refurbish and manage The King’s Arm at Wing in 2003, and the Horse & Jockey a few years later, he’s come to realise how a well-run pub can benefit the community and the visitor economy.
“Ten years ago we recognised that the village deserved a really good pub. We closed The Fox for the best part of a year and completed a back-to-brick refurbishment that saw us completely reimagining the place, with an insistence that the place and its food and drink offering would result in a pub restaurant for locals and visitors offering good food and good value. Ten years on we stand by that, and the fact that we’re still thriving, we believe, validates that philosophy.”
The Fox, Pinfold Lane, North Luffenham Oakham, LE15 8LE. Call 01780 720991 or see www.thefoxrutland.co.uk. Enjoy our full feature on The Fox in our July edition at https://issuu.com/pridemagazines/docs/rutland_pride_july_2025