The story
Fox & Hounds, at 2 High Street in Hunsdon, serves modern British cooking near Harlow, and the Good Food Guide rated it Good in 2026. The pub-restaurant has been run by James and Bianca Rix since 2004, and it reads as a village local with a proper kitchen behind it.
James Rix trained with Gary Rhodes and Alastair Little and was head chef at Tom Conran's The Cow before opening here. The menu changes with the seasons and the best produce from local suppliers. Springtime dishes have included whole Cornish plaice with Jersey Royals and French duck breast with gratin dauphinois and green peppercorn sauce.
Steaks, whole fish, squid and scallops all go into a Josper charcoal oven, which works like an indoor barbecue. Sunday lunch centres on roast rib of dry-aged Hereford beef, served with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings. Lunch often runs on into the afternoon, so it suits a slow table.
The bar and lounge suit an unhurried meal, while the dining room is set up for candlelit dinners and private parties. In warmer weather there is a garden for drinkers, a terrace and a heated gazebo. The owners' pop-up shop sells coffee, pastries and deli produce, and the wine list leans towards France with organic bottles and wines by the glass.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
A ‘tip-top’ local asset since 2004, James and Bianca Rix’s relaxed, unstuffy pub a few miles from Ware combines its roles with great panache. The casual bar serves as a dedicated drinkers’ den (real ales but no food), while the restaurant is airy, spacious and lit by an ornate gold chandelier – although most plaudits are reserved for the ‘fabulous’ ever-attentive staff. Outside is a pretty garden for all seasons, and the kitchen is also noted for its calendar-driven approach. Contemporary, ingredients-led Anglo-European cooking is the style, with springtime menus delivering everything from whole Cornish plaice with Jersey Royals and salty fingers (aka ‘jellybeans’, a cousin of marsh samphire) to perfectly pink, crisp-skinned French duck breast with gratin dauphinois and green peppercorn sauce. To start, readers have praised the three-cheese and hazelnut soufflé with spinach, and a dish of sautéed rabbit livers with fairy-ring mushrooms, peas and wild garlic on toast. To finish, a 'beautiful' saffron-poached pear and an almond tart with crème fraîche have gone down a treat. Roast rib of dry-aged Hereford beef with Yorkshire pud and all the trimmings is the highlight on Sundays, when lunch meanders on until 5pm. The kindly priced wine list favours France, with a decent smattering of organic bottles and by-the-glass selections. Also check out the owners' pop-up shop, a handy spot for coffee, pastries and deli produce.
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