Whelan’s & Star plough £1.35m into 6th site
The Fox is Whelan’s sixth pub with Star and the ninth site in Whelan’s portfolio.
The revamp of the pub is the largest joint investment Star has ever made outside of central London and will create 20 new jobs. The landmark site – which was featured in the film Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban – has been closed since 2018.
The project has transformed the Fox into a premium local offering quality food, drinks and live sports. The revamped pub features a traditional bar for drinks and socialising, a spacious dining area. There’s also a large lounge that converts into a private function room – complete with its own bar – accommodating up to 120 people.
Whelan’s director Austin Whelan said: “We always like to invest in new sites. Pubs have to move with the times to succeed. Despite the tough economic climate, we remain positive about the future.
“Our experience is that people still want a more premium offer and are prepared to pay for it. Palmers Green has excellent demographics and is crying out for a quality local."
Exciting partnership
Whelan said the pubco was happy to be expanding with Star, who were “fair and deliver the support we want”. He said the firm always opted for tied leases as saw the benefits.
The pub dates back to 1904 and has a distinctive turret and exterior plaster relief decorations. The interior redesign retains the Fox’s high ceilings and wood floors, and incorporates Edwardian-style tiling, heritage colours, feature lighting and leather-covered banquette seating.
Star operations director Tim Galligan said the project was a massive investment with “clearly visible” results.
Fresh menu
He continued: “The Fox looks breath-taking and offers lots of reasons for people to visit.
“Whelan’s has a strong track record of running superb locals. It is the ideal partner for such a major development. Palmers Green is densely populated and has a shortage of premium pubs. The Fox will be an exceptional local that fills a gap in the market.”
A new kitchen is preparing for a menu of home-cooked food. This will include pub classics like fish & chips, sausages & mash and Sunday roasts.
A premium drinks selection, ranging from craft and cask beers to coffee, is also on offer.
The Fox is also kitted out with an AV system showing BT and Sky Sports. Major matches and tournaments will be shown on a wall of nine screens in the function room.
