THE beers are in, the signs are up, and by the time you read this the varnish will hopefully be dry. Suddenly, all the fears and anxieties of last autumn seem almost ludicrous.

The Fox in Holgate reopened yesterday after a £300,000 makeover and extension; the most spectacular suburban pub investment in York in years and a delightful surprise for local residents.

Less than nine months ago there was talk of a community buy-out here, amid fears for the pub’s future. Now though, Ossett Brewery have struck a deal with the building’s owners, Punch Taverns, and overseen the sort of investment that previous tenants Stu and Lyndsay Weston deserved but could only dream of.

Jamie Lawson, managing director of Ossett is clearly enthusiastic about the site, and is confident of replicating the success of The Hop, which became the firm’s first pub in York when it opened in Fossgate last October.

“We love old buildings and we love putting them back to how they used to be,” he says. “Anything original, such as fireplaces, has been restored.

“One of the nicest things about this pub is that it has been left intact. It functions as a pub in the same way as it did when it first opened.”

The Fox dates back to 1878 and is a relative rarity in York: a purpose-built Victorian pub. For many years its core customer-base came from the nearby Carriageworks and that history is reflected in the restored building, with several striking photographs on the hallway walls, depicting life on the factory floor.

Each room has a loose theme, says Jamie. The bar room has a collection of prints of foxes. The larger room to the left showcases historic pictures of Holgate and also art relating to Dick Turpin.

The smaller room behind the bar has a travel theme, with vintage rail posters and even overhead hanging rails, replicating the feel of a train carriage. And the room behind that one has a railway theme, with pieces of memorabilia scattered around.

A new room entirely has been created in the old kitchen, as the pub will no longer serve food. Staff have dubbed the new space the “Robin Suite”, as the first workmen on site found a robin had built its nest in the old sink.

A new covered smoking area has also been built and the garden re-turfed and re-furnished. It looks tremendous, although the loss of the play-park may disappoint those with young children.

Giles Seddon will be managing the pub, having been deputy at The Hop for the past few months, and he is looking forward to bringing a wide beer range to Holgate.

There will be nine cask ales on handpull, inevitably including Ossett’s own beers but also featuring deserving micro-breweries from Yorkshire and beyond. Alongside those, there will also be a fine selection of craft bottled beers from around the world and the bar itself is a joy to behold, the back furnishings having been meticulously restored.

From today onwards, the pub will be open from noon each day, closing at 11.30pm on Sundays to Wednesdays, midnight on Thursdays and 12.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.


Festival

The fourth Stillingfleet Beer and Music Festival takes place in the village institute next Saturday, from noon until the barrels run dry.

There will be 12 to 15 Yorkshire ales, a Yorkshire cider and four other ciders and perries. There will also be wine, soft drinks, pork pies and sandwiches, as well as live music all afternoon, a doodling competition and a cake raffle.

The No. 42 Arriva bus from York to Selby stops right outside the venue. Entry is a fiver, which includes a souvenir glass, programme and first drink. Proceeds will help improve the village institute facilities.

Twitter: @pintsofview