'New' pub opens and aims to be at the heart of the community

The Fox & Tree in Dalton-le-Dale is now trading in premises which used to be The Times Inn, a bar which closed in 2019, despite a grassroots campaign by locals to take on the running of the historic pub.

Although that initiative didn’t succeed, the refurbished venue now is open again after Ian Foxton and Paul Rowntree – hence the name - took it over.

Ian, from Sunderland, had worked in the pub trade for 22 years and had long hoped to open his own business.

Paul, from Durham, who will manage the venue’s food, has a culinary career history that has taken him around the world, including restaurants in London’s Bond Street and Knightsbridge, Michelin star venues, cruise ships and cooking for world leaders at the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa.

He has also held consultant chef roles for M&S, Asda and Manchester City FC.

Ian said: “We’re really excited to be in a position where we can welcome customers to the Fox & Tree.

"After so long in the pub trade working for large organisations, it feels fantastic to be independent and working for ourselves to create something really valuable for the local community.

“The Fox & Tree will be a friendly local, with fantastic food and open fires, plus live music and quiz nights to come.

“We know that the area is popular for dog walkers, so dogs will be very welcome too. In fact, we’ll have a special snug for dog walkers and their pets to relax in after their walks.”

The pair were supported by NatWest bank, which helped them to secure a business grant to get things up and running.

Natwest local enterprise manger Nicola Kilkenny said: “It’s been fantastic to be able to support Ian and Paul to turn their vision into reality and even better to know that in doing so, we’re supporting the local economy and reinstating a venue that was really valued by the community.”