The Walton Fox

The Walton Fox is located in Bamber Bridge next to the Premier Inn Preston South-​Craven Drive and directly opposite the Premier Inn Preston South-​Cuerden Way however if staying at these hotels and you have a car I would recommend venturing further field if looking for dining options. The Walton Fox is the worse of the on site pubs so if you are looking for a quick drink I would go across the road-​ironically that pub is a 2 for £ 10 pub whereas The Walton Fox is part of the Vintage Inn’s brand-​Mitchell & Butler’s Traditional British country pub brand-​so should be the better of the 2 options!
The reason for this is mainly due to the fact that, in my opinion, the food served at The Walton Fox is consistently of poor quality and is well over priced.
The food appears to be frozen/​microwaved and the waiting staff also seem uninterested and not trained to the expected standard.
It’s a shame as the actual pub atmosphere is quite cosy with real log fires offering warmth in the winter months. The bar staff are more friendly but even for drinks only the pub is let down by poorly conditioned real ales-​the drinks are also expensive for this type of location.
There is a beer garden which is actually a lovely location for sitting out in the summer months with a beer-​the beer garden is only a few hundred feet away from a major roundabout and motorway junction however it is bizarrely relaxing sat outside enjoying a cold beer.
That is about the only time that I would consider joining friends, family or colleagues and certainly not for food-​perhaps a quick drink as an exception if chosen by others as a starting point.
On my last visit the immediate seating area around the bar was busy so I chose a table in the near-​empty restaurant-​it was about 5 pm on a Friday afternoon. Note that the tables were not particularly laid out very formally-​just cutlery in a pot and table mats-​and there were no reservation signs. A waitress approached me to take my order and I advised that I was just in for a drink-​and I had already purchased this from the bar-​she promptly requested me to leave the table and take a seat in the bar area!
There are no signs advising that the area is for dining only-​I suggest these are put out if this is the case.
Based on my already dim view of the establishment this has put me off even further-​the opposite pub offers a better option for a quick drink.
I haven’t been to another Vintage Inn’s location for over a year but I usually find them good for casual dining and quiet drinks and the Mitchell & Butler’s portfolio usually offers a diverse range of eating and drinking options so I hope the management and corporate take note and look to make improvements!
The pub has potential to be a good pub restaurant and I am sure more local people would come if things improved increasing weekend and holiday trade when the hotels are usually quieter with business travellers who automatically just rock up due to the proximity of the pub to the hotels and the fact a lot will be in expenses.
In the meantime there are much better eating and drinking options in the area.

Nice open log fires winter time. Food has always been good and consistent. Sometimes a bit slow when its busy but who isn’t. Fish and chips; the fish is massive!

Another favorite of ours. Cute looking pub from the outside and inside. Staff are friendly. Good choice of food and drinks. Usually has a few real fires going in Winter making is very cosy. Nice outside areas if a little noisy because of the road. Prices are a little higher than some but it is getting nearer Preston and can command a slight premium. Worth a try for a family meal.