Where can you find Yorkshire pudding, a Tardis, a pint of London Pride, the Queen and a couple of corgis?
If you said Mt Tamborine, you’d be right.
The Fox and Hounds Country Inn is a British pub that was dismantled bit-by-bit from Tunbridge Wells, and rebuilt bit-by-bit in the Gold Coast Hinterland.
It’s not a british-theme pub; it’s a right old British pub.
But does it hold a candle to The Three-Legged Mare, or The Bull and Spectacles back in Blighty?
Let’s find out.
If you said Mt Tamborine, you’d be right.
The Fox and Hounds Country Inn is a British pub that was dismantled bit-by-bit from Tunbridge Wells, and rebuilt bit-by-bit in the Gold Coast Hinterland.
It’s not a british-theme pub; it’s a right old British pub.
But does it hold a candle to The Three-Legged Mare, or The Bull and Spectacles back in Blighty?
Let’s find out.
Our recent Mount Tamborine weekend away turned out to be a bit of a wet affair, with rainy day after rainy day upon us. This was just the right weather though to visit an old British pub, because really, that is the number one thing to do on a rainy day no matter where you are in the world.
As the only pub to have been transported to Australia from the UK, our excited expectations for kitsch Britishness were high.
And they were met.
When we drove into the carpark and saw a red phone booth, Tardis and mini red London bus, we knew we were at the right place.
Inside, we were greeted by the Queen herself sitting under a portrait of Henry VIII, while a couple of crown-wearing inanimate corgis kept ankle-high guard at the door.
A Dalek, Tardis or Cyberman aren’t usual fixtures at the Fox and Hounds, but they were around for a Dr Who Murder Mystery event on that month. Sadly we had missed the Morris Dancers that were also hanging around at the start of October.
As the only pub to have been transported to Australia from the UK, our excited expectations for kitsch Britishness were high.
And they were met.
When we drove into the carpark and saw a red phone booth, Tardis and mini red London bus, we knew we were at the right place.
Inside, we were greeted by the Queen herself sitting under a portrait of Henry VIII, while a couple of crown-wearing inanimate corgis kept ankle-high guard at the door.
A Dalek, Tardis or Cyberman aren’t usual fixtures at the Fox and Hounds, but they were around for a Dr Who Murder Mystery event on that month. Sadly we had missed the Morris Dancers that were also hanging around at the start of October.
As awesome as the atmosphere at the Fox and Hounds is, the big test of a British pub is the quality of its Toad in the Hole. For anyone unsure, this is a national staple of a sausage poking out of a tray of batter. How can this not be delicious? The restaurant does describe this dish better than I do: Lincolnshire sausage in Yorkshire pudding with gravy, mash, onions and peas.
This meal was every bit as satisfying as you could imagine it to be, and right on-par with every other toad in the hole we’ve had back in the UK. The Yorkshire pudding had a nice crisp edge to it, and the gravy was ridiculously moreish.
We also ordered the Lambs Fry with seasoned liver with bacon served with onion gravy on creamy mash. It’s rare to find offal on the menu, so I was impressed to discover it here. The meat itself was rich and tasty with some lovely herby tastes throughout. Again, this was such a satisfying dish on a rainy day.
Other menu options included a Classic Fox and Hounds Pie, Lancashire Vegetable Hotpot, or a Giant Yorkie (a roast meal complete with Yorkshire pudding).
A solid range of British ales are available on tap to wash everything down, including Old Speckled Hen and London Pride.
From the dessert menu, we opted for a sticky date pudding, which came out swimming in caramel sauce. It was such a sweet and satisfying way to end a meal, while watching our own version of the Changing of the Guard.
This meal was every bit as satisfying as you could imagine it to be, and right on-par with every other toad in the hole we’ve had back in the UK. The Yorkshire pudding had a nice crisp edge to it, and the gravy was ridiculously moreish.
We also ordered the Lambs Fry with seasoned liver with bacon served with onion gravy on creamy mash. It’s rare to find offal on the menu, so I was impressed to discover it here. The meat itself was rich and tasty with some lovely herby tastes throughout. Again, this was such a satisfying dish on a rainy day.
Other menu options included a Classic Fox and Hounds Pie, Lancashire Vegetable Hotpot, or a Giant Yorkie (a roast meal complete with Yorkshire pudding).
A solid range of British ales are available on tap to wash everything down, including Old Speckled Hen and London Pride.
From the dessert menu, we opted for a sticky date pudding, which came out swimming in caramel sauce. It was such a sweet and satisfying way to end a meal, while watching our own version of the Changing of the Guard.
As a little piece of England in the Gold Coast Hinterland, The Fox and Hounds is the real deal (with a few added extras to keep things interesting).
The sense of nostalgia is strong here, and if you close your eyes and ignore the intermittent piercing squawks of the cockatoos outside, you genuinely could be on the outskirts of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
You can even end your meal with a nice cup of tea.
The sense of nostalgia is strong here, and if you close your eyes and ignore the intermittent piercing squawks of the cockatoos outside, you genuinely could be on the outskirts of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
You can even end your meal with a nice cup of tea.