It’s had a £100,000 makeover - and it shows at the Four Sons at Fixby.
Formerly the Clough House, the pub had been sitting closed for a year before being bought by Rick and Maggie Starkey last August for £300,000.
That’s a significant investment - but if there was any worry over its success, there needn’t have been, for the pub was stuffed to the rafters on the Thursday night we visited for a meal.
After skimming the menu, two of us settled on deep fried breaded mozzarella with chargrilled tomato chutney; my second guest had barbecue spare ribs with chives dip, and my third guest had pate de Champagne with brandy, red wine, garlic and herbs on warm toast.
The mozzarella came with a delightful red onion, tomato, rocket and cucumber chutney which was fresh and tasty. The mozzarella was nicely melted and not too oily.
The spare ribs were tasty; the meat fell off the bone and the sauce was just the right blend of tangy and sweet.
The pate de champagne could have done with a bit more bread, and was slightly crusty on the outside and tender inside.
Choosing our mains was a bit more difficult as a couple of things weren’t available - there was no steak and ale pie or sirloin steak, so two of the party settled for other options.
One member of the party had an 8oz ribeye steak with chips, onion rings, mushrooms and a grilled tomato which he said was delicious and cooked to perfection.
Another guest described her chicken Caesar salad as tasty, with tender chicken and flavoursome sauce.
Another guest had charred chicken breast with onion rings, mushrooms and a grilled tomato which he said was enjoyable, however the chicken could have been a bit more charred.
And the final guest chose wild mushroom risotto, with Yorkshire blue cheese and topped with rocket salad. The cheese was very strong and there were plenty of mushrooms in the risotto, which didn’t come with the rocket promised on the menu, and when asked the waitress said it didn’t come with the meal.
The huge portion was flavoursome and packed quite a punch, so could have done with the rocket to provide a bit of variety.
If your eyes are bigger than your stomach you’ll be glad to know you can order smaller portion sizes of everything on the starter and main menus, so you’ll still have room for pudding!
For our dessert course three of us chose the chocolate pudding with either cream or ice cream - this was chocolate cake, perfectly respectable but nothing fancy.
The fourth guest went for strawberry cheesecake and cream and said it was very tasty, light and sweet with just the right amount of fruit.
A lot of love and care has obviously gone into the refurbishment - the pub looks very smart, the decor is nice and it has definitely earned its five star food hygiene rating.
There are a great selection of beer and wines on offer too, with up to six real ales on tap at the bar.
I was surprised at how busy it was for a Thursday evening - and not everybody was eating, there were plenty of people enjoying a pint after work so it wasn’t just the food that was enticing the customers.
The service was very warm, welcoming, accommodating and friendly and the bustling pub had a great atmosphere, full of people enjoying a drink together - but it didn’t have that feeling you sometimes get when you go somewhere new, that all the regulars are having a good look and wondering who you are!
The food was a good standard pub meal and not a bad price for four of us including drinks.
So if you’re after pub grub at a reasonable price, in a lovely atmosphere, you won’t be disappointed at the Four Sons.
129 Clough Ln, Huddersfield, Brighouse
Phone: 01484 308904
Opening hours: noon to midnight. Food served weekdays 12pm-2.30pm and 5pm-8pm, Saturday all day until 8.30pm and Sunday noon-1pm; 3pm-3.30pm and 5pm-5.30pm.
Children: Welcome with children’s menu available.
Disabled access: Yes - and if you book in advance the pub will try to fit you on a table nearest the access door
The bill: £108.45 for four people including drinks
Would you go back? Yes
