Oxfordshire operator opens three pubs in a year

Oxfordshire operator Stephen Williams has taken the lease for The Fox Inn, Boars Hill. 

By taking on the Star Pubs site, Williams brings his portfolio to three leased and tenanted pubs in 12 months.

He has been running The Fox Inn on a temporary basis since July 2024, but is undertaking a joint £254,000 refurbishment of the pub with Star Pubs, reopening the venue at the end of November. 

"The Fox Inn is a wonderful historic building with nooks and crannies that ooze coziness and character," says Williams. "This, combined with great views, made it a great opportunity for me. The joint investment with Star Pubs will allow me to maximise the potential of this destination food pub, which has gone from strength to strength in the time I have had it."

Burger background

Williams previously helped to establish the Brets Burger business in the south east. His move into pubs in 2024 has seen him take on a lease for The Plough in Witney and also open The Chequers in Weston-on-the-Green, near Bicester.

At The Fox Inn, the new interior will feature a new private dining area and a snug. The outside is being completely overhauled with a mix of new decking and turf. The decking and veranda are being joined together, making the most of the views, and a new pergola covering and timber balustrade fitted.

"I am delighted that Stephen has taken on the lease for The Fox Inn," says Matthew Stransom, Star Pubs business development manager. "Having run the pub on a temporary basis for over year he was able to have a good look under the bonnet and could see its potential. He’s done a great job building on the pub’s reputation for food and drink, which with the latest changes, can only grow further. His plans to enhance the pub’s exterior with a new outdoor kitchen and bar will take alfresco drinking and dining to a new level."

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