Guiding hand

The Fox at Lower Oddington in Gloucestershire was named Michelin's first pub of the year last month.

Mark Taylor talks to its owner about its winning credentials In an industry renowned for its inflated egos and publicity-seekers, Ian MacKenzie is refreshingly modest for a man who has more to shout about than most.

Indeed, even trying to get him to talk about the fact that his pub, the Fox Inn at Lower Oddington, Gloucestershire, was recently announced as Pub of the Year in Michelin's new Eating Out

In Pubs guide proved akin to getting an audience with the Michelin man himself.

"I am the world's shyest person, I never give interviews and I hate being photographed," says the elusive owner of this chocolate-box Cotswolds pub.

"I'm a very quiet, modest guy and I'm not at all promotionally-minded.

I like to be in the background."

MacKenzie's modesty extends to his achievements as a restaurateur, businessman and now award-winning pub owner, and the self-effacing Scot admits to being "quite staggered" by the recent award from Michelin.

"I've been in the business a very long time and had restaurants and hotels but I've never wanted to go right to the top.

I have very high standards and like to do things at a certain level but I've never aimed to get a Michelin star or anything like that ­ it's not part of my make-up."

When asked why he thought the pub had been handed the prestigious title, MacKenzie laughs.

"I told the Michelin guys that I go to pubs that I think are fantastic compared with mine."

He adds: "They say they visited the Fox many times and thought it was a lovely pub in a lovely village, and that people want to come to a pub like ours.

They said that when people come here the ambience is right, we have very friendly staff, the food and booze is at a very high level and backed up with good service.

They said the Fox was consistent on all those things.

"The regulars are chuffed to bits about the award.

One guy who lives five doors away said thank you, that's put the value of my property up'!"

MacKenzie took over the 16th-century Cotswold stone pub in August 2002 with his business partner Graham Williams.

Between them they have enormous experience in restaurants.

Williams is managing director of Terence Conran's Bibendum restaurant in London and he and MacKenzie were co-founders of the Slug and Lettuce chain.

MacKenzie also owned the popular Ladbroke Arms pub in Notting Hill, west London, until he sold it to Capital.

He's no stranger to the Cotswolds, having lived there since graduating from university in 1968.

"The Fox actually used to be my local and that's why I wanted to buy it.

I nearly bought it when it was on the market four years ago, but I was out-bid that time."

MacKenzie owns the freehold of the Fox and has started The 3D Pub Company ­ "the three dimensions are food, booze and rooms" ­ to operate the Fox and his other pub, the Swan at Southrop, also in Gloucestershire.

There are plans to buy a third pub nearby, although he is staying tight-lipped about the exact location.

"The Cotswolds is an extraordinary area and people drive from miles to come here.

If you're in Bristol, Birmingham or Oxford, you're quite likely to drive to the Cotswolds for a day out and then some people will head to one of the food pubs for lunch.

We just happen to attract that kind of person.

We have a very broad appeal: our customers are aged eight to 80, from grandchildren to grandparents ­ that's what the pub is all about."

With a dry:wet split of about 55:45, and with an average of about 1,000 covers per week, MacKenzie and Williams have hit upon a winning formula.

Chef Ray Pearce's menu is short, seasonal and well-priced.

Starters can range from freshly made soup with French bread for £3.95 to a prawn and saffron risotto at £5.75.

Main courses are priced from about £9.50 for the popular homemade beef steak and kidney pie to £13.25 for a grilled sirloin steak served plain or with mustard butter.

Desserts are £4.50 and include poached pears with sticky gingerbread and clotted cream.

The bar has a selection of draught real ales (including Hook Norton and Archers) and an extensive wine list ­ most of it supplied by Jascots of London ­ from £11.75 for a bottle of house wine.

With business booming, the pub's tiny kitchen is about to get a much-needed extension.

"We are really hampered by our kitchen," says MacKenzie.

"We cook in what is virtually a cupboard.

We don't have a grill, we don't have a fryer and we've got one six-burner hob so it has to be a small menu.

"I take my hat off to Ray because if I was in there, I'd be throwing pans and knives around.

He's a workaholic ­ he works exceptionally hard and he's a brilliant guy.

"The most important thing about the Fox is that it's been such a team effort.

I delegate

and I do push the kids who are front-of-house.

I think they know who I am and what I'm about and hopefully I'm imparting my values down to them.

Now aged 57, MacKenzie says that he enjoys nurturing "young, fresh blood" such as Bob Parkinson, chef at the Swan at Southrop and now a fellow director of the 3D Pub Company.

"I've had the most wonderful people through my hands over the past 35 years," he says.

"I've watched a lot of young people go on and open their own restaurants and we're like one enormous family.

"I'm very lucky, I get up every morning and want to go to work and I tell young people that if you don't enjoy your job, then you've got to move away from it to something else.

"Actually, I have never worked for anybody else in my life ­ I'm totally unemployable!"

MacKenzie on pub food "I have never liked the term gastropub, I think it's quite a nasty term.

My pubs are either food-oriented or food-led.

I'm a restaurateur at heart and I've always wanted to offer good food at good prices.

You need to get the right balance between food and booze."

"I think a good thesis for a young student would be The Demise of the English Country Restaurant'.

In the old days there used to be dozens of them but you can't find one anymore.

Foodie pubs really spelt their demise."

"I'm not a big charger, I don't like big, fancy, flash prices.

If we're buying properly, we don't have to charge enormous prices.

We make about 68% overall, but then I do shop around.