Gastropub at popular Edinburgh adventure park Conifox announces shock sudden closure

Bosses at the pub which opened last year said they had ‘no alternative’ but to close doors.

Bosses at Conifox Adventure Park at Kirkliston said it was with a “heavy heart” that they announced the closure of The Fetching Fox gastropub as of tomorrow, Friday 21st April, less than a year after it launched.

The pub the Fetching Fox which as a farm-to-fork philosophy opened last June in the refurbished former Stables Bistro.

In a notice to customers announcing the sudden closure with only days notice Managing Director James Gammell said they had to close their doors after the impact of the pandemic and challenges getting staff.

The pub will close on Friday 21 April

Telling customers that there was ‘no alternative’ but to close he said that anyone with bookings for this weekend will be contacted.

It comes just weeks after the popular animal attraction at Beecraigs country park in West Lothian announced it was to shut over funding issues.

The family-friendly activity centre at conifox will remain open. Events such as weddings and corporate will also still be on offer.

Mr Gammell thanked customers for their support and said the park would continue to focus on core business.

He said: “As you may be aware, the pandemic and Brexit have left the UK hospitality labour market in a state of upheaval, meaning getting the correct number of chefs and front-of-house staff has been challenging. Unfortunately, The Fetching Fox is not immune to these challenges, and we find ourselves in a position where we need to make big changes to ensure the ongoing operations of our core business, being the food and beverage offering associated with Conifox Adventure Park, Activity Centre and Events. Despite the hard work and passion of The Fetching Fox team to keep the food and service up at an enviable level of quality, we believe there is no alternative than to look to close the Fetching Fox and focus our efforts on the core business.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers for their support over the past year.

Our Adventure Park, Events, Corporate and Wedding offerings are unaffected by this closure, and we very much hope to see you as a visitor again soon.

“All bookings for this weekend and future bookings will be contacted by email.”

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