James readily admits that he almost had to be dragged away from the pub’s exterior wall at one point, trying in vain to salvage the ugly brown tiles stuck to the facade.
He made us redo the cornicing three times,’ says manager Toby with a sigh. In fact, his urge to restore all the features was at times overwhelming. Sofia chose the soft furnishings and James, by all accounts armed with a sander, stripped back the sticky lacquered surfaces and found beautiful original oak panels underneath that just needed a lick of varnish.
‘He put his heart and soul into it.’ They set to work with the help of their partner, pub manager Toby Milne, and head chef Toby Bee. There is also a private dining room upstairs that seats 22. The Fox & Pheasant has all the wood panelling, open fires and bottle-green leather armchairs of a classic country pub, but there are also glamorous touches, with prints and patterns reminiscent of 5 Hertford Street.įurthermore, the outdoor area has been turned into a magnificent orangery-style dining room with a retractable glass roof, gabled walls and an olive tree in the centre. Now, after 18 long months of renovations, the place has been transformed with great care and ‘no expense spared’ into a spectacular space. James heard about it – fittingly – over drinks with an estate agent friend and fearing it might be made into a residential property, decided to make an offer. Sofia tells me, ‘We’d often walk past the pub and would say, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could do the place up?” But of course we never meant much by it.’ ‘You look amazing,’ he says, boyish grin reappearing. When she descends the stairs, James practically swoons. Today, she emerges for the shoot exquisite in a Dolce & Gabbana metallic brocade suit. Thanks to her embroidered floral gown by Red Valentino, Sofia was also widely lauded by the press as one of the best-dressed guests. They were among the anointed few invited to witness Prince Harry marry Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, where they were seen chatting to Sir Elton John and David Furnish in the pews before the ceremony. Lately, however, their in-crowd status has become undeniably visible. Though they attempt to downplay it, Sofia and James have long been a well-connected society couple, friendly with celebrities and royals alike (James has known Prince Harry since they served together in the British Army and Ed Sheeran is the godfather of their first-born). They are the perfect pairing: the megastar met the aristocratic beauty six years ago, they married in Mallorca in 2014 and have two children together. Sofia – the granddaughter of the late 8th Duke of Wellington – is strikingly beautiful: tall and slim, with ice-blonde hair and blue eyes. ‘Not that warm or friendly, but a great local pub.
‘It was pretty basic before,’ says Sofia diplomatically.