This is possibly my favorite meal, and requires no cooking, just assembling. I have very, very fond associations with this, not that I’m a Thomas Hardy character nor even British, but I’ve been to Britain several times and have several British friends, and in fact The Better Half was transferred to London for a year. One weekend we were invited to a co-worker’s somewhat grand country house (co-worker’s parents) and we went to a riverside pub for a traditional Ploughman’s Lunch. It was a beautiful English day, we sat outside, I fell in love.
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I’m going to do something a little different. The header image is the Platonic ideal of a Ploughman’s Lunch. I found it on Trip Advisor. It was taken in Henley-on-Thames, which is a lovely (and quite prosperous) riverside town in the Thames Valley. It’s where the Henley Regatta is held. I recommend a visit. But let’s tour the header image first.
If we imagine the plate as a clock, let’s start at 6 o’clock. That ramekin holds Branston Pickle, a pickled chutney, similar to but quite different from American relish. This is a must. Next to it is a small quartered tomato and four pearl onions. That triangle on top is no doubt a good, sharp English cheddar, also a must. On top of the onions is a chunk of a bleu cheese, probably a Stilton. I bet above that is a Camembert, or it should be some kind of brie regardless. The Camembert is sitting on thick-sliced ham. A couple of celery sticks, why not? A nod toward salad, but don’t go crazy, salad greens are not the point of this. Below the salad is a sliced green apple. At 3 o’clock is bread, also key, good hearty “rustic” bread. There’s a sheen because it’s buttered. Then, finally, is a roll, which I can’t explain. To the left is the drink of choice, a pint of beer, looks like an ale.
That’s it. I can’t begin to describe how satisfying this is, to me at least. Cheers, mate!
Assembled…but delicious! Do you think that gratuitous roll might be a hard-boiled egg? There looks like there might be a bit of yolk on the edge? I love how you share the memories that go with the food. Some of the best meals ever may have been elevated by the company, the setting, the lovely point in time.
The roll is the big mystery. The TripAdvisor contributor didn’t describe this at all but I know a good Ploughman’s Lunch when I see one. I don’t think it’s an egg because if you look at the interior it seems like bread. It’s possibly Henley has a certain type of roll that gets served a lot. The “yolk” might be mustard, not pictured, but there could be some in a pot to the right of this image and the contributor took a small slice, dabbed on a little mustard, thought “Wait! I need to Instagram this and put it on TripAdvisor!” and the mustard dripped from the knife.
You’re right about mood and settings elevating meals. We have a favorite restaurant that we haven’t been to in a while. I can replicate a lot of the menu at half the cost at most (I’ve posted at least one FYCE inspired by them). But the restaurant has cozy little banquettes and tables for two, the lighting is extremely flattering, the service is excellent and the servers charming, the wine list…Perhaps best of all, I don’t cook the food and Better Half takes care of the bill. Oh well, maybe we’ll go again someday soon.
Flattering lighting for the win…because we must always look our best. <3
It is indeed a boiled egg–looks like it’s either pickled or tea-smoked–which I consider to be essential for a proper Ploughman’s lunch. It’s sliced lengthwise, not in half, into what looks like 3 or 4 pieces. It was most likely sliced with a dull-ish knife with serrated edges, giving the fluffy, bread-like texture seen on the interior face. Some places even serve up a Scotch egg in their interpretation.
Huh! I love boiled eggs, I eat them all the time. I guess I eat so many of them that I completely forgot that they are part of a good, balanced, Ploughman’s Lunch diet!
Yep, we had something similar in York a couple years ago. Something for everyone, no matter what you’re in the mood for.
You can easily omit the ham and it becomes vegetarian and is just as satisfying. I sometimes do this is when we don’t have any convenient sliced ham. Many places in Britain do too, and it’s not out of animal welfare concerns, it’s out of tradition and expectation. Similarly, many Brits seem to love a good roast but you’d never sub in beef.
Yep. I’ve never given this a name, but this is the kind of lunch I often have. A few hunks of cheese, buttered bread, sliced apple, maybe some pickles… What’s not to like?
I looked up the Branston pickle, and I’m not sure I’d like it. I have a thing against sweet pickles.
I call this a ‘snack plate’ and have it for dinner, like, a lot.
One of my favourite spots in London to grab a quick Ploughman’s is Gordon’s, a cellar-like wine bar tucked into the space under the railway arches near Embankment Station. Their main draw, for me, is the sherry poured straight from the cask (a bit Poe-esque–don’t let anyone wall you in with the amontillado 🍷). They serve a decent Ploughman’s as well, but the key is it’s self serve, so you can load up on the good bits (deviled eggs, tomato, pickle, cheeses) whilst skipping the less favourable components (onions, Stilton, celery).
I will have to remember this for the next time I am in London, should there be a next time any time soon. I love a good London wine bar.