Traditional British Ploughman’s Lunch

What can be more quintessentially British, than a Traditional British Ploughman’s Lunch. It’s one of my favourite pub and picnic lunches

A Proper British Pub Lunch Favourite

What can be more quintessentially British, than a Traditional British Ploughman’s Lunch. Beloved of Pubs across the nation, it’s one of my favourite lunches.

A traditional Ploughman’s Lunch is more an assembly job than a recipe. It’s main components are cheese, crusty bread and butter, pickles, chutney and salad vegetables.

It really is the most famous of pub lunches – simple and yet so satisfying, especially if taken with a pint of real ale or cider.

Although the term “Ploughman’s Lunch” was first coined in the 1930’s, as part of a very successful marketing campaign, the concept behind it goes back much further.

Throughout the centuries, agricultural workers would take their lunch out to the fields with them.

This usually consisted of bread and cheese with ale or cider – a perfect combination. And, It’s easy to prepare and transport.

A ploughman’s Lunch also makes excellent picnic food, especially when packed in a lovely willow hamper, with plates, cutlery and all the condiments.

For me, just the words Ploughman’s Lunch conjures up images of lazy lunches, sat outside with friends, in the Beer Garden of an old Country Pub.

I’ve taken the liberty of adding ham to the trio of English cheeses in my Ploughman’s Lunch. Pork pies, quiche or sausage rolls are often added nowadays too.

However, at the heart of a good Ploughman’s, there has to be at least three cheeses – one blue, one hard cheese and a soft cheese.

The bread must be rustic and crusty, and not a French baguette! The butter must be salted and the pickled onions and chutney preferably homemade.

As for the salad vegetables, I like to add tomatoes and celery to mine, as well as a crisp apple, which marries so well with the cheese.

I have also added gherkins to my verison, as we love gherkins here at Chez Lavender & Lovage, and they add a crunch and piquancy to the meal.

I hope you enjoy my version of a Traditional British Ploughman’s Lunch if you make it, and if the weather is bad, why not enjoy at the kitchen table! Karen

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Culinary Notes

• I normally allow 40g of three different types of British cheese per person (a total of 120g per person)
• Serve one blue cheese such as Stilton, Wensleydale Blue or Shropshire Blue.
• Serve one hard cheese such as Black Bomber, Mature Cheddar, Lincolnshire Poacher, Red Leicester, Double Gloucester or Cheshire Cheese.
• Serve one soft rind cheese such as Camembert, Goat’s Cheese, Soft Bath Cheese or Cote Hill Snowdrop Cheese

• I used my own homemade chutney and pickled onions:
• Autumn Chutney (Ninja/Slow Cooker)
• Traditional Homemade Pickled Onions
• Try to use crusty bread or rustic style breads such as sourdough, wholemeal or granary bread. Here’s some of my recipes:
• Overnight Farmhouse Wholemeal Bread Loaf
• Classic Sourdough Bread made Easy
• Sourdough Traditional Cottage Loaf
• Gold Hill and “Hovis” Granary Bread Loaf

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Accompaniments for a Ploughman’s Lunch

• Major Grimshaw’s Indian Chutney
• Traditional Homemade Pickled Onions
• Quick Sweet Pickled Cucumbers

• Autumn Chutney (Ninja/Slow Cooker)
• Autumn Still-Life & Shooting Party Chutney (Green Tomato Chutney)
• The Walnut Tree and Spiced Runner Bean Pickle

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Traditional British Ploughman’s Lunch Recipe