whatever happened to the ploughman's lunch?

[PineappleDanish]

We didn't often eat out as children but did have the occasional pub lunch. My parents would ALWAYS order a ploughman's lunch - bread, cheese, cured meats, pickle, sometimes a pork pie, salad. It was seen (in the 70s and 80s) as a culinary delight.

They appear to have disappeared - are all the ploughmen now eating Vietnamese pho or Japanese bento boxes instead?

I had one in Yorkshire last year that was pretty close to the real thing. The ones I remember from the Eighties had doorsteps of granary bread, pickle, about half a pound of cheddar, a pickled onion and a whole apple on them, with a token salad garnish.

Re the ham - have it with a proper wodge of ham, not slices.

Miles better to take a bite out of it!

Our local farm restaurant serves this!

My meal plan just went out the window for today! It must be 10 years or more since I last had a proper Ploughman's.

Our local still does it! I take my Dad there for one sometimes!

Surely you mean the
'Plough Persons' lunch Op

North West - all our decent pubs do a good Ploughmans

Yanbu BTW

Couldn't agree more

A good wedge of local cheese

A good dollop of pickle NOT in a tiny ramekin. A dollop.

Seasonal bit of salad

A nice crunchy apple.

The above also served on a plate

NOT a Roof tile

       Chopping board 

       Or a swirl fashioned from stained glass.

And proper pickled onions that are really scrunchy

Love this thread OP.

Also love a good ploughman's, we get them down in Cornwall at times when on hols, but can't remember the last time I saw one on a menu locally.

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes we also do a Sunday tea with cheese, crackers, etc - have always done this as my Gran did preferably while watching All Creatures Great And Small, and my mum still does too.

I like to throw in a few retro treats for "pudding", eg pink wafers (although the pink is disappointingly muted these days). It's my favourite meal of the week!

I still see it on occasion. If you’re anywhere near the Chilterns, it was definitely on the menu at The Frog in Skirmett last time we went!

@PineappleDanish I'm a farmer's wife (& part time farmer) and definitely no crumbly cheese and pickle in our packed lunches. It's usually something quick we can eat as we're working; heaven forbid we actually stop to eat/drink/go to the loo (I'm looking at you, OH)

I do like a ploughman's lunch though, just not in my tractor!

We are in Dorset .Lots of pubs /cafes do them around here .Also do ploughmans "Supper " too (Wonder if the poor ploughman ever got a hot meal!

I was just thinking about them the other day OP.

Ploughman's was a yummy lunch when I was growing up. NOt seen them on the menu in years.

I make ploughman's lunches for myself all the time.

Ironically, I wouldn't eat sweet pickle (Branston, etc.) in the seventies/eighties, when ploughman's lunches were fashionale, but I love a dollop of it on cheese now.

The trouble with them in pubs is you always get butter straight out of the fridge. If the bread is fresh - which it should be, but often isn't - you can't spread the butter on it without holding it in your hand, under your armpit or in some other warm anatomical location for a couple of minutes. (This really only works if it's wrapped in foil, of course.)

Lots of things wrong with current pub offerings from their menu

Our local has just gone all " craft and beards " thrown out all carpets , normal plates, any bright lighting and traditional offerings on the menu

Have bought in single figures on the menu and a stack of board games in the corner and a twitter feed

All the locals have just gone somewhere else and the new landlord just shrugs his shoulders at his faux pub with its slates and odd glasses

we used to have cheese and honey sandwiches in white as well as ploughmans etc

Our local pub doesn't do a Ploughman's but I'm going to bloody well suggest they do after this thread!

This has inspired me, was going to get a Dine In for dinner on Friday for Valentines but I’m actually going to go to the farm shop and get the bits for a Ploughman’s! Maybe some nice IPA too.

Am I allowed to have quiche - the farm shop quiche is delicious. Or would this be too much of a deviation from the traditional format?!?

Yes @70isaLimitNotaTarget all about the cake and cheese. Yorkshire Lass here, I gorged on Christmas cake and Wensleydale in between Xmas and NY. It was fabulous!

I live in the U.S. and would love to try one for lunch.

DH remembers a pub offering not only ham ploughmans and cheese ploughmans but also "prawn ploughmans" - that traditional farmer's fare.

@Twiglets18 given that the ‘traditional’ fare only dates back to the 50’s, and was entirely fabricated as a marketing ploy, I think some creative license is absolutely fine! You could call it a ploughman’s picnic instead...

I'm in Devon and my name gives away my job. Almost all the pubs I have worked in, including my current one serves a ploughman's at lunchtime.

The one I do currently is local Devon cheese, otter Vale pineapple chutney. Devon ham, celery, apple, and crusty bread with butter.

Wedge of decent cheddar
Wedge blue cheese
Dollop of pickle
Apple
Wedge crusty bread and butter
Eye watering sharp pickle onion
Bit of celery

Noo celery, but other than that, yes please.