Best Pub for a ploughmans lunch in West Sussex?

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Live by the sea

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2016
4,718
As long as you avoid any of those ghastly beefeater or Wetherspoons hideously uncool pubs you should be ok.
 






Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
68,851
Withdean area
Well, stale bread and cheese is the Home Counties version of stale bread and tripe, is it not? Just good old plain food to last you through to supper time.

Oh dear, 'supper' what a frightfully Home Counties term. :lol:

Too early for supper.

We've just taken Afternoon Tea, comprising salmon and cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, served with Darjeeling, out on our lawn.
 


Yes Chef

Well-known member
Apr 11, 2016
1,901
In the kitchen
Too many pubs put loads of stuff ona ploughmans that are njot traditionally part ofi.

Well it's certainly true that many 'plough men' and agricultural workers used to eat bread and cheese for lunch, whilst out in the fields in times of yore.

But I agree that many modern day ploughman's lunches served up in pubs, are far fancier than that.

There are plenty of examples of 'peasant' food becoming gourmet littered throughout culinary history- lobster , oyster, paella to name but a few, but a ploughmans was a creation of the Cheese Marketing board or some such. I've no doubts the farm workers would have had bread and cheese for lunch, but it would have been the sum of it's parts so to speak, as opposed to some bucolic tableau that probably never existed.
For the record I'm not really a ploughmans sort of chef but I would fancy schmantzy it all up with balsamic onions and pressed ham hock, with a local artisan cheese and hand made focaccia. But then I'd probably have to charge about 14 quid for it....
 


knocky1

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
13,089
There are plenty of examples of 'peasant' food becoming gourmet littered throughout culinary history- lobster , oyster, paella to name but a few, but a ploughmans was a creation of the Cheese Marketing board or some such. I've no doubts the farm workers would have had bread and cheese for lunch, but it would have been the sum of it's parts so to speak, as opposed to some bucolic tableau that probably never existed.
For the record I'm not really a ploughmans sort of chef but I would fancy schmantzy it all up with balsamic onions and pressed ham hock, with a local artisan cheese and hand made focaccia. But then I'd probably have to charge about 14 quid for it....

Reminds me of reading Robert Hughes about the early years of the colonisation of Australia. The rich landowners and penal colony managers had salted meat shipped out from home and would not consider eating seafood, poor man's food. Can you imagine the size of the lobsters and abundance of seafood at that time?
 




BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
My interpretation of a ploughmans is a piece of crusty uncut bread from something like Cottage loaf or Coburg with butter a piece of cheddar or stilton cheese and pickled onions. Many pubs now add different pickles,cold meat or pate plus a mini salad and call it a ploughmans.
 




Yes Chef

Well-known member
Apr 11, 2016
1,901
In the kitchen
Reminds me of reading Robert Hughes about the early years of the colonisation of Australia. The rich landowners and penal colony managers had salted meat shipped out from home and would not consider eating seafood, poor man's food. Can you imagine the size of the lobsters and abundance of seafood at that time?

The story about lobsters is that they were a bycatch - nobody wanted to eat them as they were considered a sea 'insect' . Apparently once refrigeration improved, fishmongers began selling them to naïve landlubbers, who in turn realised they tasted great with butter. They cost about £35 a kilo these days, so we'll leave them off our ploughmans for now ...
 




BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
The story about lobsters is that they were a bycatch - nobody wanted to eat them as they were considered a sea 'insect' . Apparently once refrigeration improved, fishmongers began selling them to naïve landlubbers, who in turn realised they tasted great with butter. They cost about £35 a kilo these days, so we'll leave them off our ploughmans for now ...


LIDL and Aldi do them frozen at about £9 each
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,093
Cowfold
The story about lobsters is that they were a bycatch - nobody wanted to eat them as they were considered a sea 'insect' . Apparently once refrigeration improved, fishmongers began selling them to naïve landlubbers, who in turn realised they tasted great with butter. They cost about £35 a kilo these days, so we'll leave them off our ploughmans for now ...

I much prefer the flavour of crab myself. All down to personal taste l know.
 






Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 24, 2007
10,609
Arundel
The black rabbit in arundel. Sit by the water and enjoy great food and beer.

Although I'm not sure they do a ploughman's. Been a while.

Coming from Arundel I'd say this is one of the last I'd go to, it's not good.

The Bridge Inn, Houghton Bridge for me
 


BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
If you want fresh/live Cornish lobster they cost around £35 a kilo. If you want an air freighted, immature, frozen lobster popsicle with about 100g of meat, then you can go to Lidl.

We do not all like lobster enough or are in the position to pay £35 a kilo personally I prefer crab .
 


Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
I'd have said anything north of Goodwood, places like Lavant, East Dean, etc. Or down in Burpham near Arundel, or Amberley. Those mid west Sussex pubs are to die for so long as you don't mind driving.
 




Coming from Arundel I'd say this is one of the last I'd go to, it's not good.

The Bridge Inn, Houghton Bridge for me
This, The Bridge is mine and Mrs EPG's favourite pub. Great old pub atmosphere and terrific food. We sometimes go to the spur at Slindon for a Sunday roast but it can be wonderful one week and average the next. The spur does a marvellous ploughman's though.


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Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
This, The Bridge is mine and Mrs EPG's favourite pub. Great old pub atmosphere and terrific food. We sometimes go to the spur at Slindon for a Sunday roast but it can be wonderful one week and average the next. The spur does a marvellous ploughman's though.


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Bit off topic, but I used the Bognor by pass for the first time on Friday, never even knew it existed. What a great road that is.
 


Bit off topic, but I used the Bognor by pass for the first time on Friday, never even knew it existed. What a great road that is.
Great Road but not at 5.30pm on a week day. It is a snarl up around the Halfords, KFC roundabout. Ridiculous design that section.


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NogansRun

Member
Aug 8, 2016
53
Royal Oak at Wineham do a great ploughman's, go on a nice day though so you can sit in garden, as pub is very small inside.
 




luppers

New member
Aug 10, 2008
798
Didim, Turkey
My interpretation of a ploughmans is a piece of crusty uncut bread from something like Cottage loaf or Coburg with butter a piece of cheddar or stilton cheese and pickled onions. Many pubs now add different pickles,cold meat or pate plus a mini salad and call it a ploughmans.

well done, your description is a true ploughmans
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Great Road but not at 5.30pm on a week day. It is a snarl up around the Halfords, KFC roundabout. Ridiculous design that section.


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Yeah that estate with Halfords is now all but impossible to use.

I ride the new road quite a bit (lovely with a tailwind) but inexplicably I always forget to drive it.
A couple of weeks ago we were penned in at Lyons Farm when I realised 'oh I could have just gone to B & Q in Bognor'. :facepalm:

Just a shame it can only get built on the back of hundreds of more houses.
 


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