Ploughman's Lunch

A hearty pub meal of summer salad with traditional cheeses, cold cooked meats and fresh bread. It is usually accompanied by pickled onions, chutney and an apple.

Although seasonal salads with meats have been eaten in the UK for many centuries. The term "ploughman's lunch" actually only dates back to the 50s/60s, when local marketing bodies began advocating it as a method of increasing the sale of English cheese.

Ingredients for Ploughman's Lunch

There are no set ingredients for a ploughman's and the contents can vary widely depending on what part of the UK you are in and what is available in season. Typical ingredients are as follows:

• Salad leaves (such as lettuce, land cress, rocket etc.)
• Sliced cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Fresh sliced or pickled onions
• Fresh local bread (crusty white, artisan, baguette or multigrain)
• English hard cheese such as Cheddar, Red Leicester or Stilton.
• Slices of cooked meat (such as Wiltshire ham, beef, pork etc.)
• Chutney (pickled-vegetable relish)
• Apple or other fresh fruit

Other ingredients may include: spring onions, shredded carrots, celery, sliced red pepper, crisps, boiled eggs, pork pie, and pate.

How to Make Ploughman's Lunch

1. Make sure all salad ingredients are as fresh as possible.
2. Wash and dry salad items and cut and slice as required.
3. Arrange portions of salad items, cheese and meats on individual serving plates or on a large wooden platter.
4. Add a portion of chutney and a pat of butter for spreading.

Serving Suggestions

Serve immediately as soon as ingredients are on the plate. Traditionally eaten with a local beer or cider to wash it all down.

Other recipes to try: Cornish Pasty | Fish and Chips | Recipe Index

Traditional Recipe

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