Sunday Lunch At The Plough Inn, Brackenfield
Published On Friday 25 Aug 2023 by Sticky Beak
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I’m not sure whether it’s the (frankly) crap weather or if it was the fact that both His Nibs and I were feeling less than 100%, but we weren’t particularly enthused about food – which is not like us at all!! Yet again, Mummy Bird came swooping in to the rescue and suggested we go out for a bite; as she said, “you need to eat to fuel your recovery”.
Since it’s been taken over, we’ve eaten at The Plough Inn in Brackenfield with friends, so we knew the food was tasty, but we hadn’t sampled the Sunday offerings – though we’d been meaning to for ages! We got a lovely warm welcome and, having got drinks sorted at the bar, were shown through to our table; Mummy Bird struggles with stairs (especially steep ones) and I would say that that does need taking into consideration for those with mobility needs. The beauty of old buildings can also be a sticking point in modern life where we expect to be able to just go out and do things. Anyhow, it wasn’t a problem, and we were soon seated and looking at the scrummy choices on the menu.
We’d met another friend and his partner out in the car park, and he’d got some food boxed up to takeaway, so we knew the portions were going to be a good size. Mummy decided that she was going to have what our friend had had, the Garlic and Thyme Roasted Half Chicken (£16), though there was no way she was going to finish it either!! All the roasts at The Plough Inn come with roasties, Mash, Seasonal Vegetables, Stuffing, Homemade Yorkshire Pudding, and pan juice Gravy. His Nibs and I had originally planned to have a roast lunch too, but changed our minds; I went for the Minted Lamb Kofte Gyros (£17), and The Man had the McPlough: a double Bacon Cheeseburger (£15).
As well as the meals we’d ordered there were also Hot Roast Sandwiches, Hand-made Pizzas and Small Plates on offer, perfect for more casual eating; in fact, Mummy said that she’d like to come back and try the small plates dishes (all £7 each). We’d gone in the lull period, 3pm, but even so, there were still plenty of diners in, so I can only imagine how busy it had been between Noon-2pm and how popular it was going to be 5-6pm.
It wasn’t long before we were served with our food and, even though we knew it was going to be big, we all gasped when we clapped eyes on the roasted half Chicken – it would easily feed two people, no word of a lie! Chef at The Plough Inn doesn’t skimp on the accompaniments either, so there was a load of creamy mash and crisp-outered roasties to chomp at. The vegetable medley came in a separate bowl, which allowed Mummy to add as much as she wanted, when she wanted; the gravy also came separately. Parsnips and Carrots had both been roasted to intensify their natural sweetness, and both were nicely softened without being soggy or over-cooked.
If you like your Yorkie Puds huge, with crisp outers and soft, comforting bottoms then you’ll go nuts for the ones at The Plough, trust me! The stuffing was formed into squares and had a good flavour to it; I don’t think it was homemade, but it was a good quality mix. The star of the show, the Chicken, was absolutely smashing; cooked and served with its skin still on, the meat was wonderfully moist and juicy. Giving it her best effort, Mummy managed to see the breast off, but had to admit defeat and have the leg boxed up to bring home – even the skin was brought back for our doggo to enjoy.
Equally massive was the tower of scrumminess known as the double McPlough burger, that His Nibs had ordered. The single Mc Plough Burger (£12) consists of a 6oz Beef Patty, topped with American Cheese, Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Red Onion, and juicy Tomato, and is served with fries; a big enough Burger, I’m sure you’ll agree? His Nibs hadn’t factored in that there were a pair of the patties in the double; not quite sure what he thought he’d ordered (clue’s in the title, mate!), but his face was a picture when this whopper was placed before him!! The beef was really flavoursome and had a nice seasoning to it, with all the other elements complimenting its depth and making for a seriously tasty morsel.
I think I had the Lamb Gyros last time I came to The Plough Inn, and was very happy to taste that it was as good as last time! The super-sized flatbread was nice enough on its own, but the plethora of toppings really got my taste buds’ attention. Several Kofte’s of juicy Lamb had a subtle Minty edge to them that was lovely and refreshing, complimented by the yoghurt dressing that was liberally drizzled over the dish. Cool, crispy salad contrasted well, temperature-wise with the warm meat and bread, and then there were skinny fries in the mix, too – yummy! Both The Man and I commented on how tasty the fries were, and loved the fact that you couldn’t taste any oil on them, which allowed the humble spud to shine through on the palate.
Throughout our meal, the serving team had checked we were happy with our food, and asking if we needed any more drinks. We had a chat with the manager, a really lovely young lass whose passion for the venue shone through, and then it was time to head home. I had originally planned to have the Apple, Cinnamon and Toffee cake for dessert, but I simply hadn’t got any room for another crumb of food! However, The Plough Inn does a cracking ‘cake and coffee’ offer for £6 which sounds very tempting, so no doubt I’ll be sampling that in the near future.
Hot Wings happily given to this great, dog- and child-friendly, Brackenfield venue! To book a table, ring 01629 312589 or visit their Facebook Page for more info. The Plough Inn is closed on Monday, opens Noon-9pm Tuesday, Noon-10pm Wednesday, from 10am-10pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday open from Noon-10pm, and Sunday Noon-6pm.
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