The perfect spot for a reunion lunch
Located in the heart of the Cotswolds and with a strong established reputation, there was only one choice for a reunion lunch with my beloved sister. The Kingham Plough proved a winner, yet again.
When the UK went into lockdown there was one person I missed more than the rest - my sister.
We’ve always been incredibly close and when I couldn’t see her on my 40th birthday in April I was very sad.
So as soon as Wales lifted its ultra strict lockdown rules we were on the phone arranging a catch up ASAP.
Both being firm foodies, the first question was where to eat?
We’d been to The Kingham Plough long before lockdown but the experience was so good it had lingered in Amy’s mind.
With plenty of tables available, we joyfully arrived for lunch with high hopes and expectations.
It was a pleasant surprise to see a spacious marquee on the lawn, giving us the option of dining outside. But we love the homely interiors and were pleased to see other than a little more space between the tables, the charm remained.
From vintage glass vases on curtain-framed windowsills, to warm claret and navy walls with fun artwork, cosy rugs and scrubbed tables, everything was there to make us feel right at home.
We filled in our contact details on the back of the menu as we sipped on a crisp Aspall cider, for my sister, and a perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc for me, and mulled over our options.
With too many appealing options - it was clearly going to take a while, so we nibbled on plump Nocellara olives (£3) to keep us going during our foodie debate.
We’ll rarely choose the same dish, as we have quite different tastes but we also like to enjoy a sneaky bite of each other’s plate.
It was a decision between a ploughman’s board with baked ham, aged cheddar, pork pie, piccalilli, chutney and sourdough (£12) and sweet pea and mint tortellini (£16) which I flimflammed over.
While my sister was a little disappointed to hear they’d sold out of The Plough cheeseburger (£14) which she’d enjoyed so much last time, but luckily Tamworth pork ribeye (£19) was looking good to her.
With a final verdict of tortellini and pork on the way, we would’ve launched into a big catch up, if we weren’t rather astonished by two well-heeled ladies sitting opposite us who had the poor staff run ragged with their incessant and loud questions.
When one of the pair sent her lunch back because she was too busy on a call and looking at paperwork in front of her, I almost asked to be moved. But we decided we didn’t want to add even more work for the helpful staff, who were running off to the kitchen to answer every absurd question that came their way.
We tried to switch off to the snootiness, as the use of the word ‘adorable’ floated across the dining room repeatedly with baffling reference to a kitchen revamp.
It was incredibly irritating but luckily we were saved by the arrival of our dishes which were so outstanding, our attention was totally absorbed by the rich flavours.
The food was nothing short of wonderful.
Amy’s pink pork arrived with a beautiful finely sliced roast onion perched on top of creamed carefully piped mash. It was flanked by meaty Morteau sausage, finely diced crunchy apple relish and bathed in glistening jus. She declared it delectable and didn’t stop smiling with every mouthful.
My tortellini was equally good, nestled on a bed of vibrant pea puree, dotted with confit cherry tomatoes, strips of sweet charred peppers and hint of delicious smoked chilli oil. Topped with a tangle of pea shoots, it was wonderfully fresh with an engaging mix of textures.
We both agreed it was the perfect place for our first meal back together and it certainly won’t be our last. We’ll just ensure we’re in the right room with (hopefully) more pleasant fellow diners next time!
For more information visit www.thekinghamplough.co.uk
