[Growster...]

Whatever happened to this delicious comestible?

When I first started work in Ashford, in 1965, and got to know a few locals, we would all meet up at 'The Swan' in Tufton Street (Mumofstig will know the place), and it was there I started to learn about how business was done...

There were a few others in estate agency, several in insurance, (The Royal, opposite), some from a travel agency (Swinards), and some gorgeous girls from the hairdressers down in Bank Street. We made so many friends, and some I can even talk to now; if I can find their contact details...

But the lunch was fabulous.

A half of bitter at eight pence (old money - 3.5p now), a pasty at a shilling (five pence now), and a Ploughman's at 1/6 (7.5 pence now)!

(You might gather that my landlady back then wasn't really up to much more than boiled sausages, and a solid egg on toast)! Bless...

My, how we lived then, but pity (praise) the poor Ploughman - a hunk of cheddar cheese, a small lump of butter and a roll with a bit of pickle! It was all we needed back then; none of this African apple, several kinds of slaw, too much bread, a paper flag of some description, maybe an egg (?), some sort of yellow sauce, limp lettuce, a slice of tomato and 'homemade pickle' ....

hmmmm...

[mrs bouquet]

Hi Growster.   You're right, they fiddle and faff around with lifetime favourites.  I don't need a flag to tell me what I have ordered  (although I suppose it may come to that one day!)  I guess it just their way of pushing the price up so much    How Much !!   Cheese was always a favourite instead of a dessert.  Not now. 
One course nowadays, come home and eat my own  Canadian Cheddar. 
Oh and chicken or sausages in a basket with chips  yum yum,  best not to have gravy though.

Sausages in our local  -  so many choices, all locally handmade of course.  By which time I am losing the will to live, dying of boredom and hunger.    .   Those were the days my friends - oh I feel a song coming on.    Mrs Bouquet

[Christine]

Mind plough men are well off now - all working on contract and rushing from farm to farm to keep up with the work rather than plodding behind the horse. Expect that they can afford the prices of the fancy lunches now. 

[snowdrops]

We’ll how funny you should start this Mr G, I was out with friends for lunch only a couple of weeks ago & saw they did a ploughman’s lunch & decided on that, what a delight, so much so I didn’t need dinner that evening & fell prey to the plight of the ‘younger’ generation & took a photo of it to taunt my son.
I will also add that the cafe is owned by the 2 daughters of one of my other friend, they only took it on last year & have really made it their own.
Here’s the link to their website
Home - Buttercreamtearoom
The last picture is of my sewing group enjoying afternoon tea there 2 weeks ago
P.s I have no financial gain in recommending their excellent establishment

[mrs bouquet]

Well Snowdrops.   I am sure that the ladies in the teashop will be successful if those 'photos are anything to go by.
The Ploughmans looked a proper one, and the afternoon tea - yum.   I guess you are not any of the ladies in the 'photo and you are behind the camera.      Mrs Bouquet

[Goosegirl]

To my mind a ploughman's lunch was made by "her indoors" who made her own pastry, used the leftovers from cooked home-reared meat and veg, along with her "selection of the day" comprising her personal choice from pickled onions or beetroot, tomato relish or piccalilli. Of course all the bread, butter and cheese was made by her and usually won several prizes in the local farm show. If he had a very big pasty, there might just be a bit of home-grown and home-made apple sauce at one end.

[snowdrops]

Well Snowdrops.   I am sure that the ladies in the teashop will be successful if those 'photos are anything to go by.
The Ploughmans looked a proper one, and the afternoon tea - yum.   I guess you are not any of the ladies in the 'photo and you are behind the camera.      Mrs Bouquet

No I’m not behind the camera! Lol

[mrs bouquet]

Well Snowdrops.   I am sure that the ladies in the teashop will be successful if those 'photos are anything to go by.
The Ploughmans looked a proper one, and the afternoon tea - yum.   I guess you are not any of the ladies in the 'photo and you are behind the camera.      Mrs Bouquet

No I’m not behind the camera! Lol

I am looking at the 'photo now, trying to decide which one is you.   Mrs B

[snowdrops]

Well Snowdrops.   I am sure that the ladies in the teashop will be successful if those 'photos are anything to go by.
The Ploughmans looked a proper one, and the afternoon tea - yum.   I guess you are not any of the ladies in the 'photo and you are behind the camera.      Mrs Bouquet

No I’m not behind the camera! Lol

I am looking at the 'photo now, trying to decide which one is you.   Mrs B

Haha

[Growster...]

I wrote this post before visiting the best pub I think we've been in for many years!

The Three Chimneys Country Pub Freehouse : Biddenden Kent

The 'light bite' menu was just superb (it was a treat for a daught), and we're planning several more visits until they run out of cheese (a rarebit actually, but roughly the same...)

What is a bit silly, is that I was driving past the place from 1989 - 2001 and never went inside - well you don't at 6:30 am, and most evenings I wanted to get home quickly. It was all run down then and always seemed closed, but not any more!

(I know we shouldn't advertise places here, but it does fit the post - well, sort of..;0)