Cheap Cheddar Cheese Ploughman's Lunch (English Food / Meal)

This blog post is about a cheap cheddar Ploughman’s lunch, which is a simple, but delicious English (food) meal.

Introduction

One of my favourite lunches in English pubs across the UK is a Ploughman’s lunch which is a cold meal that pubs usually can easily put together, and I often enjoyed with a pint of beer. Therefore it is also a quick and simple meal that many people can prepare within minutes at home, that provides a filling meal.

Currently it is Winter in the UK and whilst a cold meal is perfect for Summer weather, we’ve just had gale force winds on the coast, and opening windows was a bit of a nightmare! Plus I wanted to be prepared should a power cut occur. Also working on a tight food budget, a cheese Ploughman’s lunch came to mind.

Which type of Ploughman’s lunch?

There are a few variations on this lunch, but seeing as I’m a vegetarian, I’m going to focus on what I believe is the most popular and that is the cheddar cheese version.

Putting together a simple Ploughman’s lunch.

The supermarket I primarily use in the UK is Tesco and they can easily supply all the food for the lunch and here is what I purchased:

• Baton bread
• Butter
• Branston pickle
• Cheddar cheese
• Bag of salad (cheating a bit I know)
• Pickled onions
• Fresh tomatoes

It isn’t usually to also see an apple (or slices), and the salad often has sliced red onion rings. I love pickled onions, but the not extra mature ones, which usually come with a traditional Ploughman’s, but instead I opt for the less mature pickled silverskin onions. The cheese is usually one large wedge, rather than being cut into small slices.

Mixing it up a bit!

This meal is a great way to use up leftover items and if you split the costs over a couple of days or plan to have the meal a couple of times within a week, you can reduce the price per meal. Being a vegetarian, I’ve found this to often be a cheap or reasonably priced meal to prepare at home.

Recently I had some Stilton sat in the fridge unopened from Christmas, and some Branston Pickle to finish up, so a good opportunity to use both. Personally I prefer extra mature cheddar cheese, rather than weaker cheddar cheese, but it comes at a cost, so I’m often looking for deals at different locations.

Egg free Mayo!

I don’t eat eggs, but Plamil’s egg free mayonnaise isn’t runny and I enjoy both the basic and garlic versions occasional with this meal.

Conclusion

Whilst I don’t spend as much time in beer gardens enjoying an English Ploughman’s lunch these days, it still is a firm favourite. A great Summer meal for a vegetarian, but I also happen to enjoy it all year round!