Best pub in the county ‘set to get even better’
THE PLOUGH TAKEN OVER BY SECRET PUB COMPANY TEAM
A COUNTRY inn crowned Nottinghamshire’s best pub months before the pandemic has been taken over – and the new owners hope to make it even better.
The Plough was still basking in the glory of the Nottinghamshire Food and Drink Awards title when Covid-19 hit and the owners of 14 years quit.
But now the pub will be back in business following a revamp – and it’s just in time for the return of indoor dining.
The Plough – in Normanton-on-the Wolds, six miles south of the city – is the only pub in the village.
The new owners have a record of giving a new lease of life to pubs, turning them into successful enterprises.
Mark Osborne and David Hage, aka the Secret Pub Company, are the brains behind The Railway in Lowdham and The Radcliffe in Radcliffe-on-trent.
Mark explained what they looked for in a pub.
“It has to have the location and must have a great garden. This is probably one of the best gardens in Nottinghamshire. It’s absolutely fantastic. We also look for a children’s play area and the size of the kitchen.
“It wasn’t our intention in the pandemic to go looking for a new pub, it’s just that this one came up and we went to look at it and it ticked all the boxes.
“It had a good reputation before but it was one we thought we could enhance based on what we do and the success of The Railway and The Radcliffe,” said executive chef Mark.
The menu will be fresh seasonal food in a contemporary style, but it varied from pub to pub. Staples such as fish and chips, burgers and sticky toffee pudding will always appear on all three menus but bespoke dishes for The Plough include cod with creamed potato, Padstow mussels and paprika butter and pork cutlet with wild garlic risotto.
For the launch, the desserts are all the classics – apple tart tatin, creme caramel and Eton mess.
Co-owner David said the wine list features a carefully selected number of unique wines from around the world that aren’t available in the shops and there are five real ales on rotation.
The interior has been redecorated including new seating, partitions and flooring, all from the same designer as The Railway.
Mark said: “We are keeping the traditional bar as a bar as there was a real good drinks trade anyway and we don’t want to lose any of that. We have changed the bar around and made it a bit cosier.”
There’s space for 60 diners inside but the real gem is the garden. “We can get up to 200 covers – it’s absolutely huge with a great dining terrace that was there anyway. We’ve just spruced it up,” he added.
A function room is likely to form phase two of the overhaul next year.
The pub was previously in the hands of Mark and Rachael Hughes. They now run the Air Hostess at Tollerton.
The Plough opens to villagers on Wednesday and the public from Thursday.
“The bookings are live and we’ve had an amazing uptake,” added Mark.