Your spy visits The Plough Inn at Brackenfield in the north of the county
Secret Service and companion headed into the Peak District recently to make the most of the warm weather. While looking for a good stop-off point for lunch, we came across an attractive-looking stone pub called The Plough Inn.
Situated at Brackenfield, just off the A38 (on the Alfreton to Matlock Road) The Plough Inn enjoys panoramic views over the rolling Derbyshire hills.
With two tables on the patio area to the front, we were quite tempted to dine al fresco to take in the landscape, while The Plough Inn also has a large grassy beer garden at the rear.
We decided to eat indoors and, on inquiring into the history of the inn, your spy discovered that it is a 16th-century listed building and was originally a farm.
On the Saturday lunchtime we visited, the inn was relatively quiet but it had a lovely relaxed atmosphere and a promising menu, which looked a cut above the average pub grub fare. The prices also reflected this assumption with many dishes on a par with restaurant prices.
The Plough Inn's interior reflected the venue's original purpose, featuring a series of characterful rooms on three different levels. The top end is The Orchard Room Restaurant, while the lower levels offer lots of snug-style seating areas, also available for less formal dining.
Your spy chose roast rump of lamb, while my companion opted for a steak and ale pie. Both dishes were great. The good-sized portion of sliced lamb was slightly rare and incredibly tender while the vegetables had just the right level of firmness. This is definitely a chef who knows what they're doing.
My companion reported that their pie was also superb, with delicious pastry and a tender tasty filling of prime pieces of beef and gravy, served with plenty of vegetables. The mains really were faultless.
For dessert, we chose a rhubarb Eton mess and a sticky toffee pudding.
The Eton mess was a nice twist on a tried and tested theme, though the generous portion became a little too rich towards the end, while my companion described their dessert as the best sticky toffee pudding they had ever tasted, complemented by delicious homemade ice cream.
The whole experience was very satisfying. Good service, an excellent choice of wines and real ales, very pleasant surroundings and traditional British pub food at its best. What more could you ask?
Roast rump of lamb, £15, Steak and ale pie, £11, Rhubarb Eton mess, £5.50, Sticky toffee pudding with Homemade ice cream, £5.50. Two glasses of iced tap water, no charge. Total £37.
