The Crown Inn, Puncknowle

  

A delicious Ploughmans on a Dorset stone wall

Location - 

The Crown Inn

Church Street

Puncknowle

Dorset 

DT2 9BN

01308 897711

Website - https://www.crowninndorset.co.uk/index

Date of Visit -  31/07/2024

The Location.

I will go on about this further down, as per the usual format - however, this is important.

This is the sort of pub we need to get behind 100%. A completely functional, local pub that caters well for visitors and tourists.  The local population keep the pub going in the darker times of the year and the symbiosis is that the pub provides a focal point for the wider community alongside the church and village hall.  

The service is excellent, good range of drinks and reasonable offerings from Palmers, the local brewery. A true heritage gem inside and out: a chocolate box appearance, and a beautiful garden with a stunning view across the Bride Valley it should be a must-visit.  The menu is Pub food done very well at exceptionally good prices. Such a treat as many pubs in the area have become Gastro-pubs, or sell it cheap and get them through sorts of places. 

The Crown Inn, Puncknowle

The tourists provide the profit for such places and the locals the atmosphere and glue that make the place so special. So get off the track and visit these places - it's well worth it and helps preserve our rural communities and the last few remaining pubs. Right, enough of that -  on with .........

The Food.

5 -Pickled Onion.

Well, it's not an auspicious start - but stick with it. 

The onion was far too acidic, it blew my face off! However, they were crunchy and otherwise rather tasty, good with a bit of cheese. 

8 -Pickle.

A good Ploughman's pickle, So a quick rescue after the onion. I'm not so keen on the paper hat: I prefer a ramekin but very glad it's not plastic.  I can't see any reason why it's not placed on the plate. Are there pickle separatists out there like the Baked bean fanatics who want to avoid Bean contamination?  Feel free to comment. 

Ploughman's lunch overview

9 -Cheese / Ham.  

Cheese. 

It was Cheese, no ham - and I'm OK with that.

On the menu, it was listed as Cheddar, Blue Stilton and Brie. A nice selection - however, I detest Blue Stilton. This to some people might make me odd, or in some way be regarded with suspicion, but that's how I roll. You wouldn't eat bread with blue mould on it, so why is cheese OK.  

Anyhow..... the intentionally moulded cheese was replaced by another wedge of cheddar, a simple request at the bar elicited this change without issue, and with a smile. A good decision. The Cheddar was nice and mature, creamy, crumbly, sweet, sharp, all good stuff.  Not sure if it was local - be nice if it were, and if it was, more should be made of that fact - instant extra points!. There is a selection of amazing cheeses from Dorset - Coastal Cheddar, Dorset Red, Dorset Blue Vinney to name a few off the top of my head. It would be nice to see a ploughman's of entirely local stuff.

The Brie was nice too. 

7 -Bread.

Standard Pub Par-baked baguette. It wasn't bad, just nicely crisp and warmed. I guess unless you have a good turnover it might be tricky to deploy local bread.....  

3 -Spread 

Butter. The right amount, the right temperature.  Alas, standard pub supplies - Litchfields packets (Made in Ireland).  Come on! Even Somerset butter would be better than this. I have seen pictures online of Better Butter served here (crammed into a ramekin - well, It could be Tesco Value, but I would doubt it). Perhaps an off day on the butter front.  It is difficult running a pub, so getting these packets delivered with the other supplies from the wholesalers is understandable.  

5 -Presentation

This was nice on the eye. So nice to be able to photo it with the beautiful Bride Valley as a backdrop. What a treat for the eyes.

5 -Salad, etc.

Perfect little accompaniment. Fresh, Crisp, ripe, tasty. A nice selection of fresh fruit and vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, grapes and mixed greens, all with a nice little bit of dressing. (Well, not the grapes, they weren't dressed).

Puncknowle Ploughmans Salad

4 -Originality 

OK, there was nothing too original here, I'm just awarding points because I like the pub and was overjoyed that they had a ploughman's for me to review.  The other food there is good, so this kind of forced me into having the ploughman's as if it's there I now feel compelled to have it.  Glad that it was up to par - would have hated to give a poor review for this place. 

Food Total: 46

---

Beverages

8 - Drinks.

The Crown Inn seems to be tied to the local Brewery, Palmers of Bridport. 

The standard offering is 3 Ales -  all quite adequate and well-kept. 

I opted for the Dorset Gold.  I tried this option several times.......  There are other drinks, including Teas, Coffees, and a nice selection of Soft Drinks including Fruit Shoots for the younger members.  To be honest, it's rather nice supporting the last few remaining smaller breweries, so sup up and sup some more. 

Beers. Support a local brewery.

Drinks Total: 8

---

The venue

10 - Service

The service was excellent and has been on all the previous visits. Really is 100%. There are occasions when there might be a bit of a rush and you might have to wait a few minutes, but take a breath and enjoy the magnificence of the building and the relaxed local pace.

10 - Atmosphere 

If there were to be a Ladybird book of country pubs, this would be one of the illustrations. Chocolate box on the outside, bucolic boozer on the inside, with an amazing well-kept garden and views to stare at. Grade II listed the main bar has the feel of an old hall in a manor house, and the second bar a more cosy rural affair - both with blazing fires in the colder times, and a cool temperature in the summer. 

The Best Beer Garden

5 - Location.

Just off the beaten track, 5 minutes from the Abbotsbury to Bridport road in the lunsh and beautiful Dorset countryside. The village is a postcard dream. 

Go there! 

5 - Toilets.

Splendid.  Disabled toilet too. Nice! 

Venue total: 30

---

Score: 84

Remember to check the Leader Board to see how this fares. 

Editors note.

Support your local pub. Or any pub. You will miss them when they're gone. 

The Crown Inn.

This is a true gem and a proper find. The sort of place that should be used by more people more often. 

Above I alluded to the notion that it was actually a tough choice selecting the ploughman's. Not terribly tough, but choices had to be made.  The reason is that the menu is of a few things done very well. OK the veg might be the standard peas, but unless you are running a restaurant of have a high turnover they are a great option. I digress. The other dishes on offer are amazing.  I have previously had the Gammon and this was mind-blowingly good - similarly the Ham, Egg and Chips. The Pie of the day is always a winner, and the Mediterranean Vegetable Tart was definitely yummed and nommed. Lamb Shank was also available, and there was a reverential silence around it being enjoyed. So.........

If you are fond of the gastro pub pub, or want somewhere to feed the family this should satisfy the need. I personally wouldn't mind a whole evening there. Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter have a few, and chatting to the folk that live around there.  

Tourists can ruin a place, but they can also be its saviour. They provide custom that supports the local trade and helps keep the community hub alive - which in turn supplies the attraction of the place to start with. A true pub is often a reflection of the regular patrons and without them can be as soulless as any fast food restaurant. 

Keep the pub alive - and this can be done with fruit shoot and crisps. 

Do you like a ploughman's?

Fancy doing a review? Drop me a line, it's quite easy. I will do the uploading.

You can work out the scoring regime from this review. Drop me a few words and a couple of pictures. You will be fully credited.