Labels

The George Inn, Trottiscliffe


A plate of Ploughman's lunch featuring a slice of crusty bread, thick cheddar cheese, ham, sliced tomatoes, green olives, mixed salad greens, pickled onions, and coleslaw. The plate also includes a small portion of chutney and two wrapped butter portions. The meal is served on a dark plate set on a wooden table with a red napkin and condiments nearby.
The George Inn, Trottiscliffe, Ploughman's lunch.


Location - 
The George Inn,
Taylors Lane,
Trottiscliffe,
Kent, ME19 5DR

01732 822462


Date of Visit -  10/08/2024

Disclosure: this is the second attempt at doing this review.  I had previously completed it, whence Blogger deleted all but the title.  I was upset, so the review is a week late. 

The Food

6 -Pickled Onion.
Seems like the standard onion form a large catering jar. Nothing bad, nothing great.

9 -Pickle.
Three pickles arrived. Well, two pickles and one chutney.  The Picallili was nice, a great addition, the ploughmans too was good - I suspect the large catering jar again, but on of the large catering suppliers is absolutely perfecting this stuff, so good.  Mango chutney was a nice addition: this one has the little seeds in giving at wonderful depth of flavour.  Would be lovely with a great cheese (see below).  Dropped a point because the quantities were a bit mean.


A close-up image of a rectangular dish containing three types of condiments: on the left is a yellow mustard relish, in the center is a reddish-brown chutney, and on the right is a darker brown pickle or chutney with visible chunks. The dish is part of a Ploughman's lunch, surrounded by ham, cheese, and salad ingredients, including coleslaw and sliced tomatoes.
Picallili, Mango Chutney and Ploughmans Pickle.

.

4 -Cheese / Ham. 

Cheese. 
The cheese was an insult. I'm not sure what it was, but it tasted like the mildest, most rubbery supermarket value brand cheese that you could imagine.  For the first time ever I was glad the portion was on the small side! 

For a ploughman's lunch the cheese is centre stage. The lead role, the hero of the dish, its Raison d'être. Ham is a nice addition, but it should be about the cheese.  The revival of the dish was a cheese marketing ploy and this cheese not cheese.  Half the amount of stuff on the plate and improve the cheese.  Increase the price if required, but seriously. ARGH. 

The Ham.  
The ham was nice enough. It's responsible for 3 of the 4 points. The only way the cheese could have scored lower would be it's absence. 

7 -Bread.
A slice lightly toasted.  It was quite nice to be honest, far from bad. Nice flavour and reasonable texture. 

3 -Spread 
Butter, perfect temperature. Standard packets again. Does anyone else make little butter packets, or is it only the one type available?

3 -Presentation
Nicely presented, but cramped.  A larger plate and / or less stuff might be better.  Actually, less stuff, there was too much - especially that crappy cheese.  Seriously, that cheese has made me cross. I was looking forward to a nice large chunk of mature cheddar. 

4 -Salad, etc.
Fresh, tasty, good signs of a well run kitchen with a big turnover.  However, no dressing.

The coleslaw was good, but about half the quantity would have been better, there was too much and it was quite rich for a fresh coleslaw. 

0 -Originality.  
OK, this might seem harsh, but in other reviews I use this to randomly take points away again.  Look, you do a review and submit it and they you can be judge of the points. So why zero? Olives.

I like olives - but not on a ploughmans.  I know that grapes do not seem to be an issue for me, well that's because we grow grapes here, so as seasonal addition all OK. But unpitted olives, get off my plate. As mentioned above the plate was crowded, so when wrangling the bread there was no where to put it other than on the table or on top of the food - one is unhygienic, and the other inconvenient.   Lets have side plates! 

Did I mention the cheese? I'm tempted to award minus points........ 

Food total: 36 

A flatlay image of a Ploughman's lunch served on a round plate. The meal includes a slice of crusty bread resting on top of cheddar cheese and ham, with a variety of fresh and pickled items. The plate also contains a portion of coleslaw, mixed salad greens with sliced cucumber, red onion, and bell peppers, green olives, and sliced tomatoes. In the center of the plate is a rectangular dish with three types of condiments: mustard relish, a reddish chutney, and a darker pickle. Two small wrapped butter portions are also visible. The table setting includes silverware, a red napkin, and a drink in the background.
A flatlay of the George Inn Ploughman's lunch


Beverages

10 - Drinks.
A good range of drinks including teas and coffee, etc. 

Drinks Total: 10
The venue

10 - Service
The service was excellent. The staff hard working, friendly and efficient.  

They were all absolute stars. 

8 - Atmosphere 
A gloriously ancient pub with all sorts of interesting nooks and alcoves, fireplaces, beams and all that jazz. It has been substantially extended in a very fitting and complementary fashion providing a lot of inside area.  The garden is quite large too. It seems very much a destination pub and the car park is testament to this. However, there also seems to be a contingent of locals, and I hope and imagine that it has value to the community too beside employment.

4 - Location.
Nestling at the foot of the North Downs the area is quite beautiful. It's only a few miles from the M20 & M26, but you wouldn't know it. The pub itself is picture postcard in a chocolate box village.   

3 - Toilets.
The loos are OK, a bit of a treck.  Very disappointed that in a venue of this size that there is not a fully accessible disabled toilet. In this day and age it shouldn't be such a task to give dignity to all. 

Venue total: 25

Total Score: 71


Editors note.
Whilst this ploughmans might have not scored the best that is not an accurate representation of the Food offerings by the George Inn, as their food is excellent.

I would highly recommend visiting for a meal, although they do tend to be oversized and the wastage does bother me. 

A plate of crispy pork bites coated in a hoisin sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and served on a bed of colorful slaw made of red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. The dish is presented on a blue plate placed on a wooden table, with a pair of glasses and other table items visible in the background.
A lovely starter - Crispy pork in Hoisin sauce

 

Do you like a ploughmans?
Fancy doing a review? Drop me a line, via Roaming the Paths -  it's quite easy. I will do the uploading.
You can pretty much work out the scoring regime from this review. Drop me a few words and a couple of pictures. You will be fully credited. 

A close-up image of a thick slice of ham, served on a plate as part of a Ploughman's lunch. The ham is surrounded by coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, and various condiments in a dish, including a yellow relish and a dark chutney. The ham appears tender and moist, with visible marbling and a slightly browned edge. The dish also includes other fresh vegetables and salad items.
Delicious ham.

A close-up image of a section of a Ploughman's lunch plate, featuring a serving of coleslaw, green olives, sliced tomatoes, and a fresh salad with mixed vegetables including cucumber, red onion, and yellow bell pepper. The ingredients are arranged neatly on the plate, with a portion of crusty bread visible in the background. The vibrant colors of the vegetables and the creamy texture of the coleslaw are highlighted, making the dish look fresh and appetizing.
Olives. Why?



Ohh, what you doing all the way down here?
Maybe visit https://alans-almanac.co.uk




Labels:
Location: The George, Trottiscliffe, West Malling ME19 5DW, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts