Ploughman's Lunch

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The Malet Arms, Newton Tony

A traditional Ploughman’s lunch served on a white plate on a wooden table. The meal includes slices of ham, several wedges of cheese including blue cheese, crusty white baguette, pickled gherkins, mixed salad leaves with peppers, coleslaw, potato salad, and Branston.

Ploughman’s lunch at The Malet Arms, reviewed

A Guest review by Becky

Location –
The Malet Arms,
Newton Tony,
Wiltshire.
SP4 0HF

Tel: 01980 629279

Website –https://www.themaletarms.co.uk

Date of Visit – 16/05/2026

Notes on the visit:
The menu offered a Ploughman’s lunch with cheese, or a Coachman’s lunch with carved ham. I cheated and asked to add ham to my Ploughman’s, which they were happy to accommodate for a £2 extra charge.

This was our 2nd visit to this pub, and we will definitely be going back. Our previous visit I had Guinness Sausages with Colcannon mash, which was fabulous, and my partner had a special of beef short rib which was also stunning. Looking forward to returning again soon to try their Sunday roast!

The Food

4 – Pickled onion. No onion, instead a nice crispy gherkin, which is better than nothing – but onions would have been appreciated.

8 – Pickle. Branston, which I do like! Would have hoped for something local or fancy, but I’m perfectly happy with Branston.

A traditional Ploughman’s lunch served on a white plate on a wooden table. The meal includes slices of ham, several wedges of cheese including blue cheese, crusty white baguette, pickled gherkins, mixed salad leaves with peppers, coleslaw, potato salad, and Branston.
Malet Arms Ploughmans Lunch

8 – Cheese & Ham.

Wookey Hole Cave aged cheddar, Dorset Blue Vinney and my added extra of hand carved ham.

Cheddar was great, I would go so far as to say a perfect cheddar- mature and creamy with just the right amount of crumble.

The ham was delicious, though ever so slightly on the dry side.

Blue cheese was lovely as well. I would have liked an option to swap the blue for a Brie or something else, but that’s just personal preference.

A pub-style Ploughman’s lunch served on a white plate on a wooden table. The meal includes crusty baguette, slices of ham, several cheeses including blue cheese, pickled gherkins, mixed salad leaves with red onion and peppers, creamy potato salad, pink coleslaw, and Branston Pickle.
Malet arms Ploughmans

9 – Bread. A nice white crusty baguette, served warm which is always a plus.

3 – Spread Butter. Lichfield foil-wrapped butter which was a little on the cold side. The bread was warm so thankfully it was spreadable. No complaints, but nothing special either.

5 – Salad, etc. Added a nice freshness without taking up too much space. Also came with a potato salad and a great creamy homemade coleslaw.

5 – Presentation: Traditional, simple, and on a plate (boards are nice but unnecessary!)

A row of beer taps behind a pub bar, featuring Cruzcampo, Inch’s Cider, Guinness Extra Cold, Underfall Lager, and Beavertown Neck Oil. Bottles and glasses are visible in the softly lit background, with a partly poured pint of Guinness in the foreground.
Malet arms drinks

3 – Originality. Nothing particularly original about it- just a simple ploughman’s done well.

Food Total: 45

Beverages

10 – Drinks: I just had lime and soda so let my partner score this section. He was very happy with the drink selection. He opted for a pint of Sign of Spring (which he can never resist) but there were many other pump options including Lilley’s ciders.

Drinks Total: 10

The Venue

10 – Service: Can’t fault, staff are very friendly and attentive without being overbearing.

10 – Atmosphere: lovely roaring fire, cosy and traditional yet quirky decor, outdoor seating in a walled garden. It really is a charming pub!

The exterior of the Malet Arms, a traditional white-painted country pub with black trim and a steep tiled roof. A hanging pub sign stands beside the building, with outdoor seating, umbrellas, flowers, and bunting decorating the frontage beneath a cloudy sky.
Malet arms

5 – Location: Very quiet countryside spot by a stream, lots of local walks to choose from.

5 – Toilets: Clean, and fun wallpaper!

Venue total: 30

Total Score: 85

Footnotes:

Editor: Big thanks to Becky for submitting this wonderful review. I had heard from another friend who had visited there a few weeks ago, so it is lovely to get it reviewed.

I might have to go and try it myself.

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