Ploughman’s lunch at The Old Forge farm shop, Berwick St James reviewed
Location –
The Old Forge farm shop,
Langford lane,
Berwick St James,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire.
SP3 4UA
01722 790490
Website – (There is no current website, only Facebook – The Old Forge farm shop).
Date of Visit – 02/11/2024
Notes on the visit: I had sort of heard about this place, maybe a friend of a friend, or something online here or there. A bit of a punt visiting as there was only a hint about a ploughman’s lunch on a photo of a menu from a year or two ago. I believe the Ploughman’s Lunch to be a firm fixture, and well….. read on to find out if this is justified.
The Food
9 – Pickled Onion. Little explosions of sweet wonder. Small but mighty: pickled, however, the acidity is very light. They are quite sweet in flavour but in no way sickly. Nice bit of crunch yet not hard. I believe (I should have asked) that they are Darlington’s Baby Onions In Balsamic Vinegar I highly recommend them.
9 – Pickle. Not just a ploughman’s Pickle, but also Picalilli.
The ploughman’s pickle was light and tasty. Perhaps a bit too light, or maybe a touch more needed. Blimey, I’m being picky here. It was lovely and I believe it to be the self-styled Perfect Ploughman’s Pickle by Tracklements.
The Piclalli was explosive! I asked about what it was, and it was Particularly British Piccalilli again by Tracklements. On their website it is described thus: “Our version of this curious mustard pickle packs a punch of sharpness ” and they are right.
I was not prepared for it. The first spoonful blew my head off!
I was prepared for the second spoonful and treated it with a bit more respect. It was most enjoyable as an accompaniment. Do not eat it neat! It is a glorious addition and one to be savoured.
9 – Cheese & Ham:
The Cheese was excellent! By that I mean, one of the best cheddars that there is. It was Haystack Cheddar by Barbers. Creamy, crumbly, good proud cheddar flavour without too much acid – for me the perfect ploughman’s cheese. If there was about 30% – 40% more instead of Ham, it would have been 11 or 12 out of 10!
The Ham was good, perfectly acceptable, to get a 10 it has to be home-cooked. It is a big ask to get a 10 with the Ham!
8 – Bread: The bread was good, very nice indeed. Dropped a few points because it was, I suspect, par-baked. However, I like a good crusty crunch on my ploughman’s bread and this was crunchy and warm and bready and welcome…..
3 – Spread Butter, the right amount, slightly on the chilly side, but that was probably a function of the time of year. Alas, standard pub supplies – Litchfield’s packets. There was a range of butter for sale in the shop…. (hint, hint).
5 – Presentation: Impeccable! Look at it, it’s beautiful!
5 – Salad, etc. small but perfect, ideal! Just enough to provide a contrast with the cheese and add a bit of colour. Perfectly fresh and crisp and nicely arranged.
5 – Originality. In some respects, it might not be that original, but I really like how it was presented. There was plenty to eat and a nice balance of ingredients. The ploughman’s lunch is one of the few dishes that lends itself to being served on a lump of wood. Never too keen on Chips in tiny shopping trollies or Scallops in wheelie bins, etc.. but this worked. Plenty of space to get to work and nothing will fall off. Nice.
Food Total: 53
Beverages
9 – Drinks: I had tea. Other drinks were had by other members of our little group, and the reports were of excellence. The tea was standard but rather nice. Extra points for the awesome tea cosy, something not seen in today’s world: surely we should be campaigning for these things. Bring back the tea cosy!
Drinks Total: 9
The Venue
10 – Service: Service was warm, welcoming and efficient. Top marks!
10 – Atmosphere: The shop and cafe are in a range of old barns. Order food in the shop part, and then there is a choice of eating outside or crossing the courtyard and into the other barn, where a very welcoming scene awaits. Rustic, yet comfortable with a touch of flair.
5 – Location: It has the dichotomy of being in the middle of nowhere and 4 minutes from the A303. The sound, feel, and smell, is of beautiful countryside, with no hint of a busy road a few miles away. Yet it is readily accessible from the almost permanent traffic jam at Winterbourne Stoke.
Berwick St James is in the best rural Wiltshire, and as fine as any Eric Ravilious painting. Big wide open fields, Beech hangers and woods lining the horizon – it is a big country here. The village is houses of Flint and brick and stone, topped with red tile or thatched in the long or short straw. There is still space in the settlement: Grass verges, hedges and occasional paddocks. The traffic is horses, bikes, hikers on a long-distance mission, and the occasional motorist – local or lost.
The last thing I would want is for me to make this place too popular, and at present, that is not a worry. However, if a few could divert from the busy route between the southwest and the Metropolis, it would help support this beautiful place and the village pub.
Note to city folk: you may or may not find this confusing. There is little formal parking at the place, but plenty locally. The roads have little to no traffic, and have places to park. Do not park over driveways, access places or on things that are alive (green or flowers). Do that, and you are OK. There are a few spaces on the little road up to the Old Forge on the left, but not many. Take your time, have a look about, there is no rush.
Some parking spaces can be found on the main road here and there. If someone asks you to move (unlikely) apologise and implore them for assistance on where to park, and it will probably be given in spades. You may need to park a few minutes walk away – this is OK. There are lots of options, but it may take a while to tune in and see them.
On this theme, this is exactly the sort of place that would make and beautiful stop-off if you are traversing the A303. Only 4 minutes away, and you can have a nice restful stop with great food, freshly made, served quickly. Or, you could have an average to crappy sandwich from a garage next to the road. Be brave, give it a go.
5 – Toilets: Impecable. Being a modern man, I noticed there is equipment available that is of little use to me as a gentleman. However, the supplies may be invaluable to my wife, and in the future, my daughter. I hope I have made it clear that I’m very impressed with what is available, and for whom, and that this is wonderful and worthy of acknowledgement. Bravo, more of this, please.
Venue total: 30
Total Score: 92
Editors note: This is probably the most unspoilt bit of traditional Wiltshire I have ever been to.
The roads are quiet to the point of desolation, the countryside rolling and wide. Away from the Army on Salisbury Plain and the expansion of the towns. Yet, it is only a few minutes away from the A303. Seriously consider dropping by for a break. Have a cuppa and a cake, a 5-minute stroll. It will do you a world of good.
I have also just found out about this publication – The Farm Shop Guide – that features this establishment. I might need to get a copy for research purposes.
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