Food&Drink
The starters arrived promptly and both looked equally delicious. I had opted for the tempura of tiger prawns and cod with sweet chilli mayonnaise and rocket, which was light and summery, although I did lose a prawn to my wife’s fork, it was just the right amount for a starter. Lorraine had opted for the warm salad of courgette, spring onion, edamme beans, mint and taleggio cheese, which although I am not a massive fan of courgette looked very inviting. I managed to plunder a small amount and thoroughly enjoyed it. A subtleness of the mint did not over power the rest of the dish and the warmed cheese had a melt in the mouth quality. After short break we welcomed our mains. I have a weakness for crab, which may have a link to being born on the coast, so it was no surprise I had selected the dressed crab with paprika mayonnaise, leaf salad and potato salad. The crab
was fresh, the potato salad light and the paprika mayonnaise was a triumph. No other mayonnaise will be the same again, this would be amazing on chips. Lorraine’s pan fried sea bass with a tomato and Mediterranean vegetable risotto and pesto dressing was, once again, perfect for a summers day lunch. After enjoying two courses immensely we both agreed to skip dessert... until we read the menu. Elderflower and lime cheesecake with strawberries was far too tempting to turn down, and it didn’t disappoint. We opted for one dessert and two spoons. I would normally do the gentlemanly thing and would let my wife have the lionesses share of the dessert, but today it was a battle of the spoons. The Plough and Sail describes it’s self as a country dinning pub, but lets be honest, this is more than pub grub. It is a testament to the best of contemporary British cuisine.
Good honest food cooked with great skill. You can tell that the local ingredients have been selected with great care and thought, showcasing the seasonality and location to perfection. It has a gloriously relaxed atmosphere where you feel at home straight away, but nothing is lost with its high level of service. Attentive, but not overly so. The Plough and Sail is an excellent benchmark; so often are we placated with mediocrity, however here the Burnside brothers have set their stall out well. Other establishments and diners alike, take note... this is how it is done. Warm, professional and accessible, mixed with a skill of service and a kitchen to be revered. All of the ingredients to deliver excellence. Alex, Oliver and their team should be proud of what they have achieved here. To say that the proof is in the pudding, just think elderflower and lime cheesecake and you won’t go far wrong. THE PLOUGH AND SAIL Snape Maltings, Snape, Suffolk IP17 1SR TEL: 01728 688413 www.theploughandsailsnape.com 57