[Invite] – click here

It was only back in May when I last visited the newly refurbished ‘Plough & Fleece’ in Horningsea (click here for the in-depth review). I remember being thoroughly charmed by the historic community-run country pub and wholly satisfied with their selection of traditional cuisine. The formal dining experience gave me a reassurance of quality while also being casual enough to relax and enjoy myself, combining to make a versatile restaurant for any occasion.

Needless to say, I was delighted to be invited back to sample their new menu. Speaking with the chef, Hayden, he explains that now they have been open for a while, the team have had time to learn what their customers want and are more confident and adventurous with their cuisine. I was excited to see what the end result would be, so I let the chef pick our dishes.

Starters & Nibbles

First was the vegan feta, basil and polenta fritters with a yoghurt sauce. Frankly, I couldn’t believe these were vegan. They have crispy skin with a warm fluffy centre which are then cut into large meaty chunks.

Probably my favourite dish of the evening was their simple yet incredibly tender sticky pork bites. Cut up into cubes and glazed in honey, they are great for sharing, and were garnished with spring onion for that added freshness and crunch. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best.

Another fine addition was the salt and pepper king prawns, served with stir fried vegetables, ponzo, and a citrus sauce. We got between 5/6 chunky king prawns in total that were very succulent and juicy. The onion added a rich caramelised flavour that added a sweetness that really worked.

Mains

The oat crusted pork and chorizo scotch egg was truly special. The oats gave it a lovely thick crispy skin that was further complimented by a soft fatty centre from the pork and chorizo. This was then signed off with an egg with a very large yolk in the centre, making it a superb take on the iconic scotch egg. I was quite fond of their choice to use celeriac remoulade to complement the scotch egg. This gave it a creamy texture, freshness, and mild nutty flavour.

Their pork chop was another highlight this evening. It came with crushed new potato, braised chicory, peppers, sweet corn, and a BBQ glaze.

It was served as a thick-cut slab of pork and was everything you could possibly want from a pork chop and more. It was juicy, filling, and with a dominating presence on the plate with everything else being completely overshadowed by its size. I really feel like you get your money’s worth with this monster and it really spoke to the carnivore in me with its proud simplicity. I found myself really chewing on it with great satisfaction and I appreciated the fact they didn’t try and make it too tender or soft in a wimpy gourmet way. This was a proud substantial cut of pork and it didn’t care who knew it.

The chicory and the sweet corn were also a nice touch, with the chicory adding some much needed greenery and freshness.

And finally, we were presented with two takes on their linguini, a crab and a vegan wild mushroom version.

The wild mushroom comes with marinated artichokes, air-dried tomato, yoghurt, rocket, and shaved parmesan.

I was immediately struck by how creamy it was for a vegan dish, something vegan often struggles to emulate. I didn’t get to eat much of this dish but I thoroughly enjoyed what I had with my guest giving it a thumbs up too.

My crab, tarragon, and lemon linguine was excellent. It was made with creme fraiche, rocket, and shaved parmesan.

The parmesan added tangy cheesy pops while the creme fraiche made the dish extra creamy. I enjoyed the freshness added by the lemon that gave it a light zesty punch, perfect for summer. It was simple and light dish that is versatile and accessible for almost anyone.

Desserts

And just like that, they brought out four desserts! It’s a hard job but someone has to do it 🤣

First was one of my favourites of the bunch – a chocolate hazelnut fudge tart with creme fraiche. 

This generously sized slice was mostly fudge, made from an intensely rich and very dark hazelnut chocolate…just the way I like it! I couldn’t fault it but it may be too intense for some.

Next was a lovely lemon curd cheese cake served with summer berry puree. Cheesecake is a universal classic and one of my all time favourites but it can often feel generic and underwhelming in its regularity. Somehow the team at The Plough & Fleece managed to make it exciting and feel a little different by making it a light mousse rather than a cake. This made it easier to enjoy and more refreshing after a heavy meal but it also allowed the berry puree to jump out and dominate the flavour with its sweet and intense flavour.

We ended the evening with two peach-based desserts. The first was a honey baked peaches with maple syrup, sweet basil and salted caramel ice cream.

The maple syrup peaches and sorbet is a vegan dessert. This was sweeter than the salted caramel ice cream but also tasted lighter and more refreshing…something very welcome during the stint of hot weather and after eating 11 courses. Discussing it at the table, we couldn’t agree which of the two we preferred. I personally enjoyed the vegan version more but she preferred the salted caramel ice cream.

Conclusion

As this was my second visit in a short amount of time, I tried to make this shorter and more concise than my previous in-depth review. But once I started writing, my love for the food came gushing out…and here we are 🤣

The Plough & Fleece provides another marvellous evening of culinary delights. Their menu is full of dishes that have clearly had a lot of time and love put into them, with many exciting and intriguing takes on traditional dishes. It is comfort food that excites!

Both my guest and I were scratching our heads by the end trying to find a fault, with even the vegan dishes standing out as exceptional. Prices were fair, especially for the quality, making this another example of how you can get fine dining style experiences without having to pay through the nose. I particularly love the formal yet casual dining experience that cements this further, offering a warm and comfortable place you will want to visit again and again.

Thanks for reading