What the food critics say about The Plough at Bolnhurst

Bedfordshire MK44 2EX Telephone No. 01234 376274

What the food critics say about us…

Hardens London & UK restaurants 2009

"What a cracker"; this "small country pub" is consistently packed thanks not least to Martin Lee's "good quality" cuisine - "the best in the area by some considerable margin".

The ratings

-- Food
-- Service
-- Ambience

In comparison with other restaurants in the same price-bracket, performance is ...

-- Exceptional
-- Very good
-- Good
-- Average
-- Poor

The 2010 Which? Good Food Guide

The Plough
Big-flavour food shines out
Kimbolton Road, Bolnhurst, MK44 2EX
tel. no: (01234) 376274
www.bolnhurst.com
Gastropub | £30
Cooking score: 5

“In a county not richly endowed with good eating, the Plough shines out like a beacon...Satisfied customers write that 'this is top-quality local produce cooked to produce big, wonderful flavours, with no daft eclectic combinations'.

In particular, they have enjoyed the house black pudding as a starter (which may come with Montgomery Cheddar hash, pancetta and red wine sauce), braised beef and a side of red cabbage followed by apple tart - unimpeachable winter comfort food. Other good ideas have included a ravioli of Portland crab in crab and coriander bisque, roast turbot with confit garlic and cavolo nero....Bread-and-butter pudding and a range of homemade ice creams are among the sweet options.

It all takes part in an atmosphere of great conviviality.

An exemplary wine list, arranged by style, is crammed with pedigree bottles, enthuiastically annotated and offered at fair prices. Choice by the glass (from £3.25) is handsome enough in itself.

The Telegraph and Telegraph online 29 March 2008

Punters come to dine rather than quaff pints at this Tudor tavern turned 21st-century pub restaurant. There is always a buzzy crowd: in winter, they like the cosy cocoonishness; in summer, it's the pretty, tree-shaded garden that attracts them.

Cuisine Energetic English
Set dinner About £25 per person
House wine From £13.95
Plus An impressive wine list and well-kept ales
Minus Low beams, few windows
Reservations 01234 376274

By Belinda Richardson

Times Online

THE PLOUGH

Kimbolton Road, Bolnhurst, Bedfordshire
(01234 376274; www.bolnhurst.com)

Raymond Blanc-trained chef Martin Lee offers modern British food made from carefully sourced, high-quality ingredients including fish from Brixham and Plymouth (fish caught one day is available the next) and venison from the Denham Estate in Suffolk. The veg is from local growers and the bread is baked on site using the pub's own cultivated yeast. Dishes are hearty and include braised pork belly with black pudding mash, roast pumpkin tart.

The Good Pub Guide 2009

FOOD Award WINE Award

BEDFORDSHIRE DINING PUB OF THE YEAR
Stylish conversion of ancient building; thriving atmosphere, charming staff, top-notch food and drinks, and lovely garden.

This striking old building has been beautifully restored; impressive old timbers are set off nicely by the light and airy contemporary decor, and you can see into the smart kitchen. It's a well run ship, with helpful staff coping happily with the chatty crowd. Sourced with care, the range of drinks here includes Potton Village Bike and a couple of guest beers........ An attractive tree-shaded garden overlooks a pond, where you can still see the remains of the moat that used to surround the pub.

Beautifully presented inventive food, from a well balanced changing menu, is prepared using carefully sourced ingredients, many of which come from local named producers. Served with complimentary home-made bread, dishes work their way up from tasty canapes such as devils on horseback to starters such as carpaccio of local venison, potted shrimp risotto with chilli and lemon. Main courses range from sausage and mash to spinach, mascarpone and black truffle lasagne, roast brill with roast fennel and tapenade, and osso bucco; vegetables sides are extra. Imaginative puddings might include red fruit soup with prosecco sorbet and sticky toffee pudding, and they've a very good cheese platter; a reasonably priced set lunch menu too.

The Plough is the Regional Winner for South East in the Which? Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year competition 2007

This award is very important to the team at The Plough as members of the public were invited to nominate their favourite, independently owned establishment – preferably one that offers regional dishes and/or uses local produce. So this is a prize from our customers not just food critics!

Consultant Editor, Elizabeth Carter, said 'The Good Food Guide has always invited reader feedback, and this award builds on that by formally recognising the restaurants that the public love to visit.'

Thank you to everyone who voted for us.

Good Beer Guide

Relaxed and informal pub restaurant with a bar and large dining area offering high quality food. The bar has a modern fireplace and plenty of seating. Outside is a large drinking area alongside the car park. Real cider ia available in summer.

Tastes of Bedfordshire

The Plough has been awarded a Food Mark from The Taste of Bedfordshire, which is operated by The Bedfordshire County Council. It recognises that The Plough sources quality produce locally which is fresh, healthy and environmentally friendly.

The Michelin Pub Guide

“The charming interior offers an inglenook, thick rustic walls, and wood and stone floors in the three main seating areas with reassuringly low ceilings and exposed beams. You can’t help but feel utterly relaxed. Step outside and there’s a duck pond, spacious gardens and two extensive terraces. Local produce is keenly sought and carefully prepared on menus which also pay due homage to the seasons. There’s an eclectic feel to what’s on offer: amongst the modern dishes, look out too old favourites that have stood the test of time.”

The Observer

Exceptional food

The Plough at Bolnhurst

Kimbolton Road, Bolnhurst, St Neots, Bedfordshire, 01234 376274

”The pub equivalent of a phoenix from the ashes. A tavern has stood here since the 1400s, but 15 years ago the last one burnt down; tradition lives on in this happy reincarnation. The Plough subtly holds on to its heritage, employing reclaimed blackened beams and cast-iron chimney, yet overlaying this is a modern touch - stripped boards, hewn-wood bar and crisp white walls. Food is equally sophisticated. Chef-patron Martin Lee and his wife Jane have had a string of successes, and his grounding was with Raymond Blanc. Braised pork belly with black pudding mash, roast pumpkin tart - 'gutsy flavours but restrained formulation' - are the order of the day. Come to dine rather than pop in for a swift pint - the wine list is impressive, though the well-kept Village Bike bitter also slips down a treat.“

Alastair Sawday

Sunday June 25, 2006

(The same article appears in the Alastair Sawday Guide)

The AA Guide to Food & Drink

“Fresh from running two successful pubs in Cambridgeshire, the Lees took over the Plough in 2005. Martin Lee trained with Raymond Blanc, Paul Heathcote and Marc Veyrat, so he knows his way around the kitchen, and he and his team offer modern British food made with quality ingredients including fish from Devon and venison from Suffolk. The veg is from local growers and the bread is made on site using the pub's own cultivated yeast.”

Bedfordshire on Sunday

The Plough at Bolnhurst

“What the Lees and restaurant manager Michael Moscrop have managed to do at The Plough is present the whole package – food, wine, service, ambiance – with understated class. The waiters are not only friendly but knowledgeable; the restaurant is simply but tastefully furnished and there’s still an open fire to sit by while you are perusing the menu.

If, when we arrived, I had been surprised at the number of people who had ventured out to eat in a remote rural pub on a chilly Tuesday night in March, then by the end of the evening all had become clear.”

By Sue Brickay

25 March 2006