When a pub’s menu lists a dish described as “The Best Ploughman’s Lunch in Kent”, it would be wrong not to try it. The Woolpack Inn in Chilham has made this claim…but did it live up to expectations?
The recently refurbished pub was our lunch stop en route to Canterbury for an afternoon at the panto in December. It’s a beautiful place set in a picturesque village with countryside walks all around. The Woolpack is a dog-friendly venue (the family who run the pub have dogs of their own, who you’ll see wandering around from time to time). There’s also an outdoor seating area, a decent-sized car park and accommodation, too.
As soon as we walked in we were wowed by the vibe. The smart pub decor itself combined with their equally tasteful Christmas decorations to create a space that’s both cosy and stylish. The feature fireplace in the room where we dined added a lovely focal point (and proved popular with one of the resident dogs, who was curled up in front of it for a while).
While our table was a little wobbly and we were seated very close to the way through from the kitchen (I had to make sure my chair was pulled in fully so members of the team could squeeze through with plates), our food and drink orders were taken quickly and the team were lovely and friendly.
There was some surprise about the menu pricing from some members of our party (£10 for the soup of the day, for example) – and there’s no denying that the food menu is priced higher than some other venues in the area. But was it value for money?
The soup of the day was mushroom stroganoff – two members of the party went for this option. They were impressed by the presentation: see the chunky bowl and beautiful wooden board! The soup itself was earthy and creamy, with perfectly crisp herb croutons nestled on top – and a good thick wedge of decent bread on the side.
Across the table, the Chilham beef burger came in at a punchy £19. This included a pretzel bun stuffed with two homemade beef patties (cooked slightly pink), cheese, crispy bacon, caramelised onion chutney, a slice of beef tomato, red onion and gem lettuce, with half a gherkin skewered on top. It was a big eat and the quality was undeniable – and the crispy hand-cut smoked Maldon salt chips were beautiful.
The “best Ploughman’s in Kent” is priced at £17 and gives you the choice of either three cheeses (from a selection of five), or two cheeses plus ham. I guess the “best Ploughman’s” label also depends on how traditional you are with this dish…
I shared this with my son, and he chose a wedge of mature Cheddar and another of Innkeeper Choice (a pickled onion and chive cheese) as our two cheese choices – both packed full of flavour and a decent size. The ham was thickly sliced, full-flavoured and generous, and there were other traditional elements like pickled onions (both large and small), two different chutneys (one caramelised onion, one apple-based), and thickly sliced bread (which we could have done with more of, for the quantity of other ingredients on the board). There was an apple, too – a whole apple, which I guess makes sense in a way as it prevents it from going brown when sliced.
Less traditional elements included pickled beetroot, cornichons, olives, sundried tomatoes, pickled beetroot and a large salad in the middle of the board – as well as the dried fruit and nuts scattered throughout. I’m not a Ploughman’s purist so there were no complaints from me – it was nice to have something a bit different. I liked that the pickled items and chutneys were served in small pots to keep them separate, and the quality of all the components seemed decent. It was just a shame that, with such a well-presented board, we were given two foil packets of catering-style butter (which was far too cold to spread on the bread anyway).
The Woolpack was pretty quiet when we arrived but soon livened up with plenty of groups enjoying a post-Christmas lunch out. With great service, gorgeous decor and a beautiful village setting, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular – and the food was pretty good, too. I’d definitely be up for returning to check out more of the menu!