Ploughman’s-style sharp cheddar board with pickle and bread

A proper pub ploughman’s — sharp aged cheddar, crusty bread, Branston pickle, apple, celery, pickled onion and a cold pint’s worth of character.

Ingredients

• 200 g sharp aged cheddar (or a mix: cheddar + stilton)
• 1 crusty white bloomer or sourdough
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tbsp Branston pickle (or wholegrain mustard)
• 1 sharp eating apple, sliced
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed
• 1 small pickled onion, halved
• A handful of cornichons or pickled gherkins
• A few leaves of crisp lettuce or watercress
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. Slice the cheese into thick wedges — at room temperature for best flavour.

2. Slice the bread and butter generously. Tear into rough pieces.

3. Arrange everything on a board or large plate: cheese, bread, apple slices, celery, pickled onion, gherkins.

4. Spoon the pickle into a small ramekin or quenelle on the board. Add the mustard alongside.

5. Finish with a few grinds of black pepper and serve with a cold pint of bitter.

Notes

The ploughman’s lunch was popularised in the 1960s by the Cheese Bureau to boost cheese sales , now a staple pub menu item.