Hey Lolly / Nottinghamshire / Restaurant reviews
Sunday Lunch at The Plough Inn, Normanton-on-the-Wolds
A glorious garden, a proper Sunday roast and just enough foodie ambition to keep things interesting.
Sunday lunch at The Plough Inn in Normanton-on-the-Wolds turned into one of those wonderfully unhurried afternoons that a British summer can do so well. A bustling pub garden, a crisp glass of rosé and no particular reason to be anywhere else.
The sunshine undoubtedly helped, but it wasn't doing all the heavy lifting. The Plough is a genuinely lovely pub, with a kitchen that occasionally ventures beyond familiar pub territory and into something a little more ambitious. You've got to love a trier. I certainly do.
Not everything we ordered was exceptional. The starters were fairly ordinary and the desserts didn't quite live up to the mains. But those main courses? Very good indeed. So good, in fact, that we ordered another Sunday roast to take home.
Would I go back? Undoubtedly.8/10
At a glance
- Where
- The Plough Inn, Normanton-on-the-Wolds, Nottinghamshire
- Our visit
- Sunday 28 June 2026
- Best for
- Proper Sunday roasts, beautiful pub gardens and lazy summer lunches
- Spend
- £171.90 for two diners, including two bottles of wine and a third roast to take away
- Highlights
- The roast beef, beautifully cooked lamb, excellent vegetables and fresh mint sauce
- Worth knowing
- Book ahead on Sundays. Our previous attempt to walk in wasn't possible.
- We ordered
- Padrón peppers, salt and pepper squid, roast rump of beef, roast lamb loin, chocolate tart, passionfruit parfait and takeaway chicken roast
- Verdict
- Lovely atmosphere, excellent mains, less remarkable starters and puddings. 8/10.
01 / The setting
A Pub Garden Worth Lingering In
Some pubs simply come into their own in the sunshine. The Plough is one of them.
On our visit the garden was glorious, green, busy and buzzing with people making the most of a proper British summer's day. There was that lovely hum of conversation, glasses being topped up and nobody looking in much of a hurry. It's exactly the sort of place where lunch quietly turns into an entire afternoon.
What I liked most was the balance. This still feels like a proper village pub rather than a restaurant trying to disguise itself as one. Yet the menu suggests a kitchen that's happy to be a little more adventurous. A good pub lunch teetering into foodie territory, and I commend the effort.
One useful thing to know before you go: I'd book, especially on a Sunday. We'd tried to visit on another occasion without a reservation and couldn't get a table. This time we came prepared, and judging by how busy it was, that was the right decision.
02 / The starters
A Pleasant Start, Nothing More
We shared Padrón peppers and salt and pepper squid. Both were fine. Neither was a dish I'd return specifically to order.
The peppers came in a generous portion, which I appreciated, but they were ultimately just peppers. I love eating Padrón peppers whole, seeds and all, leaving only the stalk behind. There wasn't anything wrong with these; there just wasn't much to get excited about, either.
The squid was similarly unremarkable. Its quite uniform shape made me wonder whether it might have been previously frozen or bought in, rather than prepared from scratch. I can't say that for certain, and wouldn't pretend otherwise. It simply didn't have the character of really memorable salt and pepper squid.
03 / The main event
This Is Where The Plough Gets It Right
Then the mains arrived, and any reservations about the starters rather quickly disappeared.
We chose the traditional Sunday rump of beef (£24) and the roast lamb loin (£29). Two very different plates, both excellent in their own way.
The beef was a fantastic traditional Sunday roast: the familiar comfort of beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy, all presented with care. It was exactly what you want when you've spent the week looking forward to Sunday lunch.
And the vegetables deserve some proper credit. They weren't merely the obligatory supporting act. They were beautifully cooked and every bit as enjoyable as the meat.
The lamb was a different proposition: less of a classic roast dinner and more of a beautiful summer roast on a plate. Properly considered, colourful and, most importantly, delicious. This is where the kitchen's slightly more ambitious side really paid off.
The fresh mint sauce was a particular highlight. Such a simple thing, but beside lamb it makes all the difference. That lovely bright lift against the richness of the meat is exactly why the combination has lasted so long.
The starters were ordinary. The mains were anything but.
If you're going primarily for the food, this is where I'd spend my enthusiasm. One reassuringly traditional roast, one beautifully composed lamb dish, and vegetables that someone in the kitchen clearly cares about.
04 / Something sweet
A Lovely Finish, If Not Quite the Main Attraction
We rounded things off with a chocolate and hazelnut tart (£10) and a passionfruit parfait (£9.50).
Both looked lovely, especially the parfait with its colourful, fruity presentation. And both made for a very pleasant end to lunch. But neither quite reached the standard of those excellent main courses.
Perhaps that's the trouble with a really good roast. It raises expectations. The puddings were enjoyable, just not what I'll be talking about when I tell someone to book a table.
05 / One for the road
A Sunday Roast to Take Home
Perhaps the clearest compliment we could have paid the kitchen was ordering an extra Sunday roast for the troops at home.
We chose the chicken (£22), and I have to give The Plough credit for the way it was packaged. Rather than something hastily tipped into a takeaway box, it arrived carefully covered and packed for the journey, the sort of little detail that makes you smile.
There's something rather charming about leaving Sunday lunch with another Sunday lunch under your arm.
06 / The bill
Was It Worth £171.90?
On paper, nearly £172 for a Sunday lunch for two sounds rather substantial. But context matters.
We had two starters, two mains, two desserts, two bottles of Pinot rosé and water. Then we added a third main course, the chicken roast, to take home. The wine alone accounted for £58, while the extra roast was £22.
The beef was £24 and the lamb £29, both prices I'd be happy to pay again for cooking of that standard. The starters and desserts didn't provide quite the same value for me, but overall, with the atmosphere, garden and the main courses doing such a good job, I left feeling we'd had a lovely afternoon for our money.
These are the prices from our 28 June 2026 receipt, not a claim about the pub's current menu.
07 / The final word
The Hey Lolly Verdict: 8/10
Would I return to The Plough Inn for Sunday lunch? Undoubtedly.
The garden was glorious, the atmosphere was everything I want from a sunny Sunday afternoon, and the cooking when it mattered most was genuinely impressive. Yes, the starters were average. Yes, the desserts were more pleasant than memorable. But the roast beef, the lamb, those vegetables and that fresh mint sauce made up for an awful lot.
There's a kitchen here trying to do something beyond ordinary pub food, without losing sight of what makes a proper pub lunch such a pleasure. That deserves recognition.
I suspect a little of the magic came from the sunshine. I'd be interested to revisit on a grey November afternoon and see whether the same feeling holds. Something tells me the roasts would still make a convincing case.
Still in the mood for Sunday lunch?
For more tried-and-tasted pub lunches, read my reviews of The Martins Arms in Colston Bassett and The Griffin in Plumtree. Or dip into my guide to where to eat in Nottingham for more places worth booking.
Personally visited 28 June 2026. This review reflects that particular meal and our own experience. Food, prices and booking arrangements may change.
