The crown for Nottinghamshire's best pub in the National Pub and Bar Awards has gone to The Plough in Normanton-on-Wolds. The country inn follows in the prize-winning footsteps of The Railway in Lowdham and The Radcliffe in Radcliffe-on-Trent, other pubs also belonging to the Secret Pub Company.
"We have our staple ones, Black Sheep and Wainwright go down a treat and sell amazingly. They both pour incredibly. I always like to mix it up a bit with something interesting and local, to support local businesses. Gin is definitely still a big thing. We have such a variety of gins in different flavours. We’ve got some local gins on," said Becky. The local producer is Ruddy Fine Gin, which has a distillery less than five miles away from the pub.
Delicious food The food is a huge attraction, propelling visitors to the pub. Chefs use fresh, seasonal produce to create the menu, which has just changed for spring. Becky said: "I think food is such as important part of hospitality these days. The menu is all fresh food - it's such a big selling point for us. People want fresh and that's what we can provide. I'd argue our signature sticky toffee pudding is one of the best you can find."
The seating, partitions and flooring were all new, with a design brief to keep the country pub feel with modern touches. It worked. There's still plenty of traditional features at the only pub in the village though. Last year The Plough won Nottingham CAMRA's award for 'the ideal beer garden'. The secluded gem is bordered by high hedges and mature trees.