- Overall 2
- Food 3
- Service 3
- Ambience 2
We’ve been visiting The Plough in Effingham for many years, under previous ownerships, and have always enjoyed the food and service. Sadly, on our most recent visit, we noticed a drop in standards which was disappointing given its past reputation.
The menu still offers a good selection and is averaged priced. While the food tasted okay, the experience was let down by a significant delay—we were warned of a 20-minute wait, which ended up being over an hour. When the Sunday roast finally arrived, the chicken was minimal and quite dry, and the pig in blanket was so overcooked it was difficult to cut. One even flew off the table during an attempt! The vegetable portion was surprisingly sparse—just a slither quarter of a carrot and parsnip, with no sign of the green beans, cabbage, or leeks that were meant to be included.
With only 2 staff members serving and a third arriving later, it was difficult to flag the issue during the meal. When we finally raised our concerns after finishing, the waiter was apologetic and did his best, but the manager never responded directly. We had to ask again why our vegetables hadn’t been added. We were eventually told the missing vegetables were due to a miscommunication with the kitchen, and we were offered complimentary desserts, though we declined and asked for our non alcoholic drinks to be left off the bill to which they complied.
It seems the pub is no longer owner-managed, and unfortunately, that change appears to have affected the overall quality. Our waiter tried their best under pressure, but the experience didn’t live up to the pub’s former high standards and as others have reviewed the manager is not right for the place - in fact even the clientele was not the same. We hope things improve, but for now, we’d hesitate to recommend it as we once did.
Plough - EffinghamResponded on April 15, 2025Hello Kath,
Firstly we're sorry to read about your recent visit to the Plough last Sunday, this is not our usual approach, we are taking steps to make sure this changes. Sunday was a challenge for us and we did have a longer than expected wait for food. The vegetables was our error as every dish should have a separate bowl of green beans, cabbage and leeks to accompany it and this was missed. We do always ask that you let the staff know that the food is not right and I understand you not wanting to bother the staff when its busy - but we don't mind especially if its affecting your visit. We are working on the communication as a team and feedback helps too!
Thanks again for your feedback, if you want to discuss further please send us an email info (at) plougheffingham.co.uk
Regards
Sara