Ploughman's lunch
A ploughman's lunch is a meal often served in an English pub (as distinct from a Scottish pub). Although marketed as being the 'traditional' fare eaten by ploughmen in 'bygone' days, the ploughman's lunch was in fact a late 1970s invention of the UK catering industry.
A ploughman's lunch is generally eaten around noon, rather than as an evening meal. It usually consists of a lump of cheese (usually Cheddar or Stilton), pickle and salad, accompanied by crusty bread and butter.
The high profile of the ploughman's lunch has lead to many catering companies referring to a sandwich containing Cheddar, pickle and salad as a ploughman's sandwich.
The Ploughman's Lunch was a 1984 British film directed by Richard Eyre. The film's title was ironic, Ian McEwan's script using the metaphor of this faux traditional dish in order to represent Thatcherite and media spin and inauthenticity in the aftermath of the Falklands War.
