The Plough Inn Shutlanger

I have been going to the Plough at Shutlanger for five years and every time I go it is the most incredible experience great food, atmosphere and the tram are incredible. It’s a really magical place. You can feel the passion and love from the team for great food and service. I recently celebrated a birthday with Sunday lunch for 22 people. Everything was fantastic from booking and working out the arrangement, through to the day itself. The food was absolutely incredible and I really appreciate Jess and the teams kindness and they way every person went the extra mile to provide everything to make the day run smoothly and perfectly. The tiramisu dessert was just incredible !! They are such a great team, beautiful food and the restaurant has such a lovely warm 'vibe ' and is such a lovely place to be. The whole experience was magical and the day everything I wanted it to be a more.

Excellent service, quality of food, ambience. We had a good selection from the menu , venison haunch, hake with mussels and prawns, and a chicken dish expertly modified to suit my milk allergy. All beautifully presented and prepared. The portions were slightly on the large side but nothing got left! We had an excellent Verdicchio wine that worked well with everything.

We have had a few meals here over the past couple of years and it just seems to get better and better. Went today at very short notice and we were made to feel extremely welcome. They were very quiet the main road outside is blocked by work at one end) but the full menu was on offer. We took advantage of the wine suggested and we’re very impressed. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the puds were delightful Altogether an excellent impromptu visit

A friend and I were staying in Towcester on a writing retreat and popped out for lunch at the Plough. We were welcomed warmly and were impressed with the decor inside. The food was delicious and presented so beautifully. The staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. We liked it so much, we returned for breakfast the next day. You definitely need to try the beef pie and the burger was great too!

Have been to the Plough quite a few times and have always been impressed. Not this time. We were seated upstairs which was ok, but I do feel more comfortable downstairs. Being upstairs was clearly an issue for staff. At first, staff did come upstairs to take orders and ask if everything was ok with our meal. But after about 9 pm no staff came upstairs. No one came to clear away the desert plates. No one came to ask if we wanted coffee or any other drinks. No one even came with the bill. Clearly we were out of sight and out of mind. Eventually my husband went downstairs to ask if he could pay. The member of staff said they would come up with the bill. They then came up with a card machine but no bill so had to go away again and get the bill. When we paid they didn 't give us a receipt. Don 't know why they just rushed off again quickly. They did apologise and said it was their fault. When we went downstairs to leave, they were busy clearing empty tables. Clearly they had prioritised that over serving customers. Food was ok but portions seemed small and not as good as previous visits. Customer service was good to start with but went downhill as the evening progressed. All in all a disappointing visit for my birthday. As we left someone mumbled 'thanks for coming ' but they did not look at us as they spoke and had their back to us. I think staff training is clearly an issue here and if you have an upstairs dining room, make sure you allocate staff to that area and don 't leave customers sitting there for ages waiting for service so that they have to go downstairs to find staff.