The Plough - Pub & Kitchen, Hickling Basin.

17/06/2026

🏆 We're absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for Great Food Club Pub of the Year 2026/27!

This recognition is a real credit to our fantastic team, especially our kitchen team, who work tirelessly to produce our homemade food and award-winning Proper Pies® day in, day out.

We're incredibly proud of what we've built together and grateful to everyone who chooses to eat, drink and spend time with us.

A huge thank you to everyone who nominated us and to Great Food Club for including us among this year's finalists. Now it's over to the judges—and hopefully our Proper Pies® can work a little magic! 🥧✨

🏆 HERE WE GO! The Great Food Club Awards 2026/7 Finalists.

After much panel deliberation, counting 3,000 public votes and analysing our social media stats, here's the GFC Awards 2026/27 Shortlist. Congratulations to all! 👏

We can also reveal our first confirmed winners: The Manor House in Quorn and White Horse Lincoln are our joint People’s Choice Champions 2026/7.

In a first for the GFC Awards, both finished on exactly 145 public nominations, so both will receive the award.

The finalists are:

Restaurant of the Year
Noel’s Arms, Melton Mowbray
Skein, Nottingham
John’s House, Mountsorrel
San Pietro, Scunthorpe

Pub of the Year
Boot & Shoe, Flintham
Five Bells, Claypole
White Hart, Ufford
Plough Inn, Hickling

Café of the Year
Cafe at Welland Park, Market Harborough
Kilo Wine Bar, Quorn
Lil Bo’s Deli, Ashby de la Zouch
No.8 Delicatessen, West Bridgford

Food Producer of the Year
The English Olive Co, Lincolnshire
Drivers Pickles, Leicester
Urban Dairy, Daventry
Redhill Farm Free Range Pork, Lincolnshire

Bakery of the Year
Coosh Micro Bakery, Nottingham
Baines Bakery, Uppingham
The Tiny Bakery, Leicester
Breadmill Bakery, Nottingham

Drink Producer of the Year
Two Chimps Coffee, Oakham
Grainstore Brewery, Oakham
Northern Tea Merchants, Chesterfield
Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co, Ketton

Shop of the Year
Marsh Green Farm Shop, Kelstedge
Essen General Store, Beeston
North’s Deli, Rothley
Origin Farm Shop, Rushton

Judging will now begin. Our panel will visit and assess the finalists before choosing the winner in each category.

The winners will be revealed on Wednesday 30 September, 2026.

Congratulations to all our champs and finalists, and thank you to everyone who nominated. 👏

See the full list here: https://www.greatfoodclub.co.uk/awards/

08/06/2026

Check out the video of when Beard Meats Food took on the Proper Pie Challenge

In this week's episode we're just outside the veritable Holy Land o...

04/06/2026

We are very much looking forward to having you guys back

54th year of excellence!

We're so proud to have this stellar cast back with us for a second season. The Plough - Pub & Kitchen, Hickling Basin. tonight.

East Riding Libraries

03/06/2026

Hope to see you all for show, Wensleydale Whey, Thursday evening at 7pm.

If you want to take advantage of our buy one pie, get the second for half price offer then head to our website ploughinnhickling.com/reservations to book yourself a table inside the pub.

24/05/2026

Bank holiday beer no 3

23/05/2026

Bank holiday beer no.2

21/05/2026

🍻 WIN AT PARENTING THIS BANK HOLIDAY! 🎉

The kids burn off some energy... and you get five minutes to finish a drink while it's still cold. Sounds like a win to us! 😅

We've got a bouncy castle and a giant inflatable obstacle course in the garden all weekend, so the little ones can bounce, climb and race while you relax with a proper pint, a glass of wine or something tasty to eat.

☀️ Family-friendly pub garden
🍕 Stone-baked pizzas
🍺 Proper pints
🎈 Bouncy castle & obstacle course all weekend

Because happy kids = happy parents.

📍 The Plough Inn, Hickling