'Ploughman's lunch' apparently 'cancelled' by pub and renamed to 'ploughperson's' | indy100

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‘Cancel culture’ chat is everywhere these days as the phoney culture war rages on, and one thing we definitely didn’t see getting dragged into the conversation was the humble ploughman's lunch.

A pub in Devon has updated the name of the dish to reflect the gender-sensitive times we live in, and it’s inevitably sparked heated discussions online.

The classic meal combines a cold spread of bread, cheese, onion and pickle. While it might sound like a traditional dish which has been eaten in the UK for centuries, it was actually only popularised in the 50s and 60s after being promoted by the Cheese Bureau in pubs to boost the sale of cheese.

It’s still a very popular dish though and the Tors Pub in the Dartmoor village of Belstone has mixed things up by rebranding it as "ploughperson's lunch".

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Despite some passionate reactions online, the pub said it was meant to be nothing more than a "bit of fun".

The world is off its rocker and quite frankly I\u2019m sick of it.pic.twitter.com/o6sSBQWOk8
— Charlotte, The Baroness of Burnley \ud83d\udc60 (@Charlotte, The Baroness of Burnley \ud83d\udc60) 1648383326

The menu item was first shared online by Twitter user Charlotte Deakins, who posted online: “The world is off its rocker and quite frankly I’m sick of it.”

She was also interviewed by the Telegraph and said: “Quite frankly, my reaction is that it is pandering and dangerous, unless the pub owners have done it in a tongue-in-cheek manner and I hope they have.

The humble Ploughman's lunch has been a classic for decadesFlickr/Stacey Shintani

“The tweet has gained some traction and people are absolutely sick of the nonsense and having to pussyfoot around because of a small minority who are eternally offended.”

Tors Pub landlord Dicky Harrison also spoke to the paper and said the “fun” menu change was meant to be "tongue in cheek", adding that it was a tribute to the female farmers who work in the area.

No-matter what the intention was, it’s caused a lot of reaction online – and some people are very angry.

\u2018Ploughpersons\u2019 is this a wind up?https://twitter.com/charlotteemmauk/status/1508055091219214344\u00a0\u2026
— Sam (@Sam) 1648389350

A Devon pub changed the name of the lunch 'Ploughman's' to 'Ploughperson's'.\n\nI'd order that just to send it back.
— Carl Vernon (@Carl Vernon) 1648475850

If you get upset at someone changing \u201cPloughman\u2019s Lunch\u201d to \u201cPloughperson\u2019s\u201d then you have a problem.\n\nHowever, if you are the one who thought the change necessary, you have an either bigger problem.
— Paul (@Paul) 1648468167

You see, nobody complained/was offended about it being called a 'Ploughmans Lunch'. The pub owner changed the name half as a joke, and half as a nod to the women who do work the land down there. \n\nBut have people been offended by it being called a 'Ploughperson's Lunch'? You bet.
— ChrismanSpurs (@ChrismanSpurs) 1648466860

I'm guessing there's no gammon in their Ploughperson's Lunch.
— Gareth Clark (@Gareth Clark) 1648477085

A pub in Dartmoor has renamed the Ploughman's lunch as the Ploughperson's lunch! Could this world get anymore ridiculous?
— SarahY UK (@SarahY UK) 1648461371

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