Plough re-opens but with only one real ale
Oxford’s “newest and most historic pub” back in business on Cornmarket Street
Closed since October for a make-over, the Plough has re-opened under new ownership by City Pub Group, which also owns St Aldates Tavern and the George Street Social café-bar in the city. Soon after City Pub Group bought the business from local entrepreneur Chris Mulhall, the company was taken over by Young’s but there is no sign of Young’s ownership at present.
Previously called the Plough at 38 but now branded as the Plough Inn, the “newest and most historic pub” claim is based on the fact that the old building functioned as an inn for centuries. Historical records show that it was first recorded as an inn in 1656 but it closed as a pub in the 1920s, later becoming a branch of tailor Austin Reed. When that closed in 2016, the building became derelict until a “soft” re-opening in December 2018 with full trading starting the following month.
It made a successful start, with a pub/café atmosphere on the ground floor and a restaurant upstairs. But the first Covid lockdown came little more than a year after its opening, and all pubs struggled during 2020-21 with lockdowns and restrictions, although the Plough was able to add some pavement seating. It caused some controversy by introducing an optional service charge on drinks as well as meals, but the quality of its ale resulted in inclusion in the 2022 Good Beer Guide. By 2023 its opening hours were restricted, as Chris negotiated with companies wanting to take on the lease.
Only one real ale – St Austell Tribute – is being offered at first, although bar staff said the plan was to make this a regular ale with a second hand pump to be added for rotating guest ales. Pizzas are a key element of the menu although it is wider ranging, and sports TV is being advertised. Unique to the Plough Inn in Oxford is shuffleboard, described by Wikipedia as “a game in which players use cues to push weighted discs, sending them gliding down a narrow court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a marked scoring area”. The game dates from Tudor times, and the Plough Inn’s shuffleboard table is upstairs and available for hire at a cost of £10 for 55 minutes. The upstairs bar is yet to open.
Re-opening of the pub will be welcomed, but it is very different in style and the fermenting casks above the bar were removed and put up for sale by XT, the previous real ale supplier. Whether it becomes a serious player on Oxford’s real ale scene remains to be seen, and as yet there is no acknowledgement about the building’s history, as under Chris Mulhall’s stewardship. Young’s beers may appear in due course, whereas St Aldates Tavern continues to offer a good choice of real ales from independent suppliers.