Hello we are Ploughman’s Luncheonette; once the West Dublin General Store, then the Publicover General Store, then the famous Buffalo Dairy Milk Bar, (and Ploughman’s Lunch.) A community hub, a café, lunch counter, picnic grocer, restaurant and evening hangout.

After being left vacant in the late 1950s the Publicover Store was lovingly brought back to life by Desi Gordon and Stefan Kirkpatrick as The West Dublin Buffalo Dairy Milk Bar and then Ploughman’s Lunch. “Ploughman’s” to all who visit, quickly became a community institution in West Dublin: a place to connect with neighbours, stock up on bread and pastries, eat an ice cream and hang out with friends. Now the shop has changed hands to Pamela Hart and Lou Sheppard, queer artists, long-time food service workers and residents of Dublin Shore, just up the road.

We remain committed to Desi and Stefan’s vision of very very good food and fierce community values. As we uncover more and more about the history of this old building we learn that it has always been a gathering place for the community. We’ve heard rumours there used to be dances on the top floor of the shop. We’ve met senior residents of West Dublin who remember drinking milkshakes at the Publicover’s counter after school. We know how vital Ploughman’s is to our community because we have relied on it as a social space since we moved here in 2020. We carry that magic forward in Ploughman’s Luncheonette, maintaining the cafe/lunch counter by day and expanding into Golden Hour: snacks, supper and drinks into evening.

We have an expanded menu: breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as local wines, beers and botanical cocktails and mocktails. We are also expanding our picnic supplies and take-out options for people heading to the beach (or those heading home.) We have local art, local foods and other local goods. We still have the same French pastries, sourdough breads and single origin chocolates you loved from Ploughman’s Lunch, now prepared by Desi’s new bakery Moonjelly Bakes and Chocolate.