What is the traditional British name for a meal of bread, cheese, onions, and pickles?

The traditional British name for a meal of bread, cheese, onions, and pickles is ploughman’s lunch.

A ploughman’s lunch is a cold meal built around bread and cheese, commonly accompanied by pickled onions, chutney, salad, or an apple. It is usually served in pubs and is valued for its simplicity rather than a single legally fixed recipe. Many modern versions add ham, pâté, pork pie, or other cold foods.

Although the name suggests an old agricultural lunch, the modern pub tradition was promoted during the twentieth century. The English Cheese Council and related marketing efforts helped popularize the name in the 1950s, when British cheese was being promoted as part of a national food culture.

A ploughman’s lunch is not the same as afternoon tea, which centres on tea and small sweet or savoury items. Nor is it a formal recipe: its defining idea is a rustic cold plate of bread, cheese, and accompaniments.