The pressure-based hybrid lattice-Boltzmann method presented by Farag & al (Phys. Fluids 2020) is assessed for the simulation of buoyancy driven flows. The model is first validated on Rayleigh-Benard and Rayleigh-Taylor two-dimensional cases. A large-eddy simulation of a turbulent forced plume is then carried out, and results are validated against experiments. A good overall agreement is obtained, both for mean and fluctuations quantities, as well as global entertainment. The self-similarity character of the plume in the far-field is also recovered.