Everything you need to know about a traditional Sunday roast
The Sunday roast is just as much of a tradition today as it always has been, remaining perhaps the most well-known British classic. There are many reasons to love a traditional Sunday roast. Not least because they can be the perfect end to a busy week, bringing family and friends together over a delicious meal.
What is a traditional Sunday roast?
A Sunday roast is a hearty meal of meat – or a vegetarian option – vegetables and potatoes. It can be eaten throughout the week but is usually saved for Sunday afternoon or evening. If you’re cooking one up at home, the leftovers make for a time-saving treat on Monday, too.
What’s in a traditional Sunday roast?
A traditional Sunday roast dinner mainly consists of roasted meat accompanied by golden roast potatoes, stuffing and an array of vegetables. Gravy is a huge feature of the English Sunday roast, as is the humble Yorkshire pud.
Of course, roasts aren’t all about meat, and you’ll find plenty of vegetarian options that are just as tasty. Whether you opt for a delicious nut roast with mushroom gravy, roasted cauliflower or even vegetarian Wellingtons, there’s a veggie roast deserving of pride of place on any dinner table.
Sometimes things will change or be added, depending on the time of year or the type of meat used. Roast lamb for example, is best paired with a little kick of mint sauce. At Christmas, pigs in blankets will often find their way onto a roast as an extra festive trimming.
What is the best roast meat?
When it comes to the best meat to use as part of your Sunday roast, you should consider the taste, tenderness and how difficult it’s going to be to cook.
Lamb
If you’re looking for something a little different, lamb is a great option. Traditionally eaten at Easter, it’s rich and tasty, making for the perfect Sunday treat. Try a little mint sauce on your roast lamb for an extra depth of flavour.
Chicken
Prefer poultry? Chicken is a classically delicious meat for a Sunday dinner. A whole chicken is pretty easy to rustle up and makes for fantastic leftovers the day after too. At Christmas time we tend to swap the chicken for turkey, as part of a tradition dating back to King Henry III. He decided to switch from the traditional goose to a turkey for his Christmas dinner, setting the trend we still follow to this day.
Beef
Of course, it wouldn’t be a discussion about the best meat for a roast without mentioning beef. It’s the traditional meat used for a Sunday roast dinner and remains the most popular for many families. You can see this by the empty supermarket shelves if you try to shop for a roast beef joint too late on a Sunday!
The tradition of roast beef Sunday dinners is said to date back to 15th-century England. Royal guards would eat the meat after church service on Sundays, leading them to become known as ‘beefeaters’.
There are numerous cuts of beef to choose from and most are great as part of a Sunday roast. Topside beef is moist and tender. Silverside beef is a lean, boneless cut of meat that’s slightly tougher than topside and ideal for roasting. Top rump is the perfect cut of beef for slow cooking. It’s a succulent and flavoursome cut that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Veggie options
Roasts are traditionally very meat heavy, but there are lots of vegetarian options these days to make sure everyone can enjoy a roast they love. Including the nut roast, which isn't a new idea, either. It does have a history.
Nut roasts appear to have originated in 1908, when Florence George included 2 ‘nut cutlet’ recipes in her book Vegetarian Cookery. Quite soon after, the nut roast became a Sunday roast and Christmas staple.
If you don’t fancy a nut roast, why not try a veggie Wellington? Traditional beef Wellington consists of fillet steak coated in pâté and duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry and then baked. It’s a well-loved dish that can easily be altered to become a fantastic vegetarian centrepiece for Sunday lunch or even Christmas Day.
Instead of meat, the puff pastry is bursting with beautifully cooked veg, like sweet potatoes, kale and spinach, often with some lovely mushrooms and chestnuts too.
Nowadays you can easily find meat substitutes for veggies, vegans and pescatarians to go with a roast. Plant-based products have taken leaps and bounds in recent years, and you might be hard-pressed to even tell the difference.
Why do we eat a roast on a Sunday?
Sunday roasts are a well-loved British tradition, bringing people together around the table for centuries. But why do we eat a roast on a Sunday?
In addition to the aforementioned ‘beefeaters’, there are other accounts of how the Sunday dinner originated. Some believe that it came about from the time when village serfs would serve the squire six days a week. On the Sunday after their church service, they would practise battle techniques. Afterwards they were rewarded with a meal of spit-roasted ox.
The tradition also dates back to the 1700s, when families would leave a cut of meat cooking when they headed out to church. When they returned, the meat would be ready and its juices would be used for a delicious gravy.
Four of our favourite country pubs serving Sunday roasts
If you’re on the hunt for a hearty Sunday roast near you, allow us to treat you to exactly that. Here are four of our stunning countryside pubs serving delicious roasts with all the trimmings.
The Bulls Head, London
Sitting pretty on the River Thames, the Bull’s Head is a beautiful 18th-century tavern by the water. The island across from it is named Oliver’s Island, after Oliver Cromwell himself. Legend says that he once visited the inn, and although we’ll never know for sure, we like to think it’s true.
Bull’s Head offers lots of options when it comes to Sunday roast dinner. From a Trio of Roasts to Wild Garlic Mushrooms and other vegetarian options. It’s the perfect setting in which to unwind with your whole family, including your dog. All are welcome to enjoy a delicious Sunday roast at the Bull’s Head.
The Ball & Wicket, Surrey
The Ball & Wicket rests in a peaceful hamlet town, a short distance away from the breathtaking Alice Holt Forest. This delightful pub gets its name from its site on an old disused cricket ground. It boasts a lovely, large beer garden where you can relax when the weather allows. It also has disabled access, so everyone is able to join.
The Sunday menu offers everything from Honey and Ale Crispy Chicken Strips to Glazed Pork Belly. With much more besides, there’s something to suit even the fussiest eaters.
The Bear & Staff, Liverpool
An attractive, historic inn dating back to the 19th century, the Bear & Staff is the perfect setting to wile away those slow, Sunday afternoons. It’s family and dog friendly, so feel free to bring along your little ones and furry friends.
Enjoy a traditional Sunday roast dinner here amid cosy, tasteful decor, wooden beams and stunning oriel windows. Take advantage of the extensive bar options and order a tasty tipple to accompany your hearty pub grub.
The Cross Keys, North Yorkshire
The perfect place to satisfy your appetite, the Cross Keys is a gorgeous family-friendly farmhouse pub, right on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Inside is warm and snug, with thick wooden beams, cosy open fireplaces and soft booths where you can savour delicious food and drink. The Cross Keys is also a hotel, so if you fancy a longer stay accompanied by a tasty Sunday roast, this is the place for you.
Speaking of Sunday dinner, once again the menu here is second to none. From 7 Hour Slow Cooked Rib of Beef to Lamb Shank Shepherd’s Pie, you’re sure to find something to fill you up.
Find a delicious Sunday roast near you
The Sunday roast remains a stalwart British tradition that still brings families and friends together to this day. The humble roast perfectly embodies what it means to be British. There’s so much love, history and identity tied up in this one simple dish.
Ready to savour a wonderfully comforting Sunday roast near you? Why not pop into one of our pubs. Pull up a seat, settle in and we’ll get your dinner started.