Indulge in the best Sunday roast without lifting a finger

25 September 2025

Felicity Cloake, Food Writer at The Guardian

A quintessential British tradition

Few things bring us together as a country more than a Sunday roast – whether you treat yourself after church or a big night out, as the prelude to a country walk or a wander round the shops, the chance to get together round the table is something we can all appreciate, especially now it’s chilly enough to really get stuck into that gravy.

Yet it’s also true that few things are more divisive: should the centrepiece be dad’s favourite roast rump of beef … or a roast beetroot and mushroom wellington everyone can enjoy? Do Yorkshire puddings really belong with chicken? Is it horseradish or mustard with beef… and do you want the meat pink, or softly falling off the bone? And most importantly, who gets to call dibs on that big bit of pork crackling?

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Nothing compares to your local pub

Now, as someone who writes recipes for a living, I know my way around a kitchen. Indeed, I pride myself on my crunchy, fluffy roast potatoes (as we all know, a roast stands and falls by its spuds) and I make very decent gravy if I say so myself – a slug of port, or a spoonful of redcurrant jelly always works wonders. So, if I were stuck on a desert island, it’s a comfort to know I could keep the tradition going on my own (though as soon as I sat down to eat, I guarantee my family would emerge from the sea demanding to know if I had any ketchup).

Until then, however, I confess I prefer Sunday lunch at the pub. Not only will they do the hard work – all the peeling of veg and juggling of pans and timers – while I sit and enjoy a glass of wine, but, crucially, everyone can have exactly what they want. No compromises. No complaints. And definitely no arguments over crackling.

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