The perfect Sunday roast

20th August 2018

A staple of the British diet, the Sunday roast brings warm memories of family time, unwinding during the orange and leaf strewn autumn days. There are many variations, with a cornucopia of ingredients available for selection – but what makes the perfect Sunday Roast?

Historically, the Great British roast dinner, harks back to the reign of King Henry VII where the royal guard would enjoy freshly roasted beef ritually on a Sunday after church – hence the affection term “Beefeater”. Since then, the classic dish, and all its’ variations has become a firm favourite with the masses. Whatever the combination, there are a few key components.

Mouthwatering Meats:

Whether your choice is sirloin of beef, roast chicken or a loin of pork with crackling, the joint is the star of the show. Sunday joint roasting is a ritual. Basting, wrapping, stuffing and scoring – the quest for the most succulent of meats tests the skills of chefs around the country (or if you rather relax, you could adventure out to your local Young’s pub!):

Vibrant Veggies:

If you’re partial to a parsnip, or can’t can’t live without Chantenay carrots, the roast dinner is your weekly treat in between Christmases – king of the roasts! However, the real lead in this vegetable medley is the roast potato. Some families have handed down their recipe generation to generation, although we have it on good authority the key to a crispy skin with a fluffy middle is to use douse your spuds in goose fat to perfect that crunch. As a treat, our Head Executive Chef, Chris Knights, shares his perfect roast potato recipe here

Marvellous Meat Free:

There are some great, tasty vegetarian options available, and with the rise of the flexitarian, more and more roasters are turning to meat-free options. Animal kind and health-conscious vegetarian options such as a nut roast or a mushroom Wellington served with a generous portion of mushroom gravy, are becoming a pub roast dinner staple. Missing meat no longer means missing out.

Great Gravy:

Thick or thin gravy divides families and nations alike – personally, we believe your spoon should stand up. Holding each great roast dinner together is a deep and delicious gravy. Whilst gravy is the king of condiments when it comes to roast dinners, there are a few contenders to the crown. Remember to add hot horseradish with your beef or marvellous mint with your lamb for that perfect flavour combo.

Yorkshire Puddings:

The first ever documented ‘dripping pudding’ dates back to 1737, where cooks would use a pancake batter and fry it in the fat from the roasting joint. Fast forward nearly 300 years and the Yorkshire pudding is still a staple of the British Sunday lunch. There are a few rules, however, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, it must be over 4 inches tall and it even National Yorkshire Pudding Day has been celebrated on the first Sunday in February in Britain since 2007.

Whatever your perfect ingredients are, your Sunday roast dinner is only as good as the company you keep. Young or old, home or abroad, the smell of the roast has called families together for generations. If you’re not in the mood to cook this Sunday, you could always head down to your local Young’s pub, take the load off and tuck into our selection of roast dinners and fresh seasonal vege.

The perfect Sunday roast

Mouthwatering Meats:

Vibrant Veggies:

Marvellous Meat Free:

Great Gravy:

Yorkshire Puddings:

Our Blog

5 of the best places to stay in Surrey and Sussex

Our guide to an easy-breezy summer in the city

Summer Stays 2024