17 Sunday roasts with the most
Release the Yorkies! No need to slave over a roast, out you go. Here Muddy's Berkshire hot spots for a weekend nosh up.
I love a big ol’ roast dinner as much as the next woman but, my goodness, aren’t they a faff to make? Hours of peeling, basting and washing up of roasting tins… and then it’s scoffed in 10 minutes flat. So in an attempt to take things easy this weekend, I’m gathering my brood and whizzing off to one of these brilliant local pubs for a lazy lunch. Yorkshire puds ahoy!
The Little Angel, Henley On Thames
Well hellooooo beautiful! The Little Angel – a favourite with the rowers – has undergone a mahoosive refurbishment and the results are super-foxy. It’s always been a relaxed gastropub serving great food, but its open door policy to kids and dogs make it a Sunday fave. Take a leisurely stroll along the Thames, ogle the hotties in Lycra and choose your roast – beef, pork, veggie Wellington or sharing.
The Royal Oak, Yattendon
The new look Royal Oak is a lovely combo of old and new – exposed beams and roaring fires at the front with a cool, contemporary Orangery at the back, with views into the lovely walled garden. The Oak has always served up a cracking Sunday roast, and now offers spit roasted meats, including a 12-hr slow-roasted lamb and mini roasts for the kids.
The Newbury Pub, Newbury
Sunday roast at The Newbury is an event in itself. A lot of love goes into this great British dish from the overnight roasted beef to the Roast Sharing Board that comes with a combo of beef, pork and chicken – perfect for the greedy *ahem* or indecisive. This Muddy award-winning pub, is a gastro hotspot perfect for relaxed grazing. Sunday Funday starts and ends here – especially now they distill their own gin.
The Crown, Bray
Drop into this super-relaxed, down-to-earth boozer and you’ll be playing cosy pub bingo: low beams (Ouch! Mind your head), roaring fire, exposed brick, dark oak furniture and a garden to boot the kids into. HOUSE! The beef has been described as ‘the best ever’, but if you’re not a fan of this British tradition, they offer pub classics too.
The White Oak, Cookham
The White Oak balances the art of being a welcoming local and foodie destination. So if you like your Sunday lunch with a side order of WOW, then pull up a chair. The food is stunning offering a traditional roast alongside other refined rather than rustic dishes. Kids are well catered for too. Plus there are some lovely walks to avoid a food coma.
The Hind’s Head, Bray
Heston’s guys know how to work a triple-cooked spud. But we’re not talking chips. Oh no, it’s Hind’s Head Chef Peter Gray’s triple-cooked roasties that are put on a potato pedestal. Possibly the best I have EVER tasted. As your would expect from a Michelin twinkler, the food is outstanding. Dive into the a la carte dishes or tuck into the Sunday 3-course set menu, £44.
The Winning Post, Winkfield
The Winning Post Winkfield is a pub with rooms, think Four Weddings cosy, and is popular with celebs and polo people. The pub defies the normal sittings, offering a Sunday menu from 12pm-7.30pm, meaning you can rock up at any time for a late lunch or early tea, if that’s how you roll. Expect classics with a twist – sharing starters, roastie mains and ‘there there’ puds.
Bel & The Dragon, Cookham, Reading and Windsor
A small chain of boutique pubs that does family food like a ninja. The Bel & The Dragon caters for everyone. The Menu, created by Group Head Chef Ronnie Kimbugwe (a Gordon Ramsay protege), offers a choice of cheek-warming Sunday dishes. I particularly love the sharing roasts, yorkies the size of a baby’s head and comfort puds. A place for lazy Sunday afternoons.
Old Boot, Stanford Dingley
The Old Boot in Stanford Dingley is one of those traditional country pubs that ticks all the boxes: roaring fires, a brilliant large garden with lush country views. Unleash the children, grab a large glass of red and relaaaax. Plenty of choice here with fully loaded plates of beef, lamb, pork, chicken and venison to devour. There are some lovely circular woodland walks nearby so you can justify a massive blowout. Tuck in.
oldbootinnstanforddingley.co.uk
The Swan, Pangbourne
I made an impromptu stop here recently and it was packed. The Swan in Pangbourne is an historic pub with lots of nooks and crannies in a spot that’s as close to the Thames as you can possibly get without getting wet. The Sunday menu offers a traditional roast with a sharing board of sides fully loaded with crispy spuds and hitting the 5-a-day on the veg.
Rose & Crown, Winkfield
Its Sunday roast has a royal seal of approval when Meghan, Hazza and baby Archie popped in for their Yorkie fix. So if it’s good enough for the Sussexes, then it’s good enough for Muddy.
The Corn Stores, Reading
Hot off the press (or even out of the oven) are RARE Roast Sundays – launching on Sun 17 Nov. The Corn Stores in Reading, part of the Rarebreed Dining Group, are passionate about serving the best of British ingredients whether it’s on a plate or in your glass. And then even go the extra mile to age and smoke their own meat and fish. On the Sunday lunch menu is rump of beef, pork belly all served with duck fat roast potatoes and lashing of red wine gravy. Oh, and you get a FREE Bloody Mary too. Yum.
The Dog & Duck, Wokingham
The Dog & Duck in Emmbrook is on the outskirts of Wokingham. The pub has had a fairly recent top-to-toe makeover and they take their roasts very seriously, using native breeds to lay on an epic carvery. Not a meat-eating carnivore? There’s a vegan Wellington and everyone appreciate the generous spread of veggies
Golden Ball, Pinkneys Green
Quirky, cool interiors with a menu that will keep everyone happy – large and small. Perfect for the indecisive, you have the choice of lamb, beef or pork or all plump for a meat trio. There’s also a veggie option. It comes fully loaded with Yorkies the siz of a baby’s head and you can add pigs in blankets and cauliflower cheese. Food coma guaranteed.
Hurley House, Hurley
A foodie destination in its own right, Hurley House Hotel has a superb reputation for all things utterly delicious. Yes, it’s a boutique hotel, but it also has a cosy bar and a stylish restaurant that’s feels very country luxe. What’s on the menu? Gloucester Old Spot pork belly, Hereford beef sirloin with Yorkies, crackling and a smorgasbord of veg. If you’re veggie or fancy something different, there are plenty if options.
Roux at Skindles, Maidenhead
I’m cheating on pubs (just this once) with a restaurant – but one with Roux over the door and on the floor with lots of French foodie flare. Roux at Skindles is a modern French brasserie that understands our obsession with the traditional Sunday roast, offering beef striploin, Blythburgh pork rack and Cotswold White chicken with all the trimmings.
Weir Grove, Wargrave
It’s a bold move to offer only one choice of roast on a Sunday, but Weir Grove is not your average restaurant. This small eatery offers a regularly changing menu with the occasional British and Swedish twist. On Sundays, there’s just one lunch sitting for the £15 three-course menu, including the meat of the day and a pretty foxy wine list. Booking is essential. if your name’s not down, you’re not getting in.
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2 comments on “17 Sunday roasts with the most”
You need to check out the Stag and Hounds in Binfield, cosy fires, amazing roasts and it’s really old with loads of history (Henry VIII stayed here regularly when it was a hunting lodge and Elizabeth 1st used to watch maypole dancing on the green from the upstairs window!). Definitely one to add to your list 🙂
Ooh I’ll have to check it out