15 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.
The ritual of the Sunday roast is a great British tradition but, let’s be honest, it takes hours of prep, cooking time and don’t get me started on the tidying up… urgh. Close the kitchen, and head out for your weekly Yorkshire pud fix. Here are a few of the best Sunday roasts in Berkshire. Go ahead and add yours in the comments…
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 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 Little Angel, Henley On Thames
Well hellooooo beautiful! The Little Angel – a favourite with the rowers – has just 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 fav. Take a leisurely stroll along the Thames, ogle the hotties in Lycra and choose your roast – beef, pork, veggie Wellington or sharing.
The Crown, Bray
Drop into Heston’s super-relaxed, down-to-earth boozer The Crown 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 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 White Oak, Cookham
The White Oak (awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand for seven consecutive years, no less) 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 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.
The Dolphin, Newbury
The Dolphin Newbury has been transformed from traditional boozer to a place that wouldn’t look out of place in old Laaaaandon Taaaaaaarn. Perch your peachy posterior on this gorgeous orange velvet banquette and work your way through a tasty bar menu – the Bloody Marys are to die for, while reading the papers or playing board games. The focus is on family feasting – a topside of beef is always available with chicken or pork and veggie options. Yum.
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 to hunker down in the winter and 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.
The Rowbarge, Woolhampton
Watch the world go by and your kids do cartwheels at The Rowbarge in Woolhampton. If it’s all about location, location, location, this pub has it all. West Berkshire village spot, right on the river, narrowboats drifting by and it serves good pub fayre (plus 93 gins #justsaying) – four different meats, a veggie option and pub classics for the anti-roasters. Portions are generous and they offer a smaller plate option, a great idea if you want to hit the pud menu.
bunningandprice.co.uk/rowbarge
The Jolly Woodman, Burnham
If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise – a recently refurbished 19th century country pub. Under new ownership and having enjoyed a serious amount of TLC, The Jolly Woodman is back with a smile as big as his axe. Work up an appetite in the Burnham Beeches before tucking into a traditional Sunday lunch – oh, and the kids dishes are all £4.95.
The Oxford Blue, Old Windsor
The Oxford Blue in Old Windsor, snagged the 48th spot in the Top 50 Gastropubs, and rightly so. It’s been a Muddy fave since chef-proprietor Stephen Ellis (protégé of Gordon Ramsay) and his cracking team opened the doors in 2017. Sunday lunch is a relaxed affair but probably best saved for special occasions (without the kids). The menu offers some lush roast alternatives like beef wellington, pheasant crown and a shoulder of deer and seriously good wines.
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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