The roasts with the most

We can thank good old WIlliam Kitchiner for his contribution to creating the traditional Sunday roast. Veggies, look away now. Back in 1871 he recommended eating 6 pounds of meat each week as part of a ‘healthy’ diet. In his book ‘The Cook’s Oracle’ he suggested we eat this gargantuan amount of meat (that’s 96 ounces or

twelve 8 ounce steaks) along with 4 1⁄2 pounds of bread a week and a pint of beer each day. Pass the Gaviscon!

In his book William detailed how to roast “the noble sirloin of about fifteen pounds” over the fireplace for around 4 hours. Of course, most households didn’t have the luxury of a bovine-sized fireplace. Instead,

they would drop off a smaller sized joint at the local baker’s on their way to church on a Sunday, where it

would be cooked in the cooling bread oven (bread wasn’t baked on a Sunday) and picked up on the way home from church; the tradition of the Sunday Roast began.

Interestingly, the ubiquitous partner of the Sunday Roast, the Yorkshire pudding, used to be served as a starter with lashings of gravy. It was hoped that everyone would be so full from this starter that they would eat less meat (which, of course, was very expensive).

Thankfully, these days we have a plethora of local places to go for a good old Sunday Roast. So if you fancy a day off from the pots, pans and Marigolds/ dishwasher, check out one of these local restaurants and catch up with family and friends over a leisurely Sunday Roast.

Find your next Sunday Roast restaurant - click here