British Sunday roast

Background

The Sunday roast is a meal traditionally eaten on Sundays in Britain, consisting of roast meat, roast or mashed potatoes, and accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, gravy and stuffing, served with apple sauce, mint sauce, mustard or horseradish sauce; the vegetables often include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips. According to English Wikipedia, it originated in Britain as a meal eaten after church services on Sunday: many Christians traditionally ate fish instead of meat on Fridays (the origin of the British “fish on Friday” custom), and Anglicans and Catholics also had a tradition of fasting before services, breaking the fast afterward with a hearty meal. A big meal after church was common throughout Europe, but the Sunday roast in this form is unique to Britain. The most common meats are beef, lamb, pork and chicken, each served with a different sauce: beef with horseradish sauce and Yorkshire pudding, lamb with mint sauce, and pork with apple sauce.

Local customs

• Many London pubs serve roasts only from Sunday noon to early evening, and you often order and pay at the bar before sitting down
• gravy is usually poured over the whole plate
• Yorkshire pudding traditionally goes with roast beef, but many pubs now serve it with every roast
• it is also common to linger in the pub for another drink after eating.

Religion & beliefs

• The Sunday roast grew out of the tradition of a shared meal after Sunday services, but it has long since become secular, and British families who don't go to church eat it just the same
• today it stands more for the habit of family and friends getting together at the weekend. In Britain quite a few people still go to church on Sunday mornings, and pubs usually start serving roasts from midday.

Travel tips

• Pubs and some restaurants across London serve roasts on Sundays
• popular places often need booking several days ahead for Sunday lunch, and a meal takes about an hour and a half. You can spend Sunday morning at a market or museum and go to a pub for a roast at noon. Dietary notes: Yorkshire pudding is made with flour, eggs and milk, and gravy is mostly made from meat juices and flour, so both contain gluten
• stuffing may contain pork
• pubs usually also offer vegetarian or vegan roasts (such as nut roast), and halal needs should be asked about in advance. Drinking is age-restricted, and rules for minors in pubs are set by each pub. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
• popular old shops often have queues, so going outside peak mealtimes is more relaxed.