What is a Sunday roast?
A Sunday roast is a traditional English meal of roasted meat, potatoes and vegetables, served with gravy and often Yorkshire pudding. It is usually eaten on Sunday afternoon with family or at a pub.
The meat is usually beef, lamb, pork or chicken. Each is traditionally served with its own accompaniment: horseradish for beef, mint sauce for lamb, apple sauce for pork and bread sauce or stuffing for chicken.
Roast potatoes, cooked until crispy, are an essential part of the meal. Vegetables such as carrots, peas, broccoli and parsnips are common.
A long tradition
The tradition dates back centuries. One story says that families put meat in the oven before going to church on Sunday and ate it when they returned.
Roast beef became a symbol of England, and the French nickname for English people, les rosbifs, comes from it.
Today, many pubs serve Sunday roasts, and some people book tables weeks in advance at popular places.
Vegetarian roasts, using nut roasts or other alternatives, are also popular. The Sunday roast remains a cherished family tradition.