Sundays Roast

Whilst not a carvery one of the best Sunday roasts in a quaint village on the South Coast can be found at the Coal Exchange in Emsworth.

There is nothing particularly special about it other than it is wholesome pub food

And the pudding to follow.

A generous plate of home cooked apple crumble with lashings of cream and a fire in winter.

A carvery like no other at Langbrook Farm.

Yes it might be part of a restaurant chain but the traditional carvery at The Langbrook Farm in Havant is worth a try. A great place to take the whole family, friendly, welcoming and warm. They also serve a hearty breakfast as well as pub classics and a selection of homemade cakes which are all freshly baked in the restaurant.

Close to Brighton, not far from Henfield and Hurstpierpoint.

The Glass House restaurant at Wickwoods in Albourne is a stunning venue set in a landscaped gardens with beautiful views of the countryside offering the very best Yorkshire puddings and a Sunday roast which is hard to beat.

The Sunday Roast is taken very seriously at the Independent. Which is why it is one of their busiest days.

There is a choice of different roasts served with potatoes and seasonal vegetables, all drenched in a deep rich gravy.

But it is always the Yorkshire pudding which is the decider. Crisp on the top, slightly soft and stodgy towards the middle. Perfect.

Closely followed by the potatoes. Neglect the spuds and you ruin the roast.

But not here.

The pub is run hands on by the owners who bought what was previously The Walmer Castle. They are fiercely independent of any brewery or pub chain and it showsin everything they do.

It has taken me a while to find. But sometimes one wants to save the best to last.

When it comes to roasts, the Chefs at the Riviera Restaurant in Selsey,  lay on a feast of tender, hand-carved meats with all the trimmings; cauliflower cheese, golden roasties and plenty of freshly prepared veg, all crowned with proper gravy. They serve five types of meat; honey roast gammon, succulent roast beef, soft turkey, juicy pork and tender Welsh lamb all cut and served from the carvery bar.

One is not spoilt for choice when looking for a traditional Sunday roast in and around Chichester. And although one carvey is much the same as another, its the Yorkshire pudding that turns an average Sunday lunch into something special. When the Chef gets it just right, light and crisp, brim full of real gravy.

I have yet to find a better carvery in Chichester Harbour.