Good Food Blog

Sit-down Sundays

Posted at 12:38PM, 09 March 2010 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

Does anyone still make a Sunday roast dinner with all the trimmings? I certainly do, but a quick poll among friends and colleagues revealed that the great British Sunday Roast is becoming a thing of the past. It's yet another quintessential tradition and domestic ritual that appears to be vanishing into history.

It seems that preparing a dinner takes up too much time or it's too much bother to cook, or maybe its down to lack of cooking skills - although there's no excuse with so many excellent cookbooks out there. Sunday has become just another day for shopping or working, rather than sitting round the dinner table and a roast dinner is regarded as being for special occasions such as Easter or Christmas.

I think this is a real shame. When I was a child, everyone I knew enjoyed a Sunday roast and the smell of roasting meat wafted enticingly from every kitchen. A survey conducted by the Future Foundation and the Institute for Social and Economic Research for Gallo Family Vineyards revealed that less than 6 million of us now sit down to a home cooked dinner, compared to 12.7 million in 1961.

Open quotationYou can't beat a home-cooked roast dinner - it's the culinary highlight of my week!Close quotation

Generally, people prefer to have a midday brunch or eat out at the local pub instead. There are long established restaurants that specialise in traditional English roasts, such as Rules in Covent Garden (the oldest restaurant in London) and Roast, which are both first-rate, but unfortunately the Sunday meals at some pubs and restaurants leave a lot to be desired. All too often they feature indifferent meat, leathery roast potatoes and tasteless soggy vegetables. Meat in particular needs to be of good quality to remain tender and succulent during roasting.

You just can't beat a home cooked roast dinner - it's the culinary highlight of my week! Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding has always been my favourite choice, closely followed by roast pork with golden crisp crackling, tender roast lamb and a succulent plump stuffed chicken.

I even enjoy the preparation involved to produce crunchy roast potatoes, delicious seasonal vegetables from the farmers' market, stuffing (packet or homemade) and proper gravy (definitely no gravy granules!) and of course a delicious pudding for afters. Old fashioned Apple pie or Crumble and ice cream are my family's favourites. It's nice to sit round the table with family and friends, enjoying a leisurely meal and listening to the conversation flow. It's a time to relax and forget about the diet for a day!

Do you still sit down to a Sunday Roast dinner?

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Comments

1-20 of 28 comments

  • Binder photo rozmorgan
    9 March 2010, 3:19PM

    rozmorgan

    Open QuoteIt's something me and my boyfriend always try to do, even if it's not a whole roast as for two of us it seems a little silly. I love Sunday Roast. It's such a lovely way to use up an otherwise boring Sunday and there really isn't a meal like it.

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  • Binder photo Sue
    9 March 2010, 4:36PM

    Sue

    Open QuoteWe don't do a full roast every Sunday but we always do something special. Often it is the full roast and the whole process is special, from choosing the wine to soaking the fat off the pans. It's all good, it's all lovely and it's sad that people are missing out on it. I think a roast is one of the easiest things to cook, it just takes a bit of time. Great for a lazy Sunday morning!

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  • Binder photo James
    9 March 2010, 5:36PM

    James

    Open QuoteSit down on a Sunday? Well I did at 1am - but by that time it was Monday, and after a 100 + hour week (lost count) I just about managed to eat before I fell asleep. If I didn't work on a Sunday (cooking sunday breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners for other people) it might be nice to cook one at home. I think I did one last year - it seemed rather indulgent......

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  • Binder photo Carol A.
    10 March 2010, 12:20AM

    Carol A.

    Open QuoteAs a Canadian with English parents I loved the Sunday dinner tradition of roast beef and Yorksire pudding. I realize now it was not so much the meal (though it meant a lot) but the fact that all 6 of us were together. I try to maintain that feeling in my own home though I may cook on the Saturday and leave the Sunday for a lazy breakfast and a light dinner as we prepare to head back to work/school the next day.

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  • Binder photo Lushious
    10 March 2010, 7:21AM

    Lushious

    Open QuoteAll my family adore a roast on Sunday, but I absolutely hate it, but I will still cook it each Sunday just for them!! I think that it is the time involved that I resent. Working all day, everyday and then struggling to get everything prepared at the weekend for the next week ahead i.e. washing, ironing, housework, homework etc is a burden, plus having the smell of it under my nose for a couple of hours makes it very unappetising for me. I will be looking forward to the summer when I can cook my roast outside on the barbecue!

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  • Binder photo Andrea
    10 March 2010, 10:14AM

    Andrea

    Open QuoteI'd love to be able to sit down for a roast every Sunday and be surrounded by family but being on the other side of the world from them it's never going to happen! A long laid back boozy pub lunch is a pretty enjoyable alternative though I must say, although I'm still looking for the perfect venue. Anyone got any good London recommendations?

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  • Binder photo robert
    10 March 2010, 11:59AM

    robert

    Open Quotesunday roast? the best part of the week!

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  • Binder photo Nicola
    10 March 2010, 12:17PM

    Nicola

    Open QuoteI do love a Sunday Roast, but I usually prefer to be active on Sundays - gardening, walking etc, so I'm not always in the house all afternoon to get a roast ready. I do cook from scratch every day though and we sit at the table for every meal. I usually try to make Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening meals a bit more special with a nice bottle of wine though. Too many people are content with grabbing a bite to eat when they can, eating off their laps in front of the TV and not taking the time to sit down with their loved ones in my opinion which leads to bad relationships with food.

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  • Binder photo miniminx
    10 March 2010, 1:55PM

    miniminx

    Open Quotefor me i much prefer the sunday brunch to the sunday roast :) while a roast is easy, i find it chains you to the kitchen for aaaaaaaaaaaages which i really resent while every else lolls about on the sofa! i also find it a little bland. for family dinners, i personally don't think you can beat italian - loads of flavour in lots of dishes where everyone helps themselves!

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  • Binder photo icingonthefairycake
    10 March 2010, 3:59PM

    icingonthefairycake

    Open Quotemy son always has a rugby match on a sunday and/ training so we dont do a roast dinner we do a big pot of chilli, stew, a shepherds pie or something like that which everyone can dive into in the middle of the table and always a good homemade pudding.we do all sit down at the table with a bottle of wine and spend hours chatting with oher members of the family and friends. but even just the foru of us sit down every night to a home cooked meal and chat about the day we have had.

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  • Binder photo Gail
    10 March 2010, 6:15PM

    Gail

    Open QuoteI always try to do a Sunday Roast even though there are only two of us. Dinner with a glass of wine is a nice relaxing end to the weekend.

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  • Binder photo CloClo
    10 March 2010, 6:43PM

    CloClo

    Open QuoteWe try to...I think the furthest we get from it is beef stew and dumplings on a sunday. Although when the dog was racing on sundays we normally had to pick up something on the way home - he isn't now due to travelling costs, so he gets treated to the suitable leftovers! We all have our favourites...one prefers lamb, one beef, and one pork. But it has to include lots of veg, potatoes (roasts for everyone apart from me, I have mash), and a good gravy.

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  • Binder photo Nicky
    10 March 2010, 7:56PM

    Nicky

    Open QuoteYes, we do have Sunday lunch but not every Sunday. Life often gets in the way although whatever we eat on Sunday, it tends to be more special than other days of the week. The great thing about a good old roast is that it is actually one of the easiest things to cook. I don't therefore believe the reason it is dying out is because of our lack of cooking skill. Sunday lunch is about timing, not actual cooking skill.

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  • Binder photo peasto
    10 March 2010, 8:55PM

    peasto

    Open QuoteSunday roast - lovely! What is easier than putting it in the oven and waiting... plus lots of veg, but they can roast too. Best thing is the leftovers are great cold the next day, so its 2 days cooking in 1. left-over pud too - makes life easy.

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  • Binder photo corgiman
    10 March 2010, 10:39PM

    corgiman

    Open Quote I think Sunday lunch is the ideal opportunity to relax with a nice glass of wine and chat with your loved ones, We never miss it, although i must point out my wife does the Sunday lunch [while i do other chores of course] and the aroma wafting through our home is always a delight, She is an excellent cook and has been envied by many over the last fifty years +

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  • Binder photo busylizzie
    11 March 2010, 8:45AM

    busylizzie

    Open QuoteI always do a roast on a Sunday and as I'm usually on my own it's just for one!! Although last Sunday I cooked for 8 and we all had a really good lunch with lots of wine. I enjoy spending my time in the kitchen and usually do my preparation whilst listening to The Archers (showing my age there!). I find it really relaxing.

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  • Binder photo Mags
    11 March 2010, 9:28AM

    Mags

    Open QuoteNot for me - I'd rather be out in the fresh air. I hardly ever eat meat these days, and it just seems like such a waste of time spending most of my day off cooking and eating.

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  • Binder photo jacqui'sfile
    11 March 2010, 9:52AM

    jacqui'sfile

    Open QuoteSundays to us are not Sundays without a roast and all the trimmings. If for any reason i cannot cook a family roast on a Sunday then i have to have it as soon as I can. It just doesn't seem right. My children would think something was wrong if they didnt get their roast.

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  • Binder photo IRISHSSTEW
    11 March 2010, 10:14AM

    IRISHSSTEW

    Open Quotelike jacqui'sfile says Sunday isn't Sunday without a roast dinner,it's a great way to end the week.

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  • Binder photo Nigel
    11 March 2010, 11:01PM

    Nigel

    Open QuoteWe still have Sunday dinner, whoever is home sits down together and shares a meal and conversation. Even if my wife and I are home alone we still do the same. A welcome time to refelect on the past week and look forward to the next.

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