Sunday roast
Updated:
25 Mar 2021
The Sunday roast is a traditional British main meal that is typically served on Sunday (hence the name), consisting of roasted meat, roast potato, mash potato and accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, bread and mint sauce, vegetables and gravy. Other vegetables such as cauliflower often in the form of cauliflower cheese, roast parsnips, brussels sprouts (typically termed brussel sprouts), peas, carrots, runner beans, and broccoli, can be part of the dish. The Sunday roast is also popular in many parts of Ireland, especially in most of Ulster (chiefly in Northern Ireland and County Donegal). Its prominence in British culture is such that in a UK poll it was ranked second in a list of things people love about Britain. Other names for this meal are Sunday lunch, roast dinner, full roast, and Sunday joint (joint referring specifically to the joint of meat). The meal is often comparable to a less grand version of a traditional Christmas dinner. Besides being served in its original homelands, the tradition of a Sunday dinner has been a major influence on food cultures in the English-speaking world. Roast dinner is also a traditionally popular dish in the Republic of Ireland. An Irish Sunday roast normally comprises roast beef or chicken, potatoes (mashed and/or roast), carrots, green vegetables (such as peas, beans, or Brussels sprouts), and gravy. In South Africa it is also common to have rice with a Sunday roast.