If there’s one dish that’s treasured here in Yorkshire, it’s the Sunday roast. A weekly tradition that should never be messed with… That is, unless you’re chef Michael Wignall.
Making a true event of the weekly ritual, Wignall and his team at The Angel at Hetton have reinvigorated the classic Sunday roast – and while it’s easy to stand on your soapbox spouting your purist views on how a Sunday roast should be, put plain and simply, you’re wrong.
We arrive at a gleaming, traditional Yorkshire Dales pub, set within the postcard-worthy village of Hetton. It’s quiet, peaceful and unassuming. As is the pub. Until we open the door; seemingly a porthole into a world of luxurious Japandi interiors that almost make me want to take my shoes off and tiptoe to my table. It’s clean. It’s uber modern. It’s stunning. But there are still thoughtful nods to its Dales heritage throughout, adding that warming Yorkshire welcome.
The weekly menu boasts a tasting menu twist, starting with a selection of fine snacks. But don’t let the word snack fool you. These beauties are show-stopping in their own little ways. Highly memorable, innovative, edible art… Combining flavours and designs that kick off the meal with plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ before getting anywhere near the main event. These change with the seasons, so I won’t spoil any surprises for you, but I will say, even the milk bread is indelible.
But what about the roast itself? Keeping it traditional with beef – albeit 50-day aged côte de boeuf, one of the finest cuts you can get – the crescendo of the menu brings more ‘wow’ than you could ever expect from a classic Sunday roast. I’m talking the richest, silkiest cauliflower cheese, the most technically perfect roast potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings stuffed with a delicious surprise (again, one that I won’t spoil, but it really adds something extra special).
It’s a true feast worthy of a Christmas Day spread – with not only traditional trimmings, but alternative ones, too, including the stunning Lancashire butter pie (we’ll allow it on taste alone), and moreish hispi cabbage. The roast is finished off with an elevated sauce bordelaise gravy, flavourful enough to blow your tastebuds off and prove all you ‘thick gravy’ sticklers wrong. Am I dreaming about it all over again? Yes. Yes, I am.
Everything is experience-led here, be it the unpredictable presentation of dishes gleefully brought over by the friendly waiters who just know what they’re carrying will impress, or the masterful cooking, which, quite frankly, is some of the best in the British Isles. Even the bathrooms had me all excited and urging my husband he “absolutely must go for a wee“. Again, I won’t ruin the surprise there.
At £85 per person – a steal for not only a tasting style menu, but a sharing cöte de bouef – Wignall’s Sunday roast is must try for anyone who considers themselves a “foodie”, and whether it’s for a special occasion or a hungry Sunday, it’s one you’ll be thinking about for days, weeks and months afterwards. I know that to be the case for me.
The Angel at Hetton serves their Sunday menu every week. Booking is advised. Find out more.
The Angel at Hetton, Back Ln, Hetton, Skipton, BD23 6LT.
Read more: 15 Of The Best Restaurants In The Yorkshire Dales To Try
