This Yorkshire Pub Has Been Named Best Sunday Roast In The UK

We are officially in Sunday Roast season. The temperatures are starting to drop and the nights are getting dark. All we are craving is gravy, Yorkshire puddings and roasties along with a tasty slab of meat. I’m salivating at the thought of tucking into one already. The Good Food Guide has named a Yorkshire spot as the number-one Sunday Roast in the UK for 2024.

The Good Food Guide’s search for the best Sunday Roasts that the country has to offer makes sense as 75% of their readers say a roast is Britain’s most famous dish. And, we have to agree. You can judge a spot based on how good their roast is. Whether it be a restaurant, pub or cafe – a good roast can make you famous in your area.

Sponsored by Koffmann’s Potatoes and Tracklements, the award underlines the importance of championing those restaurants, pubs and cafes.

And, the Yorkshire spot named as the top Sunday Roast is The Abbey Inn in Byland, which beat out the rest of the pubs, restaurants and cafes across the UK to get the gold medal. Owned by Tommy Banks, the classic country pub sits overlooking the Byland Abbey and is uniquely located. It has all the trappings of an old-fashioned pub as is an experience to visit in itself.

The Good Food Guide described why The Abbey Inn made it to the top spot writing: “Indeed, it was the superb quality of the produce and the skill with which it was cooked – the pork sliced thinly but still frilled with an edge of crisp crackling, the beef cooked pink and cut thickly, the densely textured meat full of the hefty flavour of a life well lived – that made the award so richly deserved.”

Celebrating being the overall winner of the Best Sunday Roasts 2024, Banks said: “At this time of year there’s nothing better than going to the pub for a roast dinner, it’s a big part of our culture and something I always look forward to. We’ve worked hard to ensure that each component of our Sunday dinner shines.

“The Yorkshires, the potatoes, the meat, the gravy, it’s all so important – everyone can make a good roast at home but it’s hard to make absolutely everything just right. The Best Sunday Roast Award is a testament to the hard work of the team in doing so and we’re very happy with it.”

Chloë Hamilton, co-editor of The Good Food Guide, said: “Tommy Banks’ handsome pub combines a striking setting beneath Byland Abbey with the lovingly home-reared, home-grown produce that underpins every great roast.

“There’s delicacy and thoughtfulness on the plate without being too fancy. The down-to-earth deliciousness from one of Britain’s top chefs makes it a worthy winner of our inaugural ‘Best Sunday Roast’ accolade.

“The Abbey Inn led a strong and incredibly diverse list: each one genuinely hard to fault, accomplished in terms of quality of ingredients and execution, and warm, friendly service.”