The Waterlooville Sunday Roast Championship: We Ranked Every Pub

The Sunday roast is a British institution. It's not just a meal—it's a ritual, a tradition, and for many families, the highlight of the week. In Waterlooville, where we have over a dozen pubs and restaurants serving Sunday lunch, the question becomes: which one is actually worth your time and money?

We spent four Sundays (and one very uncomfortable Monday morning) eating our way through Waterlooville's Sunday roast offerings. We judged on meat quality, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables, gravy, value for money, and that indefinable 'would we come back?' factor.

The Criteria

A great Sunday roast needs certain elements: meat that's properly rested and carved, roast potatoes with actual crunch, Yorkshire puddings that stand proud (not sad, soggy affairs), vegetables that aren't boiled to death, and gravy that's rich without being salty. Bonus points for generous portions and not charging extra for an extra Yorkshire.

What We Found

Quality varied wildly. Some places are clearly reheating frozen Yorkshires (you can tell—they go weirdly chewy). Others are putting genuine love and attention into every element. Price didn't always correlate with quality either—we had a £12 roast that was excellent and a £18 one that was mediocre.

The Verdict

Without naming names (you'll have to visit to find your favourite), the best roasts shared these traits: they sourced meat locally, made everything from scratch, didn't try to be fancy (no 'deconstructed' nonsense), and they understood that generous portions matter.

The worst? Pre-made everything, stingy portions, and that cardinal sin—charging £2 extra for an additional Yorkshire pudding. It's flour, eggs, and milk. Come on.