Living in London

Photo Credit: Iowa Beef Council

We have discovered that a roast, with all the trimmings, is a Sunday tradition here in the UK. In a recent survey 42% of Britons said that the Sunday roast would be one of the things they would miss most if they had to live abroad.

Linda and I decided to immerse ourselves in this heritage and sample the local restaurants for the traditional fare on Sunday afternoon. Yesterday we ventured out to a place called The Med Kitchen on Kensington Church Street. Although the service was excellent, the food was dismal. The beef was very tough and the carrots were a little too crunchy. The rest of the vegetables left a little to be desired. Strike one for adopting this particular tradition.

We will try two more restaurants in search of a delectable Sunday roast dinner. Stay tuned for further reports. (Don't even think about expecting us to cook this traditional meals ourselves! We are not that traditional.)

The following excerpt from the North Country Web offers some fascinating background on this long standing tradition.

In the distant past the village serfs who worked the land were held in bondage by the Squire. In other words, they were held in a form of slavery and not freemen able to roam at will. When called by the King, the landowners would rally their serfs to the King's Colours.

During the week the Serfs worked for the Squire for six days while Sunday, the Sabbath, was a day of rest. After the morning church service, the men would assemble in a field by the Squire's hall and practice with the sword, musket, pike & long bow to be ready to fight the enemy of the King.

After much battling and target practice the serfs were rewarded with the King's payment, which was several mugs of ale at the Tavern followed by a feast of oxen roasted upon the spit. This was how the traditional Sunday Roast, that the British still enjoy, originated.