Fine day, Sunday – for a Sunday Roast!
And my next Northants Food Guide is all about celebrating the best Sunday Roasts in Northamptonshire!
As the weather is becoming a bit chiller, we are starting to ease into Autumn and we can also become very excited for… you know, Christmas!
Lots of people, including me, are now looking to fill our Sunday’s with the best Sunday Roasts to warm our bones, hearts and appetites.
You can’t beat the traditional English Roast Dinner; the meat, the choice of potatoes, the delicious veg on the side and of course, all the trimmings, sauces and thick gravy (has to be thick, sorry!)
Northamptonshire has a wide range of choices for roast dinner and I’ve navigated my way around as many as possible to give you this Northants Food Guide and as always, I only feature places I have tried and tasted myself, so you know you’re receiving an honest opinion!
Plus, it’s not just me who’s been navigating around the best Sunday roasts in the county – I’ve got the lovely Kim French, who has guest contributed to this blog post as she’s recently visited a lot of Sunday Roast venues in Northampton and we clearly share the same passion for roasts
So you’ll see her pop in with some suggestions too!
Here are the best places to visit for your next Sunday Roast – bookmark this for next time!
The Butchers Arms, Greens Norton
The Rose & Crown, Yardley Hastings
The Folly Towcester
Kettering Park Hotel & Spa
June Plum
Whittlebury Park
Delapré Abbey
The Lamplighter
The Windhover
Fox & Hounds, Harlestone
The Butchers Arms, Greens Norton
For classic village pub vibes with an incredible chef who knows what they’re doing, The Butchers Arms is one to add to your bucket list.
The Butchers Arms is based in the heart of Greens Norton and is an independent family-friendly pub that was rescued by the locals back in 2017 and has revived and evolved ever since.
I’ve visited quite a few times, whether it’s for a working coffee and laptop time, a working lunch or a lovely evening out for date night. But most importantly, we have experienced their roast dinners.
If you’re not feeling a roast dinner, you can still pick pub classics from their “From the Grill” menu, but being that there is usually around 6 or 7 main roast dinner options available, you’ll have plenty to choose from.
Their Braised Lamb Shoulder is so tender and full of juicy goodness! It’s one of my absolute favourites that I will always go back for.
Big tip from me is to definitely go for their soup as a starter. The Butchers Arms have some sort of wizardry where they make some of the best, smoothest soups I’ve ever tasted – Curried Parsnip and Curried Sweet Potato? Yes please!
You’re looking to spend around £15 each for a main course for the roast dinner here, which is pretty decent considering the size you get in return.
You can check out their website for details on how to book, or you can call 01327 358848.
Read more: Sunday Lunch at The Butchers Arms, Greens Norton
The Rose & Crown, Yardley Hastings
One of the most relaxed experiences I’ve had and you couldn’t pick a more picturesque location!
The Rose & Crown is based in Yardley Hastings and is actually a bistro that offers an excellent menu, traditional values and menus and it’s lovely to know it’s a local family business. We visited for a spontaneous Sunday Lunch and I was very impressed with their offering.
The Rose & Crown captures the beauty of a traditional classic English pub and their menu highlights this; from great ales, pies, homemade soups and of course all the classic meats and non-meats for a Sunday Lunch.
You can pick from their nibbles menu to get you started, which offers a range of things to pick at whilst you wait such as flatbread with hummus, marinated mixed olives and much more. We ordered these amongst a group of 4 and it’s defintley a nice way to warm up your appetities if you don’t fancy a full starter to yourself.
However, their Sunday Lunch starter menu has all the classics such as soup of the day, chorizo scotch egg and even Local Brixworth Pate – it’s worth mentioning that there are lots of nods to Northamptonshire across their menu which is nice to see they support local.
Their main roasts include Roasted Rump of English Beef, Roasted Chicken Breast, Roasted Leg of Lamb and veggie options like Cranberry & Sage Nutroast. You’re looking at the £14 upwards mark per dish.
I had the Roasted Leg of Lamb last time we visited and with every delicate touch of my fork, the meat fell off splendidly and was so moist and tasty with every bite. Also a big yay to their HUGE yorkshire puddings which we all loved!
Look at the menu yourself and you’ll be drooling! There’s even a Northamptonshire cheese board if you fancy something for afterward!
Their Sunday Lunch menu is served between 12pm – 3pm. Check out their website for more information.
The Folly Towcester
Literally, a stone’s throw away from our house, so a very easy location to head to for a Sunday Lunch.
The Folly Towcester is situated in the rural outskirts of Towcester, right on the A5 as you’re passing Milton Keynes to head into town. The original building sets back to the 1700’s and to this day, they still incorporate that quintessential thatched country style cottage look.
We’ve been for a Sunday Lunch here a few times when we are looking to really treat ourselves. They do an incredible Sirloin of Beef which is mouth-watering, but if beef or meat isn’t your thing, they regularly change the menu up to include a veggie option – it’s currently a Vegetable & Cheese Wellington which sounds really good!
All their roasts come with famr-grown vegetables, which is obvious from every plate, a big fat yorkshire pudding and the gravy is made from all the juices from the pan, so you know it’s proper gravy!
We’ve also had a few sides of cauliflower cheese because, who doesn’t love cauliflower cheese with their Sunday lunch!?
You are looking at a slightly higher price for the dishes here, but they currently do £16.95, two courses for £21.95 and three courses for £25.95 but I would say for the amount and quality you receive, it’s a worthwhile treat!
Visit their website for more information.
Kettering Park Hotel & Spa
Did you know that Kettering Park Hotel & Spa offer a Sunday Lunch AND you don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy it? Yessssss!
We went a couple of years ago as part of a previously gifted trip to the hotel, but I would happily travel back again to enjoy that roast dinner because it was HUGE! Just what you want, eh?
Their Sunday Roasts are delicately presented on the table, with all the elements layering on top of each other, topped with a big crispy Yorkshire Pudding. The details with their Sunday Roast sums them up as Kettering Park Hotel & Spa is a classy, sophisticated place that you can also feel very relaxed in.
Their Sunday Lunch offering includes dishes such as Roasted 28-Day Aged Striploin of Local Beef, to Corn-Fed Chicken Breast and veggie options such as Spiced Cauliflower steak which all come with roast potatoes and seasonal veg such as carrots, cabbage etc.
Price-wise, you can enjoy three courses for £24.95 which is a very decent price considering you’re dining in a 4 star hotel amongst a luxurious and intimate environment.
Visit their website for more information about their Sunday Lunch.
Read More: Sunday Lunch at Kettering Park Hotel & Spa
June Plum
This Sunday Lunch is not one for the faint hearted (or small appetites) – be prepared for a big feed!
I just LOVE June Plum! Ever since my first trip back in January, I have become a very huge fan of the restaurant and the lovely Jodi and team who are just the nicest people who are full of passion and love for what they do.
We really enjoy their Jamaican offering of food as it all has flavours I have never tasted together or experienced before and I’m always left feeling satisfied and surprised by what we’ve enjoyed – and their Sunday Lunch is nothing different.
I wasn’t sure what I was originally expecting – was it going to be a traditional English roast dinner? Or was it going to be fully Jamaican? Jodi has done a really clever thing by combining the two cuisines to create this Sunday Lunch flavour sensation that every one needs to try!
We always over-indulge whenever we head to June Plum, because there’s too many good things to pick from; but a big tip here is to try and resist ordering a starter before your Sunday Lunch as it’ll certainly fill you up!
June Plum’s Sunday Lunch offering includes Chicken, Beef and veggie options and I was definitely feeling the beef as it was
Their Cauliflower Cheese is 100% one of the best I’ve had and if you’ve already experienced their cheesy, indulgent Mac & Cheese, they use the exact sauce for this too!
Visit their website for more info about booking and for their menu. You can also say hi to them on Instagram.
Read more: Jamaican Vibes at June Plum
Whittlebury Park
Again, another fantastic independent hotel which offers a fantastic Sunday Lunch worth visiting for and of which you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy.
If you head past Towcester into the village of Whittlebury, you will discover Whittlebury Park of which you will then be lead to the Atrium Bistro where their Sunday Lunch is served.
What makes Whittlebury Park’s Sunday Lunch offering unique is that it’s actually a carvery! So you can see the feast before your eyes, as the waiter cuts and serves you everything you want and there’s a wide selection of what you can choose from, depending on what they have available.
Watch before your eyes as their British beef is carved in front of you and they are not stingy with the portions either!
You can also choose from a range of freshly grown vegetables, stuffing, cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets and anything you could possibly want from a Sunday Lunch – they’ve got it all!
There are also veggie options available on the day, if you’re not a meat eater.
You can visit their website to find out more about their Sunday Carvery.
Read more: The Whittlebury Park Food Guide
And now I’ll hand over to Kim who is going to share some of her best Sunday Roasts in Northampton:
The Best Sunday Roast’s by Kim French
The leaves are turning golden and there’s a notable chill in the air. With the most wonderful time of the year just months away, it’s time to start appreciating the cosiness that comes with the changing of the seasons.
One of my favourite ways of doing this, and certainly a staple to my weekends as we make our way through the ‘ber months is enjoying a roast dinner.
Arguably there is nothing better than being in a warm pub, surrounded by your favourite people eating your bodyweight in roast potatoes!
With so many pubs and restaurants implementing lots of Covid safety measures, it means that you can safely and comfortably still enjoy this time of year AND support some of Northampton’s amazing local restaurants and pubs.
Delapré Abbey
Located just a mile outside of the town centre and set in 500 acres of beautiful grounds, Delapré Abbey is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious Sunday roast.
With a set menu every week boasting delicious locally produced food and hosted in the beautiful Billiard room, it is guaranteed to give you all the cosy vibes.
When we visited, there was a selection of starters to choose from including the staple winter-warmer soup as well as risotto balls and a mozzarella salad. For the main event we could choose between either beef or pork which came with all of the trimmings.
Followed with a selection of desserts including sticky toffee pudding!
If you are looking for the perfect combo of autumnal walk followed by an amazing roast, I can highly recommend Delapré Abbey!
Tips: Book in advance, I noticed that last year the slots filled up FAST!
The Lamplighter
Now the likelihood is that if you are local to Northampton you may already know about The Lamplighter.
However, I couldn’t do a roast dinner guide and not include them!
Set just a 15-minute walk from the centre of town, The Lamplighter is guaranteed to give you a warm welcome.
Every Sunday there is a brilliant selection of meats, vegetarian and vegan options, ensuring everyone in your party leaves with a full and satisfied tummy.
One of the things I love about The Lamplighter is the selection. For me cauliflower cheese, stuffing and pigs in blankets aren’t just for Christmas, but should be eaten throughout the entirety of the colder months. The lamplighter offers all of this, meaning that you can create your very own ultimate roast.
With a real open fire and log burner, locally crafted beers and spirits as well as locally produced cheese and coffee, I promise you are on to a winner with Sunday lunch at The Lamplighter!
Tips: The Lamplighter has loads going on throughout the week so if you fancy something other than a roast be sure to check out their ‘what’s-on’ page
(NN: I have also had a lovely vegan roast here too, if you’re looking for that!)
The Windhover
The Windhover pub is set just outside the town centre in a village called Chapel Brampton.
One of the things I love about the windhover is that you really feel like you’re in an authentic country pub.
Being a bigger pub, they have a wider selection of options on offer. Meaning that if someone in your party doesn’t fancy a roast there are plenty of other options to choose from.
The Windhover is one of my favourite locals and it’s great to visit with a group of friends. All of the seasonal vegetables are served on a help yourself basis, which is something I love as I can pile them high!
Another great thing about this roast dinner is the Yorkshire puds, they are delicious! AND you can order as many as you want.
The Windhover is a dog friendly pub and if you sign-up to their mailing list you can receive special offers (I got a free pudding when I signed up).
If you’re looking to make a day of it I can also highly recommend popping to the Smith’s farm shop just around the corner for some amazing local produce.
Tip: Try the warm chocolate brownie, you won’t regret it!
The Fox & Hounds, Harlestone
Out of all the pubs I have visited, The Fox and Hounds was by far the most beautiful. Around every nook of this pub is more and more beautiful seating, from cosy armchairs by the fire, to the bright and light conservatory we sat in.
If you are looking for a really lovely atmosphere you’ve come to the right place!
Now the Fox and Hounds do air on the slightly more expensive side of this roast dinner guide, however, I can honestly say the food was delicious! With a trio of meets available and of course your classic roast chicken, pork belly and a tasty-sounding nut roast, there really is something for everyone.
One of the other things that I love about The Fox and Hounds is its proximity to Harlestone Firs. If you’re anything like me, a long walk with a tasty roast dinner at the end is the perfect way to spend a Sunday.
What’s more, The Fox and Hounds is also dog friendly which means your furry friend can enjoy your Sunday outing with you.
They are currently running a promotional deal on their website, where if you sign up to their email listing you will receive a complimentary starter or dessert.
Tip: The house white wine was incredibly reasonable, and delicious!
Thank you so much, Kim! I think we can all say we’re all feeling a bit hungry after reading that!
Let me know if you visit any of these places and as always, you can tag your Sunday Roast photos on Instagram using my hashtag #NavigatingNorthants!
Where will you be heading for your next Sunday Roast fix? Let me know where you’ll be navigating to!
About our guest writer:
Kim is a twenty-six-year-old Northamptonshire girl who has lived in the county for most of her life.
She fell into blogging after graduating from University as a different kind of creative outlet and now works for an events company, creating their marketing campaigns, digital and off-line content whilst enjoying freelance blogging and capturing digital content as a side hustle.
She’s a lover of beautiful things and finding joy in her surroundings. She collects pretty classic books, loves to bake, enjoys eating out, and discovering local businesses.
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