Where Did the Roast Dinner Go?

A roast dinner used to be the focal point of the family week, ending the week with a hearty dinner together before another busy week ahead. But what happened to this English tradition and why are people opting for other dinners to fill a Sunday afternoon?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• The History of the Roast Dinner
• The Decline of the traditional Roast Dinner
• Energy efficient tips for cooking at Roast Dinner
• The perfect Roast Dinner tips from Jeff Baker
• Cooking a Roast Dinner with an air fryer?

THE HISTORY OF THE ROAST DINNER

The Roast Dinner was originated in the UK, typically eaten on a Sunday afternoon but this tradition has slowly merged into a mid-week favourite too. It is believed that the Roast Dinner first came about during King Henry VII's reign in 1485, the British King used to eat a considerable amount of meat due to his wealth. The less fortunate people of this time would roast potatoes, greens and any leftover meat they may have from the previous week. The Sunday Roast tradition began over 500 years ago and continues in lots of households to this day.

THE DECLINE OF THE TRADITIONAL ROAST DINNER

Studies show that roast dinners are eaten 18.9% less than this time last year, is this due to the cost of living crisis or people favouring other 'easy' to cook options? We did some research into why people are changing their ways and how to bring back the roast dinner.

Everyone in the UK has likely felt the pinch in the last 12 months with energy prices rocketing and prices soaring for the consumer, but your roast dinner doesn't have to take the hit, read our guide on how to cook more efficiently so you can still enjoy your Sunday traditions.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS FOR COOKING A ROAST DINNER

• Ensuring you have an energy efficient kitchen appliance to cook with is something that can make cooking much easier for you but also save you money! The range of pressure cookers, multicookers, slow cookers and air fryers currently available is huge and a great way to be more efficient in the kitchen!
• Defrost frozen food in the fridge overnight or during the working day - defrosting your food naturally, typically speeds up the cooking time by nearly half! It also means you don't need to use the energy of a microwave to defrost the food before cooking! If you are enjoying a cut of lamb for your Sunday roast, take a look at our lamb defrosting guide. Or maybe you are having a roast turkey as your centre peice? In which case, see our top tips for defrosting turkey.

THE PERFECT ROAST DINNER TIPS FROM JEFF BAKER

This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with our Michelin star chef, Jeff Baker on everything roast dinner! Jeff's most important tip was if you're going to spend a little more money on anything, make sure it's your centre piece, whether that is a free-range chicken, succulent beef fore rib or stunning saddle of lamb, this will be the showstopper so spending a little extra on this is definitely important! However, he mentioned that the centrepiece is nothing without the right amount of sides and condiments to pair it with - he suggests trying our new in condiments to really perfect your roast dinner. Jeff has perfected the fresh but tangy mint sauce, a must-have apple sauce, and an addictively hot and creamy horseradish sauce. The perfect accompaniment to whichever meat you choose!

For ease, Jeff has also curated our best-selling 'roast dinner boxes', this includes all the core ingredients for a traditional (and extremely tasty) roast dinner. Whether you prefer pork, beef, chicken or lamb - we have box that will suit you. Each meal box is complemented by recipes written in house by Chef Jeff Baker to promise a satisfying Sunday roast or evening meal.

COOKING A ROAST DINNER WITH AN AIR FRYER?

The 2022 craze of air frying your food is taking the nation by storm and not surprisingly! The use of an air fryer takes the stress out of cooking, meaning you can cook multiple things at once and the results are amazing! There are so many reasons why air frying could bring your roast dinners back and get the family together:

Health benefits - air frying can cut calories by 70-80% and has a lot less fat than cooking with oil meaning not only is it cooked wonderfully but it is also a much healthier option!

Quicker and easy - take the time and stress out of cooking, studies showed cooking a roast dinner with an air fryer took up to 50% less time than using a traditional oven.

Cheaper than using an oven - with the air fryer taking typically 30-40 minutes to cook a full roast, this is a much cheaper way to cook as it uses much less electricity and cooks everything to perfection!

Whether you are preparing for Easter or simply want to treat your family to a roast dinner this weekend, try using one of our energy efficient methods. We have a huge range of roasting joints perfect for a stunning roast dinner, or why not test out our roast dinner boxes - the perfect variety of meat and sides for an exceptional roast!