While many traditionally prefer to cook their roast dinners on a Sunday, there are a few out there who would rather skip the process and head out for their lunch instead.
Everyone has their favourite hot spot to regularly attend, and for most that comes in the form of the Toby Carvery, with locations across the United Kingdom.
The Toby has been dishing up Sunday roasts across the country for the best part of thirty years now, and, as a part of the Mitchells & Butlers brand, they have restaurants from Aberdeen to Plymouth. Serving roughly 21 million of meals a year across the board, it's certainly interesting to understand if they consistently satisfy punters, or if some establishments miss the mark completely.
Read more: The ten top ranked pubs in the North East according to Google reviews
And as they claim to be one of the 'most popular and trusted pub dining establishments in Britain' and 'the home of the Great British roast dinner', I thought I would put their words to the test.
Here's what I made of it...
My first thought upon rocking up to the Toby Carvery in Barnes, Sunderland at 2pm was that it was eerily quiet - which is usually a negative sign for a restaurant during their peak lunchtime service. However, I sharp remembered that I visited on a Saturday, with roast dinner's traditionally being eaten on a Sunday.
Waltzing through the doors with my partner we were greeted instantaneously with a smile by staff, before being seated and catered for without an off-putting delay. And to my surprise, the area in which we were greeted and seated was reasonably busy, full of families enjoying a nice hot dinner.
The atmosphere within 'The Barnes' itself is quaint and cosy, with plenty of natural lighting allowing the spring sun from outside to illuminate the establishment.
It's decorated very rustically, like a traditional pub plating up standard hot meals for those on the go - with art on each wall as well as a litany of signage. Music was also playing throughout the carvery itself, but at a sound level that was just right for the setting.
Hit pop tunes like Madonna's Material Girl and All Night Long by Lionel Richie were among some of the songs heard within the eatery itself during my visit - keeping the atmosphere flowing through the entire experience.
The restaurant itself is also immaculately clean, with not a single crumb in site - the staff really do everything within their power to look after the place and the tidiness of the restaurant itself is reflected in their work ethic. As well as this, waitresses alike within the Toby Carvery were as servile and upbeat as they come, which really goes a long way.
One of whom, who's name tag read Sandra, was the cream of the crop - looking after the two of us through the entirety of our pleasurable meal. My girlfriend decided to go for a traditional pork carvery with all the trimmings, while I pushed the boat out after a 'gigantic' Yorkshire pudding wrap caught my eye on the menu.
Sandra went on to confirm that it was in fact as big as stated, and that she had recently sampled on herself, which left her both 'stuffed' and content. Going back to the work ethic of staff also, Sandra even checked with the kitchen to make sure they had the produce in stock before allowing me to get my hopes up - which of course, they did.
As we were sat right by the carvery section of the restaurant itself, I could smell all of the roast goods and veg which made me even hungrier - but we didn't wait long until the food was ready and at our table.
I would say it was only roughly a five-minute wait, spent chewing the fat over refreshments before dinner was served...and it was far from a disappointment to say the least. My partner popped off to collect her carvery and fill up her plate, while my wrap was brought to me straight from the kitchen. And when she returned and I looked at the sheer amount of food on our table, my jaw dropped.
I'll start off with the Yorkshire pudding wrap - which was absolutely stunning, both in presentation as well as in taste. Cut in half and served with a bowl of ruffled roast potatoes and gravy, it well and truly hit the spot from start to finish.
The Yorkshire pudding was the perfect texture, and the beef absolutely melted in the mouth. The potatoes were a little crispy for my liking, but still in fact edible and tasty nonetheless.
Seasoned to perfection, I have zero complaints about my meal.
My partner chose pork with her carvery, and to say her plate was bustling would be an understatement. She tells me that she enjoyed every mouthful, from the crispy crackling to the sublime cauliflower cheese - everything was top notch.
The real standout for her was what she first assumed to be an abundance of Dauphinoise potatoes cooked to perfection. However, on further inspection these turned out to be potatoes topped with leek and sauce, which completely stole the show.
Swimming in gravy, it was a messy meal to say the least, and interestingly enough the carvery allow punters to return to top up with fresh veg as and when they please - but on this occasion it was not needed, due to the very generous initial offering.
Sandra also came back to check-up on how our food was while we were eating, and it's safe to say we were both well and truly satisfied.
By the end of our meal, were both absolutely stuffed to the brim - and the top button on my jeans had to come undone to compensate for the bloat in my belly. A brief lie down when I got home was also needed.
All in all, the two meals came to £18.18 - which also took me back completely. The wrap was a mere £4.99 which was cheap as chips for the portion and its moreishness, while the roast dinner was priced reasonably at £8.29. Our soft-drinks made up the rest of the cost itself.
However, it is worth noting that the price of a carvery roast changes depending on the day of your visit. Although it cost £8.29 the Saturday we visited, those eating on a Sunday or Bank Holiday are asked to pay £11.49. Likewise, if you visit Monday to Friday it only sets you back £7.49.
No matter what day you visit, I would definitely recommend the Toby Carvery in Barnes if you're looking for a cheap, easy and fulfilling Sunday roast. The prices are second to none, the atmosphere is very welcoming, and the service is a ten out of ten in my humble opinion.
Overall, I really haven't got a bad word to say about the establishment in itself, and I hope that the care given to me on my visit is replicated with each and every customer that has the pleasure - I'm fairly certain it will be though.
