The Sunday dinner is a time-honoured tradition and at Hand Picked Hotels we love nothing more than a roast with all the trimmings

It is believed that Britain’s love of beef began during the reign of Henry the VII in 1485, when his Yeomen Warders would dine on fresh roasted beef every Sunday after church. It became such a ritual that the royal guards were affectionately known as ‘beefeaters’. By the 1760, almost every household would have a Sunday roast. The aristocracy would hang an entire animal on a spit in front of a fireplace and slowly roast it, while those less fortunate would drop off a smaller cut to their local bakers on their way to church, to roast in their empty cooling bread ovens until they returned.

And today, for many of us, Sunday lunch is still at the very heart of British food and cooking, above all, it is a great time for families or friends to get together. At Hand Picked Hotels we want to keep the tradition of the roast very much alive, whether you want an excuse to simply indulge in a time old ritual or celebrate a special occasion. Most of our produce is sourced from local farmers who often produce smaller yields but to a very high standard to ensure the very best in quality and flavour, and all of our vegetables are seasonal, too. We also have a great range of vegetarian and fish options.

In our award-winning Georgian Restaurant at Wetherby’s Wood Hall Hotel & Spa, the lunch menu is based around traditional favourites with a contemporary twist, and the magnificent 18th century country house set amidst 100 acres of rolling West Yorkshire countryside offers the perfect surroundings for a memorable Sunday lunch. If you are a fan of pudding they do a magnificent duo of mini dessert options.

At Ettington Park Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, discover the new Sunday afternoon dining experience with friends and family. The hotel has launched an innovative menu which intertwines traditional Afternoon Tea with Sunday lunch. The dining experience will include bite-size Sunday lunch favourites for a leisurely Sunday afternoon experience in the Oak Room Restaurant.

At Chilston Park Hotel in Lenham, Kent, the head chef likes to regularly change the Sunday lunch menu to reflect the best local ingredients available at that time; current favourites include roast sirloin of English beef, and fillet of sea bream caught from nearby Dover. The elegant Culpeper’s Restaurant always makes for an enjoyable dining experience, but there are private dining rooms available, and afterwards you can enjoy a gentle stroll among the 22 acres of parkland boasting its own lake.