Students’ European Football Championship Sunday Roast Competition
Is British food really as bad as everyone says it is?
No it’s bloody not. It’s very common for both foreigners and Brits alike to do our food down, but I think this is wholly unfair. Have these people never eaten our cheddar cheese, our full English breakfast, or our fish and chips? What about Sunday roast? Merely the thought of one of my mother’s Sunday roasts causes me to well up with patriotic pride.
Do you think I’m being biased?
Is it important to preserve food traditions?
What is a Sunday Roast?
Sunday roast is the national dish of the United Kingdom. It consists of roasted meat, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding (a type of crispy, fluffy pancake), other vegetables and gravy (a sauce usually made from the juices of meats).
The Sunday roast must be consumed on Sunday. Eating a Sunday roast on any other day of the week would be like celebrating Christmas in July. The historical reason for consuming Sunday roast on Sunday has its roots in Christianity. British churchgoers would typically only consume fish on Friday and refrain from eating meat until the end of the church service on Sunday. Placing meat in the oven before going to church on a Sunday morning, churchgoers would return home to a nice Sunday roast and celebrate being able to eat meat again.
Have you ever had Sunday roast?
What’s your country’s equivalent of a Sunday roast?
What does Sunday Roast mean to me?
The thought of Sunday Roast takes me back to my childhood, when I ate it far more commonly than I do now. My most vivid memories of eating it as a child are in my grandmother’s house in North London. My Irish grandmother was a gem of a woman. She would host large family get-togethers in her house and, as she used to say, ‘slave over a hot stove’ for hours, preparing a Sunday roast for her grateful guests. She showed her love through her food – she even made her Yorkshire puddings from scratch.
I only eat Sunday roast once in a blue moon now, largely because my fiancée is a vegan. However, when her dad came to visit from Argentina, I took him to a local pub to give him the Sunday roast experience. Lacking in Sunday roast knowledge, he decided to cover the entire meal with copious amounts of mayonnaise and ketchup. I must say, I was quite upset by this act of culinary barbarism, but we made up shortly after the incident.
Do you think it’s possible to show your love through food?
What are your special childhood memories of food?
Where is the best place in London to eat Sunday roast?
I have it on good authority that the best place to eat Sunday roast in London is Blacklock. The original Blacklock is in Soho, but they have opened up other locations across London and Manchester due to popular demand. Their slogan is ‘almost as good as mum’s’ which shows that they have truly grasped the essence of the Sunday Roast.
How would you show me an authentic culinary experience in your hometown?
Would you like to eat out more often?
How can you win a Sunday Roast at Blacklock?
In order to raise awareness of this great British dish, I have decided to give you the chance to win a Sunday roast at Blacklock. Through a random draw, I have allocated each of you an international football team from the European Football Championship that has just started. If your team wins, I will treat you to a £75 voucher at Blacklock so that you can enjoy a Sunday roast with a friend, family member or loved one. If you live far away from London, I will spend the equivalent value on a special meal where you live.
I am delighted to combine 4 things I love: Sunday roasts, football, a random draw, and my beloved students.
Are you a competitive person who likes to participate in sporting competitions?
Are you excited about the European Football Championship?
