TOOTING ROAST SERIES: The Wheatsheaf

Located in the centre of Tooting Bec is The Wheatsheaf. It’s a real hub for SW17- its commanding exterior really is an iconic part of the landscape. And though you might know it from a night out on Fridays and Saturdays, Sundays is roast day and there’s a different tone to the pub

Ambience: Immediately we noticed the relaxed, informal atmosphere that makes you want to take a load off and hunker down. It’s a great place for a group of family or friends looking for a wholesome afternoon.

The Food: You rarely find a three meat roast on a menu, so when we saw this was an option, it was a no brainer- we had to try it out. It came with chicken, pork and beef rump and what an impressive plate it was. The pork belly was a real highlight out of the three; it got the balance of melt in the mouth and crunchy crackling just right. Another rare thing. The vegan friendly Wellington was lovely too, a hearty filling of beetroot, cashew and chestnut gave the main an earthy, wholesome flavour which was very enjoyable. Even better was that every roast comes with a huge portion of seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. So you certainly don’t need to order a side…

… But we were far too tempted by the cauliflower cheese to skip it. And we are so glad that we added this one. It could well have been the best we’ve ever had; a creamy, cheesy luxury that every roast deserves.

Standouts

We really like that the sports are still played on a Sunday so you can get stuck in with the atmosphere… but they’re only playing upstairs, so if you want to avoid any whoops and cheers you can. It’s also really nice that they start serving their roasts from midday on the dot, which means that you can basically call your Sunday lunch ‘brunch’ and roll straight out of bed and into The Wheatsheaf. Perfect if you were partying there the night before…

Price: Three meat roast: £24.50, Vegetarian Wellington: £17. Cauliflower cheese (to share) £8

It’s certainly not the cheapest roast you can find in Tooting, but these prices are incredibly reasonable when you consider the portion sizes… When the three meat roast turned up we thought we’d misread the menu and it was meant to be shared! A real feast.

THE ROAST SERIES: We are on a journey to discover some of the very best Sunday roasts in Tooting. Each will have remarks 4 categories: Ambience, The Food, Price and Standouts to make it clear what it is we loved about each one. We will aim to order similarly in every place we try to give you the clearest indication of how it compares to the rest of the neighbourhood.  Stay tuned to find your favourite.