When you love a Sunday dinner as much as I do, particularly my mam's roast chicken, going out for one always comes with an element of risk. A risk, perhaps, that will never live up to that singular example of a dinner because each parent's/family favourite Sunday lunch has a beloved uniqueness.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Sunday roasts are a top-tier meal to treat yourself – if they are good they are very, very good and if they're the other end of the scale they are usually 'meh.' Recently I tried out a Sunday roast that's quite hard to book in for to see if it lived up to delicious expectations or if it was over-egged on the Yorkshire pudding front.
Forage Farm Shop and Kitchen, just a stone's throw from Cowbridge, is somewhere with a reputation for delicious local fresh food (and it does, I've visited before) but to get in there for a Sunday lunch you have to make sure you book in really good time to get a table big enough and a slot that's not pre-midday, when personally I prefer to still be supping coffee cwtched up under a blanket.
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But to try it out for ourselves a friend and I booked in for 11.45am but in a fortuitous move this also meant I'd had a good dinner ahead of a late shift so no complaints here. It was the only slot left for the Sunday and that was 10 days ahead.
The novelty of sitting inside Forage was the first thing I noted. It's a great place to come for one of their bank holiday events or outdoor coffee and cake and there's a great play area for the kids with lots of space to run around. The indoor dining area is bright and airy with floor-to-ceiling windows which make the best of that outdoor space and natural light.
There were two of us sat on a four-person table so plenty of room and, despite it being booked up well in advance the tables weren't full. The menu was good. As expected on a Sunday lunch service you get around four starter options and four mains.
We opted for the pork and herb croquettes (£8.50) – I can't see them on a menu and not pick them to be perfectly honest – and the bubble and squeak starter (£7.95). The croquettes were so hot and fresh and they barely held together under any pressure from the cutlery. They were gorgeous and came with confit garlic aioli and crispy leeks. The filling was moreish to the taste and just beautiful – it wasn't solid like some croquettes can be. It was unctuous and gloopy but lush. The helping of aioli was generous but better to have too much than too little and I loved the crispy leeks atop the pretty starter.
My mate loved her starter too. The bubble and squeak included chunks of cauli and potato topped with a thin layer of black pudding that added some richness. The crispy well-cooked bacon added smokiness and crunch and it was topped by a satisfyingly soft and pillowy poached egg – a sensation of flavours and textures.
Already chuffed with what we'd eaten the mains were next up. Choices were roast estate (Penllyn – the farm behind the shop and kitchen) topside of beef, roasted loin of pork, nut roast, and pan-fried cod making a decent cross-section of mains choices. We had beef (£17.95) and pork (£17.50) – yum.
There were three thickly-sliced pieces of pork with a layer of soft fat between the meat and the crackling which you needed to cut away. But the pork was incredibly moist and tender and the crackling perfectly crunchy. The stuffing didn't arrive with the meal so we had to ask for it and they duly brought two square pieces on a small place. While it added flavour it was on the greasy side. The Yorkshire pudding, which they added when we requested as it doesn’t come with the pork, was crunchy and the roasties had a golden crisp coating but were fluffy inside.
The locally-reared Angus beef cut like butter – I didn't leave a morsel. You really could taste the quality. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
Both roasts came with a puréed butternut squash we took a punt at, which added to the presentation of the meal. For me a puree on a Sunday roast is unnecessary – but that's just me. My friend loved it, noting its delicious sweetness.
There was also a serving of apple sauce on the plate with the pork featuring big chunks of the fruit to add texture. The veg was the star of the show – little cauli florets topped with a thin warm and cheesy sauce, honey-roasted carrots, and parsnips and greens – and the fact they are served on the side means you can add as much or as little as you like. While there was rich delicious gravy on the plate they brought an extra pot so your meal wasn’t dry. The choice of desserts included Merlyn crème brulee and nougatine parfait – both looked excellent but we were way too stuffed (though the farm shop does have an excellent selection of cakes and treats to take home and enjoy later).
If you're trying to get a table here keep persisting. The quality and menu choices are elevated above your average roast out and the quality is reflected in the pricing, too – the meat was just brilliant and cooked fantastically. Was it better than mam's? I'm declining to answer that gracefully because, like I said above, your family roast is often untouchable in its uniqueness, flavour, etc – you love it because one of your favourite people made it and has made it the same for as long as you've eaten it. What I will say is Forage definitely wasn't 'meh' – far from it – and, as the demand attests, booking Sunday lunch here is most certainly not a risk.
Penllyn Estate Farm Llwynhelig, Cowbridge CF71 7FF
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