Britain's love affair with the humble Sunday roast dinner has been celebrated for centuries, with origins of the traditional meal being traced back to the 15th century. During the reign of King Henry VII, royal guards would participate in a ritual of feasting upon freshly roasted beef each Sunday - which is funnily enough where the term 'Beefeaters' comes from.
And as the years of passed, more and more items have been thrown into the mix including controversial Yorkshire puddings. And whether you believe Yorkies belong on a plate or in the bin, we can all agree that there's nothing better than sitting round your nan's on a weekend and tucking into a Sunday lunch.
However, other parties choose to eat out on Sundays. One kitchen which has became a popular hot-spot of a Sunday is none other than Wearside Farm in Washington, which is ran by Greene King under the Farmhouse Inns moniker.
Read more: Sunday lunch review: The Punchbowl Hotel in Jesmond offers a roast with a bit of something special
Regular punters of the well-considered carvery itself (which runs seven days a week) have reported tales of almost-endless plates and moreish food, which people simply can't get enough of. But how much of this is true and how much is hearsay?
We headed over to the cheap and cheerful pub this weekend, to see if the tales of massive portions and melt in the mouth meat were true. Here's what we found.
Tucked away in the Turbine Way industrial estate leading to Nissan is none other than the cheerful and quaint Wearside Farm. Although the signage outside could do with some TLC, with missing letters from the main roadside signs - the outside of the building itself looked very inviting, with a huge car-park jam packed to the brim with what I assumed to be hungry punters in need of a feed.
The building itself matches its name, in its entirety a stunning farmhouse with plenty of promise from the outside looking in, and walking through the grand double doors into the pub itself, I was greeted with a warm welcome by smiling staff.
The venue itself is super clean, and you can tell that the staff have a real passion for what they do - with not a crumb in sight, despite it holding two children's play areas, one inside and one out.
I decided to start proceedings with a large glass of Chardonnay from Counterpoint, Australia, which set me back an average £5.59. The wine itself was fruity and tasteful, and was a great accompaniment to the main meal which I ate.
Food-wise, the menu plays host to an array of different dishes, from all you can eat English breakfasts, to a litany of starters, grazers and sharers alike. However, I was there for one thing and one thing only - a sumptuous Sunday carvery which I had heard so much about.
Wearside Farms does things a little differently in terms of carveries, offering small (£7.49), standard (£9.99) or large (£10.99) portions for punters to tuck into. The prices also change throughout the week by £2.40 for small and regular options, with the large option costing £1.40 less Monday to Friday.
I decided to go for a 'standard' portion and I'm glad that I did, as the sheer amount of food provided was obscene. I also foolishly decided to add on an extra Yorkshire pudding and pigs and blankets, at an additional cost of £1.50, which proved to be a bargain but a real belly buster.
Throughout my ordering process, the waitress tending the bar named Chloe was super helpful and had a real cheerful demeanour about her. She was able to answer each query and question I had, and gave me a walkthrough on how the self-service carvery worked. I would certainly give the staff at Wearside Farm top marks for customer service.
After paying for my meal, I headed straight for the carvery where I was met by their in house carver who took my ticket before offering me a choice of beef, turkey or gammon. In the end, I decided to trail all three, after hearing great things about each of them.
After stocking my plate up with meat and Yorkies, I then headed to the veg section which held a real assortment to choose from.
Boiled, roast and mashed potatoes were all on offer - with the roasties looking like a full tatie chopped in half. Smooth suede and turnip was also on offer, alongside minted mushy peas, carrots, honey roasted parsnips and cauliflower cheese, to name a few.
The smell coming from the carvery section was ridiculously inviting. The carvery also offered both your standard gravy as well as a minted version, and I chose to try out the latter for a bit of a change before heading back to my table to get started.
I can hand on heart say that this was one of the best roast dinners I'd had in a long time - with everything being absolutely bang on from start to finish. The chefs obviously have a real passion and pride for what they do, and it shows through the taste of the food.
Let's start with the meats. The turkey was succulent and juicy as you would hope, while the gammon which was full of flavour also melted in the mouth. The taste of the beef itself was also exceptional, but my only complaint would be that it wasn't as tender as I would have hoped for.
Although it was finely sliced by the carver, it was a little tough and chewy at some points - and I would potentially give it a miss next time to have extra alternative meats.
The pigs in blankets were also a real treat. The outer bacon shell was slightly crispy - just how I like it - and the sheer saltiness complimented the rich chipolatas surrounded. You can instantly tell the difference in a cheap sausage and a premium one, and I can verify that these most certainly were the latter. Far from scrawny too, the size of each was a little more than a mouthful which I have zero complaints about.
The vegetables were all freshly prepared on the day, and you could tell it wasn't cheap tinned stuff. The carrots had a real crunch to them, while the honey roasted parsnips simply slipped down the throat. The mushy peas and mashed goods also didn't have a single lump in them, with the potato full of buttery goodness.
Love them or hate them, the brussels sprouts were a real game changer for me, with many places failing to offer them year round. They had a crunch to them, but it wasn't overbearing and they were massive in size. The mint gravy which the meal was smothered in was delectable also, leaving me considering going back for more half-way through my meal as I couldn't get enough of it.
Finally, time for my verdict on the gargantuan Yorkshire puddings. I'm so glad that I chose to purchase an extra one before placing my order, as they were light, fluffy and totally enjoyable from the first bite to the last. You can also tell that these are home made and baked to perfection before they're sent out, as each of mine were a mirror image and packed to the brim with delight.
Wearside Farm also offer a variety of sweet treats for those brave enough to attempt to eat them after being stuffed by the carvery. And although I didn't trial them personally, they looked phenomenal. A variety of lovingly crafted signature cakes are available in house at an average price of around £5 per slice, but the slices are like a house end. For context, the specialty Mars cake contains 1715 kcals per slice, so they're certainly not for those on a strict diet.
Wearside Farm also offer a 'cakeaway' option for those in a rush or who want to save their sweet scrans for later, which is a real class touch.
Overall, my meal set me back a grand total of £17.08 which in my eyes is a bargain for the food and experience you get for your money. A fantastic dining encounter in a quaint and cosy pub, tucked away in a busy industrial estate, Wearside Farm is certainly a venue that will be on my radar for future roasts alike. With plenty of positives and not many negatives to nit-pick about, I'll certainly be back soon to reward my taste buds.
SCORE: Five stars out of five - not a doubt about it.
