It seems I wasn't the only one craving a roast dinner when I booked a Toby Carvery as the only table I could get was 11.30am.
It was a Monday but this wasn't any old Monday. It was an exceptional day as diners could once again eat and drink indoors after the easing of some lockdown restrictions by the Welsh Government.
Although my visit to the Toby Carvery in Caerphilly was different this time. Unlike before when you could help yourself to your own accoutrements after your meats were plated up, the veggies and sauces are added to your plate by the helpful server behind the counter.
When I arrived, I was greeted and seated by the nice, if a bit nervy, staff. They helpfully took me through the rules of track and trace, ordering a drink and said they'd let me know when the hot counter staff were ready to serve me.
There was no queue in front of me, but after I sat down I noticed the greeter was kept busy as other bookings arrived.
I was allowed to visit the deck, contrary to reports that you'd have your dinner plate brought to your table. But unlike usually, the food was all added by the friendly server behind that hot, orange-lit counter, even the veg and the gravy.
I was nervous. I like a carvery, but I fall on the side of strategically arranging my Sunday lunch items to maximise space and so it's not piled up like a Bash Street Kids-style tower of mash covered in gravy.
Yorkshire at the side, held from tipping by one hand, stuffing in the Yorkshire, then potatoes and veg and cauliflower cheese set in their rightful place, covering maybe a third of the meat. That's my blueprint in years gone by, anyway.
The serving I ate today, though, probably falls in with the majority of carvery-lovers, pile 'em high, cover everything in gravy - and if you love your Toby this way, you're going to be alright - at least in the Caerphilly branch, anyway, thanks to the generous server who gave me my dinner.
As I've always found with carveries, the meat is pretty much spot on. I only chose turkey, come on it's a Monday, I'm being good, and it was beautifully cooked, moist and a tasty bird, too. The roasties and Yorkshires, too, were banging. Crispy and tasty.
I haven't been to a Toby for a while but they have added mac 'n' cheese since the last time I went, as well as other cheesy dishes like cauliflower cheese and cheesy spinach, just an addition of sweet potato with marshmallows on it and a Toby dinner would emulate a Thanksgiving feast, if you ask me.
I tried a bit of the mac 'n' cheese. I only asked for a bit but got loads and it was OK but covered in gravy so the true flavour was hard to distinguish.
Refillable drinks are still on offer, you just need to ask your server for a refill and if you're still hungry for veg and gravy, you can go back up and ask the server to add more.
In terms of practicalities at the Caerphilly Toby there was plenty of space between tables, clear floor markings where to walk and queue and the staff weren't shy in saying, 'can you move to the 2m dot,' which I appreciate as a customer.
There are also plenty of sanitising stations and signs, and there's lots of information on the website before you book - which is recommended. I was also told the Toby's breakfasts would be back this week, too.
So if you're gagging for a carvery, and comfortable with sitting indoors, I wouldn't let the 'not serve yourself' rule stand in your way.
The food is the same, and for the price, cracking value, the counter system and staff were hard working and generous with their portions.
