The beautiful but tiny UK village that boasts Britain’s ‘best’ Sunday pub roast

A pub has been crowned as the best place in the UK for roast dinner – and it’s in a gloriously pretty location.

According to the Good Food Guide, the Abbey Inn, in Byland, North Yorkshire, has clinched the number one spot in the Top 50 Best Sunday Roasts in Britain for 2024.

The pub, owned by chef Tommy Banks who has won three Great British Menus awards, has been open for just over a year.

However, it’s earned a rapid following due to its incredible Sunday roasts, which feature rare-breed Berkshire pork and Herdwick Lamb straight from the Bank’s family farm.

Not only does it serve an extraordinary lunch, but the pub is located in the beautiful countryside village of Byland making it the perfect spot to enjoy a peaceful, quiet lunch. The Abbey Inn also has rooms that overlook the historic ruins of Byland Abbey giving visitors the ultimate view.

Tommy Banks said: “At this time of year there’s nothing better than going to the pub for a roast dinner, it’s a big part of our culture and something I always look forward to. We’ve worked hard to ensure that each component of our Sunday dinner shines.

“The Yorkshires, the potatoes, the meat, the gravy, it’s all so important – everyone can make a good roast at home but it’s hard to make absolutely everything just right.

“The Best Sunday Roast Award is a testament to the hard work of the team in doing so and we’re very happy with it.”

The Good Food guide received over 18,000 public nominations, sharing that 75% of their readers said that a roast is Britain’s most popular dish.

Inspectors visited pubs, cafes and restaurants across the whole nation to try out their roasts and see which would make the UK’s list of the top 50 and in those visits found that the country pub’s was in fact the best.

Chloë Hamilton, co-editor of The Good Food Guide, congratulated the establishment, saying: “Tommy Banks’ handsome pub combines a striking setting beneath Byland Abbey with the lovingly home-reared, home-grown produce that underpins every great roast. There’s delicacy and thoughtfulness on the plate without being too fancy.

“The down-to-earth deliciousness from one of Britain’s top chefs makes it a worthy winner of our inaugural ‘Best Sunday Roast’ accolade.

“The Abbey Inn led a strong and incredibly diverse list: each one genuinely hard to fault, accomplished in terms of quality of ingredients and execution, and warm, friendly service.”