Best British Roast Dinner 2017 finalists revealed

Four pubs and one restaurant will have to fight it out to be crowned the champion of the Best British Roast Dinner 2017 competition.

The overall winner, which will be announced on Wednesday 11 October, will receive £10,000 of PR and the regional winners will receive a runner up prize of £2,500 worth of PR each.

Now in its sixth year, the Best British Roast Dinner competition is part of British Roast Dinner Week (24 September to 1 October 2017).

The campaign – sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions – aims to inspire pubs to serve a roast every day of the week.

Finalists unveiled

An expert panel of judges including chef Mark Sargeant, chose the following finalists:

  • The Limping Fox, Thames Ditton, Surrey (south England)
  • The Boat Inn, Birdingbury, Warwickshire (Midlands)
  • The Feathers Inn, Stocksfield in Newcastle (north England)
  • Hare & Hounds, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan (Wales)
  • Kyloe Restaurant & Grill in Edinburgh (Scotland)

Michelin-starred chef Sargeant was announced as one of the judges of the competition last month (September) and he outlined what would make a winning roast for him.

He said: “A good roast dinner is one of the nation’s favourite meals, so I’m hoping to see some really impressive entries – maybe some seasonal side dishes or a bit of theatre in the way it is served.

“There are lots of ways to make your roast stand out. I am really looking forward to seeing what pubs have got in store for us.”

Strong entries

Unilever Food Solutions executive chef Alex Hall, who was also on the judging panel said: “The standard of entries in this competition gets stronger every year.

“All of these pubs should be extremely proud to have got this far. But with the national title still up for grabs, I am sure they are putting celebrations on hold to be at the top of their game for the mystery diners.

“So keep your eyes peeled to see which pub serves the Best British Roast Dinner 2017.”