I love a roast as much as the next person, but having grown up in New Zealand, the UK tradition of heading to the pub for a Sunday roast is something I’m not as familiar with. However, when I got the chance to head along to one of the best roasts in London, I didn’t want to miss out.

Last Sunday my partner and I headed to the Pig and Butcher in Islington, London. This pub is listed on the Michelin guide and famous for it's incredible cuts of meat, which are all butchered in house. We had booked our table two weeks previously, as this place is extremely popular.  This Sunday was no different, the place was heaving with every table full - even the high seats at the bar were stacked.

The Pig and Butcher is a charming little pub with a wood-panelled bar, wooden floors and handwritten wine lists on chalkboards. However, there was one thing I was a little let down by - I am not a wine drinker, and I don’t go for beer either - I’m a cider girl.

Sadly, The Pig and Butcher only has one cider on tap - a traditional cider, uncarbonated and rich. I decided I’d try a half pint, but I wished I hadn’t. The cider was dire, a sour-tasting, swamp water beverage. After one sip, I changed tack, donated it to my boyfriend and got a gin and tonic instead.

Despite this initial hiccup, The Pig and Butcher shone in every other way. The service is excellent and attentive without being overbearing, and the food is to die for.

To start, we opted for sourdough bread with whipped butter and beef dripping, pork scratchings with apple sauce, and a scotch egg with rapeseed mayonnaise. Every single item was toe-curlingly delicious. The real standout was the scotch egg—perfectly seasoned with a gorgeous jammy yolk. Although I didn't care for the taste of the mayonnaise by itself, it paired spectacularly with the salty, savoury egg.

The bread and butter with beef dripping, although simple, was delicious. Having never tried beef dripping before, I am now a complete convert. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

We decided to skip the starters in order to focus on the star of the show - the roast. Myself and my partner decided to get the Tamworth Porchetta with Bramley apple sauce. All of the roasts come with honey roasted carrots and parsnips, roast potatoes and of course, Yorkshire puddings. We also both ordered a side of cauliflower cheese - a real favourite of mine, that I think is pretty hard to get right. Too often cauliflower cheese is watery and flavourless, with the cauliflower a wet mush. The Pig and Butcher knows exactly what they’re doing though.

Our meals arrived, and the portion sizes were perfect. Everything was seasoned perfectly, the potatoes were crispy and fluffy inside, and the honey-roasted vegetables were a real standout for me. The cauliflower cheese was exactly what I expected when I ordered cauliflower cheese—rich, salty, creamy deliciousness with firm cauliflower florets all covered in the sauce and a crispy, bubbling cheesy top. 

Although I had been disappointed by the cider selection, the food and incredible service more than made up for it. Everything was so delicious, if the portions weren’t so generous I would happily have had seconds but as it stood, I had to leave some of my roast behind because I was so stuffed I couldn’t force myself to finish, no matter how much I wanted to.

If you want to try The Pig and Butcher for yourself, I would highly recommend it - just make sure you book in time, and make sure you’re hungry!