A rural pub overlooking a historic abbey has been named the best spot for a Sunday roast in the UK.
The Abbey Inn in York, close to the 12th century ruin Byland Abbey, was opened by three-time Great British Menu winner and Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks just over a year ago.
In just a short time, it has won over judges from the Good Food Guide and nabbed the number one spot in the publication’s round-up of the top 50 Sunday Roasts for 2024, based on criteria including quality of ingredients, execution, service and – of course – taste.
The award-winning chef was praised by the judges for complementing the pub’s beautiful surroundings with a menu based on home-reared produce including a mouthwatering Sunday menu offering glazed pig cheek toad in the hole alongside crispy crackling and roast pork with the “hefty flavour of a life well-lived”.
Reacting to the news, Mr Banks said the whole team at The Abbey was “incredibly thankful” for the recognition, crediting it to the “unique” nature of the menu.
The secret behind the roast’s success, he revealed, is “produce from our farm including our pigs, sheep and cows, plus a variety of vegetables, ferments, preserves and more, all made a matter of metres from the inn”.
The Grade-II listed pub sources has a special resonance for the chef, lying just metres away from his childhood home. Today, the bulk of its menu is created from seasonal produce grown at his family farm and restaurant garden in nearby Oldstead.
During a recent visit from Dubai, one customer described their three-course meal as “heavenly” on TripAdvisor, suggesting that “food this good shouldn’t be legal”. Another praised the “heavy influence of local produce and outstanding quality”.
They also described the roast beef as “prepared and presented with perfection and simply melt in the mouth”.
Mr Banks has been among voices in the farming community opposing a change to inheritance tax by the Labour government. He told his followers on Instagram that the introduction of 50% relief on combined business and agricultural assets worth more than £1 million would have a “catastrophic effect” as thousands protested in London earlier this week.
The culinary pro said: “This destroys people’s livelihoods, it destroys the countryside. The government talks about the environment, they haven’t got a clue about the environment. It’s the farmers who are the stewards of the land and they need to continue to be so.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the autumn Budget that, while there would continue to be no inheritance tax charged on business and agricultural assets below £1 million, those valued above the threshold would only be eligible for 50% relief at an effective rate of 20% from April 2026.
Sir Keir Starmer has stuck to the position that the majority of farms will be “completely unaffected” by the changes.
