Roast Wokingham serves up restaurant-quality dinners at home

THE SUNDAY lunch may be the highlight of the week for some, and now it comes without the need to cook, wash up or leave home. Launched during lockdown when pubs and restaurants were empty, Roast Wokingham brings the food to you.

After a sudden career change three years ago, Chris Murray swapped the business suit for a chef’s jacket and pursued a career in the food industry.

“I’ve always loved cooking,” he explained. “All through the years, people told me I should consider a career in food.

“It was scary, having to start at the bottom and work my way up as a chef, but I decided to do it.”

After working at The Fat Duck in Bray, where he was serving Michelin standard food, Mr Murray recently decided to leave the professional kitchen behind.

Ten weeks ago, he and his wife set up Roast Wokingham, a roast dinner delivery service for customers in and near the town.

And they’ve got a lot on offer. Every Sunday, Mr Murray and his wife cook and deliver a wide variety of roast dinners.

Each week, customers can choose from three meat options.

Roast chicken with stuffing (£14) and roast beef with a yorkshire pudding and horseradish (£15) are permanent favourites on the menu.

And depending on the season, customers also have the choice of roast lamb with mint sauce or roast pork with stuffing and crackling for £15 too.

Those looking for vegetarian and vegan options need not despair, because Roast Wokingham also offers a butternut squash and lentil parcel, and a vegan ‘roast beef’ made with seitan for £13.

And for those with eyes as big as their stomachs, the company makes a mixed meat roast with all the trimmings, which comes in at £22.50.

Each adult roast dinner is served with roast potatoes, carrots, honey roast parsnips, green vegetables, vegan cauliflower cheese and gravy.

With vegetarian and vegan gravy options, Roast Wokingham caters to all.

As for the little ones, child portions cost £7.

Mr Murray said that Roast Wokingham has recently begun offering wine pairings with each dish, too.

“We’re working with The Tasting Bar who have selected wines that will go with beef, pork, lamb and more,” he said.

“For those placing large orders for lots of people, we thought it would be nice to be able to offer them a bottle of wine to go with their food.

“I just think it adds a little something else to the experience.”

With Roast Wokingham only a few months old, the owners are optimistic about the future.

“The possibilities and what we can do are limitless,” he said.

If a roast dinner doesn’t float your boat, the duo have also been busy setting up a sister business called Bears Burgers & Chicken, which they run between Tuesday and Saturday each week.

For more information or to browse and place an order, visit Roast Wokingham’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ roastbusterswham