My family has been tucking into Sunday roasts for as long as I can remember. And we have always taken the “day of rest” term quite literally.
For us, the end of the week is for nothing more than slipping into your favourite hoodie, putting your feet up, and indulging in wholesome comfort food.
I will add that I’ve been trying to break away from this ritual recently, with spring approaching and the weather looking up.
But anyway, back to the topic of roasts.
To put it into perspective, I would say that 98% of the roast dinners I have enjoyed over the years have been put together by my family. Let me rephrase that, my mum.
But outside the family home, Porterhouse Steakhouse and Coffee Bar in Inverurie and Newmachar Hotel in Newmachar are the only eateries I recall tucking into one.
Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery (more commonly referred to as Buckie Farm) in Danestone has always been on my list of places to visit, purely down to word of mouth around its mouth-watering food.
I never felt the need to stop by given that I always have a roast waiting for me on a Sunday as it is, but for the first time I found myself craving a midweek one instead…
There was only one thing for it, head to my Too Good To Go app and reserve a mystery bag from the eatery.
What I got my hands on…
I had high expectations for my bag – or should I say tub – which set me back just £3.29.
I have seen a number of videos on social media app TikTok based around Too Good To Go bags from carveries in the UK, a lot of which are packed to the brim.
And to my delight, mine had also been filled with a list of delicious ingredients. I really should have popped the container on a set of scales. Its weight was staggering.
There were lashings of meat and not one, not two, but nine pigs in blankets.
They were the first thing that caught my eye, given that they are one of my favourite parts of a carvery. I dread to think how many I devour on Christmas Day every year.
The bacon on the outside was well-cooked and slightly charred – exactly how I like them – while the sausages themselves were peppery and softer in texture.
Likewise, the meats on offer, which included chicken and gammon, were so tender that I didn’t require a knife to slice them. The gammon was a standout component in the tub, offering a pleasant amount of saltiness that didn’t overwhelm the palate.
You may think this odd, but another standout was the assortment of fresh vegetables. There were plenty of them, “them” being red cabbage, garden peas, cauliflower and green beans.
Having soaked up the deliciously thick gravy, they too were a treat.
Speaking of veggies, roast potatoes can be classed as one, right? Well, I wish they were anyway… Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it didn’t take long for them to disappear.
Finally, there was also a mouth-watering sage and onion stuffing. Like the vegetables, it had blended nicely with the gravy and was nothing but a joy to eat.
The only disappointment for me was that not one Yorkshire pudding was in amongst the mix. I do love a good Yorkie, so was hoping to put one from Buckie Farm to the test.
Nevertheless, I was really satisfied with the tub overall.
General prices of the carveries:
There are a number of carvery options available daily at Buckie Farm. The price is a little less from Monday to Saturday in comparison to Sunday. They are as follows:
Monday to Saturday:
- The Full Works Carvery – £10.05
- Large Carvery – £9.08
- Traditional Carvery – £7.29
- Small Carvery – £4.99
Sunday:
- The Full Works Carvery – £13.05
- Large Carvery – £12.08
- Traditional Carvery – £10.29
You can add pigs in blankets to all orders for £0.99.
Was it worth it?
Considering that I was picking up a bag/tub that cost just a fraction of the majority of the carvery options listed above, I was thrilled. And boy, I can’t emphasise enough how worth it, it was.
The amount of food I was treated to would certainly feed two or three people, let alone one. I made a dent in the mixture and decided to save more for the following evening…
Each item was of high quality and tasted fresh, too. I may have to treat myself to a midweek carvery more often. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while.