There’s nothing more British than the ubiquitous Sunday Lunch, the classic roast beef. Yorkshire Pudding, a variety of vegetables and all topped off with rich luscious gravy. However, what to drink with it is a matter of taste, budget and where you’re eating. Recently, my family and I decided to take a break from the stove and head out to that other British institution, the pub. Today in British society the pub scene is dominated by the major breweries, the likes of Mitchells & Butlers, Greene King and Brewer’s Fayre. The latter, is where we ended up. The surroundings are pleasant and are very much geared towards the family and towards a more cosmopolitan lifestyle.

So what to have with the fabulous Sunday Lunch. Well we opted for a red wine from Spain. A Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2000. The wine lends itself to the rich flavours of the Beef but would also lend itself well to lamb, the wine is full of rich berry fruit flavours and spicy overtones,. A meal out though is not complete without a desert. We opted for a desert to share between four! The desert itself was a blast from the past; the chocolate fondue, a 1970’s classic. Dipping a variety of fruits, from mango to banana , away from fruits, donuts, marshmallows and chocolate brownie. To round off this fabulous desert we had a fantastic Gran Campo Viejo Cava from the same vineyard as the Rioja. Cava always seems to get a raw deal in the UK, always playing the poorer cousin to its French neighbor, Champagne. However, I must say if you prefer you’re bubbly to be more fruity and less dry than you get with Champagne then you cannot go wrong with a good quality Cava, and if available I would definitely recommend Cava from this vineyard. Ah if only every Sunday was like this……