Star on Sunday

Anyone who applies for UK citizenship has to answer questions on politics, language, history and current affairs but that’s hardly the indispensable property of Britishness. Nor is being able to name-check the cast of EastEnders or knowing who won the last series of X Factor.

Until the UK citizenship test came into being, the definition of British could be rather loosely summed up in terms of tea and biscuits, scones smothered in jam and cream, a warm beer and the thwack of leather upon willow.

For me, though, nothing sums up Britishness more than a good old Sunday lunch. Sadly, our increasingly hectic lifestyles have made a proper Sunday roast something of a rare treat these days. I always try to make time for a roast when we’re at home, but the end result is inevitably compromised by the need to rush everything and cut corners in the preparation.

So a Sunday lunch at a good pub is a thing to be savoured – a little slice of what puts the “Great” in Britain.

There’s something immensely satisfying about the traditional roast: warm slices of meat fresh from the oven flanked by crispy roast potatoes, piles of crunchy fresh veg and, best of all, a couple of light and puffy Yorkshire puds –- all drenched in a rich, dark gravy.

It’s what Sunday lunchtimes were made for.

A trip to The Wyvill Arms, in Constable Burton, is a great appetiser. From Darlington, you drive via some choice Yorkshire Dales countryside, through the picture postcard village of Crakehall, with its wonderful village green, before reaching your dinner destination.

In an earlier life, The Wyvill Arms was an 18th Century farmhouse and there are traditional elements still to be found, but there’s a lot more to this pub than twee reminders of the past. The real allure has to be the food and the wide selection of fine ales that make it the perfect destination for walkers and day-trippers seeking sustenance.

For starters, I had leek and potato soup which had a nice peppery aftertaste and my wife, Jane, had the terrine of smokey ham and duck liver pate on mixed leaves, which combined to smooth effect.

As it was Sunday, I couldn’t ignore the offer of roast chicken in an onion gravy served with potatoes and a generous selection of vegetables.

Each Sunday lunch is served with chef Nigel Stevens’ Yorkshire puddings. And what monsters they are – about three times the size of the usual restaurant offerings.

The generosity of the portions was a notable point throughout our meal. I have a hearty appetite, but I couldn’t quite polish off my main course.

The chicken was divine: the meat parting at the merest touch of the knife and the simple roast meat tasting exactly as it should – juicy, not dry. The veggies were nice and crisp (the herbs come from the pub’s own garden) and the roasties tasted crunchy on the outside, fluffy in the middle. This is Sunday lunch as it should be.

Jane had the roasted salmon on steamed leeks with a tangy pesto sauce – an unusual alternative to my traditional choice. The fish was done to perfection, meaty with a lovely texture, and flavoursome.

A word too about the excellence of the children’s menu. Our youngsters had the chicken dippers – strips of chicken in a light batter served with a tomato sauce – and chunky chips that were as chunky as tent pegs. They enjoyed every mouthful, and whiled away the time as we finished our three courses by spotting the model train that runs around the top of the dining area.

I finished off with an apple strudel and icecream.

It was warm but, thankfully, not so hot as to weld the apple to the top of the mouth and Jane shared a sticky toffee pudding with our son.

So something of a triumph for the Wyvill Arms, then, but Nigel, whose family have run the pub for more than a decade, isn’t a man to rest on his laurels. He is already planning a new open-plan kitchen, so diners in the restaurant and bar areas can watch him prepare their meals.

And what could be more British than watching someone making Sunday lunch?

􀁧 My leek and potato soup starter cost £4.50, Jane’s duck liver pate and rustic toast, £6.45.

The roast chicken main course was a very reasonable £7.95, the salmon, £14.95 and the kids’ chicken dippers, £6.50. All the homemade puddings are priced at £5.95.