Nothing beats a good Sunday lunch - a succulent roast, juicy veg, crispy roasties and Yorkshire puds, all topped off with lashings of scrumptious gravy. Not only is this the best of British food, but it’s also one of the greatest institutions of British family life, providing the perfect excuse for lunch lovers across the country to get together.

Sometimes though, finding time for a Sunday lunch can be tough. Whether it’s because everyone’s busy, the rest of the week has left you feeling stressed or you’re conscious of the pinch on your purse strings, the lunchtime tradition can be left by the wayside.

If it has been a while since you last had friends, family or neighbours over on a Sunday, now is the time to re-embrace our favourite part of the week!  Age Concern and Help the Aged kindly supported by Aunt Bessie’s are calling on people across the nation to get together with loved ones on Sunday 18th October, and host a fun-filled Great Sunday Lunch to raise vital funds for older people for whom Sunday can be a lonely and difficult time. 

In our live and interactive Web TV show, celebrity chef and Mum Lesley Waters will give her top tips on how you can take the pressure off when holding your Great Sunday lunch, whether that’s by sending the children off to draw up place-cards and menus, or utilising the grandparents to assist with after-dinner entertaining.

To learn more about the The Great Sunday Lunch, and where you can download a Helping Hand booklet full of recipes and ideas for pre and post-dinner activities, make sure you log on to the live Web TV show and submit your questions now.

Lesley Waters join us live to discuss how to make your family meals a stress-free success.

Register today for your free Great Sunday Lunch pack brimming with fundraising ideas at www.greatsundaylunch.org.uk or call 0845 241 7299

H: Vicky Letch, host
L: Lesley Waters, chef

H: Hello and welcome, I’m Vicky Letch. Now I don’t know about you but when it comes to food, I like nothing more than a traditional Sunday roast – juicy veg, crispy roasties and Yorkshire puds – mmm. All topped off with lashings of yummy gravy. Now not only is this the best of British food, but it's also one of the greatest institutions of British family life, providing of course the perfect excuse for lunch lovers across the UK to get everyone together around the dinner table. Well Age Concern and Help the Aged with support from Aunt Bessie's are calling on people across the nation to get together with loved ones on Sunday 18th October, and host a fun-filled Great Sunday Lunch. Joining me today to tell us a little more and how you can ensure your Great Sunday Lunch is both delicious an fun is TV chef and mother Lesley Waters. Welcome

L: Hello, you made me so hungry talking about the roast there –

H: I know I was seeing it as I was describing it. I thought just put roast potatoes in my mouth, now. Sadly I can’t eat a roast because we have a job to do. We’ve got to tell the good people about this wonderful campaign. Now if you do have any questions, queries or comments for Leslie just pop them in the box below and we’ll answer as many as we possibly can. So, the roast dinner – a classic, yes?

L: Absolutely. Apparently, I did my research –

H: Brownie points!

L: It kind of originates from the north

H: Right

L: And it had to do with people going to church on a Sunday. They passed the baker’s who would have turned his oven off, but it would still be hot, and they popped their joints in, go to church, come back and get their roast and it would be ready

H: How funny

L: But also Yorkshire puddings apparently were developed by Yorkshire housewives, who basically would always serve them as a starter with a bit of gravy, to fill people up so they wouldn’t eat too much of the meat, and that apparently was how the Yorkshire pudding was first served

H: Oh wow of course because the meat would have been expensive so they would fill up –

L: Yes absolutely

H: As we do now on bread I suppose

L: Yes

H: I have to say my brother Andrew loves Yorkshire pudding, he would happily have just a plate of Yorkshires and a mug of gravy. That would be his meal, and he’d be happy

L: I have to say I rather love Yorkshire puddings

H: I love them yes. Right. I’m all grown-up now Leslie as you can tell, and I have to cook my own roast dinners these days, and I must admit when I’m doing it, I do sort of cringe a little bit when I look back at my childhood and I think the stress my mother must have gone through, with myself and my brothers all around her feet as she’s trying to cook. I mean how can you de-stress in the kitchen when you’re cooking?

L: Well I mean for the Great Sunday Lunch I think, which as you were saying earlier, we’re trying to get everyone together on the 18^th October

H: Yes

L: To raise money for Age Concern. If you’re going to have more people round than normal, get everyone’s help

H: Yes

L: You know? I mean you can get everyone involved, you can get people bringing things. I mean sometimes my mum will bring pudding. You know, you can do it that way. And also don’t beat yourself up because we all lead busy lives, and –

H: Absolutely

L: And there’s no problem in cheating. A little bit of cheating here and there, and this is where Aunt Bessie come in so brilliantly because I have to be honest now and say I’m not very good at Yorkshire puddings!

H: No! Are you really saying this on live television?

L: No I am not. They taste ok but they don’t look great. So getting a little bit of help, you know here and there

H: Why not?

L: Why not? I mean everyone should be able to enjoy a roast lunch, and I think this is the whole point. You’re not only raising money for a great cause, Age Concern, and primarily the money that is raised will go towards the lunch clubs

H: Yes

L: Which – for the centres for Help the Aged and Age Concern. So you’re doing a great thing but also it’s a brilliant opportunity to get family, and friends around the table

H: Yes

L: To enjoy a Great British classic

H: And I have to say my folks left me. They don’t like me very much, and they moved to America, it’s a very sad story. They went 7 years ago. No really I’m joking, I’m fine with it. I’m used to it now. But there’s one thing my mum says that I always think that’s so lovely – they have such a lovely community feel over there where they quite often, if they have a meal, someone will bring the starter, someone –

L: Absolutely. Absolutely

H: Someone will bring the main, someone will bring the pudding. And it’s nice then for everyone around the table I think

L: It is, and I’ve got childhood memories – my mum, she was great at letting me help her in the kitchen

H: Yes

L: And I think I used to get in the way more often than not

H: Yes!

L: But she used to then lock the door and take it all on herself and come out looking really hot and flustered

H: Yes, yes

L: And it doesn’t – throw the doors open, let everyone help. And also Aunt Bessie have put together this Helping Hand booklet as well, and in here there’s loads and loads of tips on how to make it stress-free

H:Yes

L: How you can enjoy it as well and get everyone involved through to before, during and after as well

H: Absolutely. In fact I remember I used to really treasure the times as a child – well looking back, maybe as a child I didn’t think it, but looking back I used to love the time in the kitchen with my mum. It’s that sort of special time you have one on one, everyone has busy weeks, it’s hard to have that sort of time with your children isn’t it?

L: It is, and you know we lead far busier lives now, don’t we?

H: Yes

L: So getting a little bit of help there and there, there is nothing wrong with that at all, and I remember sort of for me the roast, one of the biggest memories is the smell of cooking

H: Oh yes I know

L: That sort of anticipation of what’s to come

H: I know, I was always – awful, it just makes you feel so hungry. And I remember very, very clearly my dad and I, and if I visit my folks we still do it, my mum will be doing the roast and we will literally be like hawks around this meat, picking, shall I let it rest, let it rest, and we’re picking at the meat, and my mum always said to me little pickers where big knickers! And she was right, yes! But it’s a lovely time – but it’s a lovely time for family isn’t it, that’s the wonderful thing about roast dinner, and of course then getting your grandparents to join in as well

L: Absolutely or maybe you’ve g to a neighbour who lives on his own and enjoys a roast. I mean this is all about getting everybody together on a Sunday

H: Yes

L: On the 18^th and for older people, Sundays can be, you know a really lonely time

H: Absolutely

L: And I know that my mum-in-law, she finds Sundays really, really hard because originally they were a big family day, so we try and do roasts as much as possible

H: Yes

L: And you know, you won’t get a problem from my husband or my kids, because it has to be their favourite meal without a doubt

H: I think most people it will be their favourite meal. I visited my brother last week and his wife said I know that you don’t cook many roast dinners, so we’re going to do you a roast, and I think I did cry a little bit, I was so happy. And just sat round the table with my brother and the kids, it was just lovely

L: And you know the thing is, it’s not just about food is it?

H: No it isn’t

L: It’s about everything else. It’s – you know socialising

H: Yes

L: Kids maybe start talking about school

H: Yes

L: People start talking about something maybe that’s – you know happened lately that maybe they’re a bit worried about, and it’s this whole conversational thing, happy memories, everyone sort of round the table

H: Yes

L: It is really great

H: Yes absolutely. Right, let’s start with some of these questions then. Thank you very much, as I said we are live, so if you want to drop in any questions or comments please do so. I’m going to go for the one at the top because, for selfish reasons, I’d like to know your answer to this. “How do you make real gravy?”

L: Oh I can’t tell you how many times –

H: I thought you were going to say I can’t tell you. But you must, you must!

L: There you go. I’m asked this question. Ok

H: I bet

L: One of the biggest tips about doing a roast, apart from getting some help here and there, is to let your meat rest. This gives you the opportunity to make great gravy

H: Ok, alright

L: So your meat is cooked

H: Yes

L: You lift it out of the roasting tin

H: Yes

L: Onto a tray or a plate. Cover it with foil

H: Right

L: And then take the roasting pan and place it on top onto a medium heat

H: Right

L: Then what I tend to do is I – if there’s a lot of fat in the pan, I’ll pour that off, I’ll leave a tiny bit in there, then you’ve got all what I call the sediment and the juices

H: Yes – all the sticky bits and –

L: All the sticky bits, they’re very important. You then get, I would say for 6-8 people, a sort of – probably a couple of teaspoons of plain flour. Sprinkle that over the tray and then get a wooden spoon or a little whisk and sort of scrape all those wonderful bits into the flour. And then what I generally do is I add a splash of wine or cider or –

H: Oh lovely

L: Or maybe a splash of beer, and I just let that bubble up, and also some maybe some vegetable stock or chicken stock depending on what you’re cooking, and then bring that up to the boil and then really bubble it and sort of reduce it, until you get this fantastic sort of syrupy mixture, this syrupy gravy. And I might – if I’m roasting lamb I might put a couple of teaspoons of redcurrant jelly in, at the end

H: Lovely

L: Or if I’m – if I’ve got chicken I might put a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard in the gravy, but just make sure that you really scrape up all those wonderful bits of sediment, because they’ve got all the flavour there from the meat. And don’t make your gravy too thick. If it gets too thick, add some more stock or wine, and if you add wine or you add sherry or cider, make sure, and this is really important, that you really bubble it

H: Ok

L: For a good couple of minutes to cook out the alcohol

H: To cook it out, ok good. I am so going to give that a go

L: And don’t forget to season –

H: And season, yes that’s a good point

L: To taste and season

H: Yes I think I do forget that sometimes or I don’t put enough in. It is important

L: My mum makes the best gravy in the world, and I can’t tell you what her secret ingredient is

H: Oh – maybe off camera? No

L: I’ll tell you she used to put a little spoon of baked beans in her gravy and mash them in

H: Really?

L: Yes she only told me recently so –

H: Really? How amazing

L: And mash them in and they would just completely disappear. That was her secret

H: Well I – and now it’s out! I am definitely going to try that. Amy Jones, thank you very much I’m going to take those tips on board. It wasn’t even my question, I hope it’s helped you at home. Amy Jones, thank you – she says “can you host a Great Sunday Lunch any time or does it need to be on the 18^th October?”

L: No any time around that time would be great. So round about the 18^th but sort of any time around that would be fine

H: Yes

L: So that was a very long-winded way of answering that question, but yes and also you – I think you can download the information

H: Yes you can and I will incidentally give you all the details at the end of this chat, of how to get all the information for fundraising and of course the booklet that we’ve touched on as well, I’ll let you know how you can get your hands on that too, so great

L: And as much as what you charge

H: Yes because the idea obviously is to make some money for the charities, so what do you think?

L: Oh £100 a head. No I’m only joking!

H: Yes

L: I’d say a fiver.

H: Yes

L: A fiver per person, so if you want to sort of invite, you know invite a few – I think – do you think a fiver’s fair?

H: I think that’s fine. I also think, personal circumstance, so I think if someone’s you know not short of a bob or two they can be slightly more generous, and if someone is going through a bit of a difficult time then maybe we can be slightly lighter handed with them. What do you think?

L: Yes absolutely I agree

H: If I had friends round and I think you know, I know what you earn, I’ll be – cough it up

L: It’s for a great cause

H: It’s for a great cause, exactly. Luke, thank you, Luke Wastall – “I’m in my mid 20s and I’m trying hard to learn to cook, but the idea of cooking a roast terrifies me, especially if I had to cook for the in-laws. How could I cook a roast really easily?”

L: Well I think keep it simple

H: Yes

L: Don’t do too much and get a bit of help. Don’t do everything

H: Yes

L: Yes? So get a little bit of help there. Maybe you could try the Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings or you know you could maybe use the mashed potatoes or their roast parsnips, or maybe you get someone to do the pudding for you

H: Yes exactly

L: Make life easy. Keep it simple. Maybe when you do the first roast, have a look at your kitchen – I don’t know how big your kitchen is, but clear the decks

H: Yes

L: There’s one thing for sure when doing the roast is you need a bit of space

H: Yes

L: Yes. So clear the decks, put things in the cupboard that you know you’re not going to be using, and also clear out the oven because I know a lot of people will keep baking trays, and stuff

H: Yes

L: Just clear the decks

H:Ok

L: And then one of the most important things is to enjoy it yes? And you can do a little bit the night before, so you know if you are doing your own roast potatoes you could peel them. You could even you know get your meat ready in the fridge, you can do lots of things ahead of time

H: Yes of course yes

L: Get your vegetables ready. So if you’re worrying about that, you can do a little bit the day before

H: Which is what we would do at Christmas, it’s a similar meal isn’t it?

L: Absolutely

H: Why not do that –

L: And maybe don’t invite too many for your first one.

H: Yes don’t think I want to raise lots of money perhaps, well you do want to raise lots of money but don’t go crazy, let’s not invite 100 people perhaps on your first attempt yes. I have to say one of the things –

L: Good luck

H: Yes good luck we have everything crossed for you. One of the things I do love about a roast is it’s one of those meals that has a sort of beginner level, intermediate and then advanced because you can really make it whatever you want it to be. You can start off very simply and then you can experiment more with the different flavours and –

L: Yes absolutely.

H: Veg and –

L: And you don’t have to have a massive joint because I mean let’s face it, it’s all the wonderful accompaniments that make a roast

H: Absolutely

L: If you can, you know if you can do it with smaller cuts of meat if you wanted to

H: Yes

L: I remember once years ago we had a bit of a problem getting hold of a joint that I was going to be roasting, anyway it’s a long story but all I had in the fridge to go with everything else was some sausages and some bacon, and I was thinking you know I’ve got no joint. So I took the skin off the sausages and seasoned up the sausage meat, and then put lots of herbs in and stuff and then wrapped the bacon around these little pates, and pan fried them off

H: Brilliant

L: Made a bit of apple sauce

H: Yes

L: And a bit of gravy and then served it with all the roast

H: Yes. I mean that’s brilliant

L: I think I got away with it – just

H: I think you probably did. I think you probably would get away with that

L: So it doesn’t have to be –

H: No

L: A great big joint. You know you can do smaller cuts of meat and that makes it a bit easier

H: Because I have to say my favourite thing about the roast dinner are roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings – I mean the meat to me is just a side

L: I think it’s – I don’t know, for me I think it’s just everything together. I think it’s that whole thing isn’t it. The great thing about the roast is there’s something for everyone

H: Yes. Yes absolutely.

L: I mean even if you’re vegetarian you can enjoy

H: Yes

L: All the side bits which are wonderful

H: Oh yes I must admit when I cook a roast I’m not yet 100% proved with my potatoes. Sometimes they are rocking and sometimes not so. What’s your secret?

L: Ok so you want to par boil them first

H: Yes

L: Make sure you cut them round about the same size, and once they’re start to flake off the – the potato starts to flake slightly you want to drain them in the colander and shake them through the colander so that you get these sort of ruffled edges on the –

H: So you can be quite rough with them before you –

L: Yes. I mean you mustn’t over boil them, you only par boil them

H: Yes

L: Until they’re just starting to sort of flake a little bit and then you can put them in a colander and rough them up a bit, meanwhile back at the range, roasting tin in the oven. I use a mixture of olive oil and butter, get it really hot

H: Oh interesting, butter yes

L: Naughty. And then once it’s hot carefully lift it out and put your potatoes into the oil and the secret is a sprinkling of seasoned flour. Not too much. Toss your potatoes through, that’s how my grandmother used to make them

H: Beautiful

L: And that makes – but the fat must be hot when they go into the oven

H: Ok

L: But you know if time is not on your side, I have to say Aunt Bessie’s roasts are fabulous, so it’s up to you

H: True, true true. Trevor, thank you for your comment. Trevor says “roasts are great because you can get the kids involved with cooking the – cooking the veg” – oh sorry – “with cooking and then the veg grown in the garden.”

L: Yes absolutely and you know I really, really agree with that. I mean the more you can get children involved the better because they learn through fun, and for a child cooking and food is the greatest game in the world so absolutely totally agree. But it’s not just about the food, you know you can get them to lay the table, and also you can get them to make up sort of menu cards

H: Yes that’s a really nice idea

L: In the Aunt Bessie’s helping handbook there’s lots of nice ideas how you can get the kids involved

H: Yes

L: And you know if you want to get a bit of space in the kitchen and you want to sort of get them doing something else then they could maybe make sort of little table – menus or placements or whatever

H: Which is a lovely idea I think

L: Absolutely

H: Another comment here from Elizabeth, thanks Elizabeth. She says “cooking a roast for one can be a little uninspiring. But I’ve always found that in days after – that in the days after you can make use of the chicken for sandwiches and frying up leftover roasties for a big breakfast is a great move.” I like that yes

L: Yes absolutely, and you know I remember when my mum did a roast, you know it would go on for a few days, you know I mean literally you know you’d have maybe a stir fry, you know the second day, and then she might make some rissoles out of the meat

H: Yes

L: And you know really –

H: And bubble and squeak

L: Bubble and squeak

H: Love it, bring it back

L: Which is the most delicious thing. We’ve got to learn to use our leftovers haven’t we?

H: I know it’s true. It’s a crime the amount – anyway that’s a different subject all together. Let’s not go there. Of course Elizabeth you’re saying cooking a roast for one is uninspiring, on the 18^th October cook for lots of people, invite people over and you can cook for many. Make sure you charge them so you can do some fundraising too. Ok time for one last question, this is from Thomas Charles Whittman, how are you Thomas? He says “the nuts are falling and the apples are ready here in Suffolk. Can I get a quick recipe idea for making an apple-based dessert option for my roast?”

L: Oh yes. Now let’s have a little think about this. One of my favourite apple pies is using – eating apples so not cooking apples, and I keep them whole and I core them, and then I put them in a shallow ovenproof dish, and then I pour over cider, nuts of butter, add a couple of handfuls of brown sugar and then I roll out thick pastry, place it on the top of the apples so that when the apple pie cooks the pastry just goes – uh uh all over the apples

H: That just sounds so lovely

L: And they back in cider and then you serve those with – serve it hot. It does take quite a long time to cook, about 45 minutes so you want the crust to cook on the top –

H: Yes

L: On the top and the apples to sort of poach in cider underneath

H: That sounds gorgeous. Whilst we’re talking puds, I mean we don’t have a lot of time left but just for me, any other pudding ideas quickly you can think of?

L: Well I mean I think a classic, you can’t beat classic apple pie can you with a roast?

H: I agree yes

L: So you can either make your own or you can get a little bit of help if you want to

H: Yes

L: Custard without a doubt. I think trifle. Love trifle

H: Yes

L: You can do it the day before, stick it in the fridge and forget about it. And also go for things maybe that are in season at the moment so as you were saying earlier, apples are in season. Plums are in – plum and blackberry crumble

H: Yes

L: How delicious is that?

H: Just beautiful but yes trifle, I’m all for the old school. There’s something quite magical about the sponge and the jelly together

L: Yes absolutely

H: Love it. Right, do you want to go for something to eat now, I’m starving

L: I am absolutely starving but I wish everyone the best of luck

H: Yes

L: If they take part on the 18^th, I hope you do because it’s a fantastic cause

H: Yes. Thank you very much for your time, thank you. Ok to learn more about the Great Sunday Lunch and where you can download a helping hand booklet full of recipes and ideas for pre-and post dinner activities, go to greatsundaylunch.org.uk. Now you can also register there now for a free fundraising pack to support Age Concern and Help the Aged. Thanks for watching, good luck with those roast dinners and I’ll see you soon

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