The George Payne, Hove

What to do on a Sunday afternoon when you don't have work? Go out for a roast of course. Being a vegetarian this is normally quite difficult. I just can't get excited about having a great slab of meat swimming in gravy served up in front of me (I realise here that this is most people's idea of a perfect Sunday). For us non meat eaters there is of course the unimaginative nut roast which I for one dislike, or the standard and completely uninspired pasta/risotto option, neither of which is really going to satisfy your Sunday lunch needs. 

So with Grandpa Farley staying for a few days it was the perfect opportunity to venture into Hove for a family lunch, and The George Payne did not disappoint. The only downside to the day? I was the designated driver. 

As we arrived, the staff were really friendly and managed to move us to another part of the pub so that the boys could watch the rugby whilst we ate. On a Sunday they only have roasts on the menu, but lets be honest, if you're out for a lunch on Sunday it's a pretty safe bet that that's what you want. On offer for the meat eaters was the standard beef, lamb, chicken or pork, and for the veggie's a very impressive four options - lentil and mushroom bake, sweet potato & red pepper roast, carrot and cashew nut bake or veggie sausages - all of which were served with roast potatoes, vegetables, a yorkshire pudding and vegetarian gravy. 

I opted for the lentil and mushroom bake which looked like this, and I can tell you that it was absolutely delicious. I can honestly say that I haven't had a veggie roast like it before. Normally I'm not one for veggie gravy as it always tastes weird to me, but this wasn't the case here. I'm also not a fan of parsnip, but the parsnip crisps on top were also really tasty. I thoroughly enjoyed this roast and definitely want to try the other options.

I've probably mentioned before, but I have the biggest sweet tooth and will always choose dessert over a starter. The George Payne had the most amazing selection of puddings on offer, and were really imaginative (apologies for the half eaten picture, I had to dive in before the rest of the family who "didn't want a dessert" had to try mine!). If I remember rightly the dessert selection was something along these lines:

• Mint chocolate cheescake
• Peanut M&M brownie tart (which is what I chose)
• Apple & blueberry pie
• Dime bar & banana tart
• Banoffee pie
• Upside down pineapple cake
• Three M's cheesecake - mars bar, malteaser, marshmallow

The tart was amazing. It was warm and not too rich and heavy which I find some chocolate tarts can be, and it was filled with peanut butter M&M's which I love! My aunt who sampled all the options we ordered declared mine as the best, obviously. The only downside I have to say is that they don't serve cheese boards on a Sunday. There is a blackboard which was right by our table offering a cheese platter served with a glass of port, so half the table had their hearts set on this after lunch. The staff explained that it's because they get so busy and the kitchen is quite small, but I have to say that I think it's a bit of a mistake not to serve cheese on a Sunday. Now this doesn't affect me so much, but working in a pub I know that it's a popular option. Anyway, it's only a small moan and like I said, it didn't affect me at all!

After lunch the coffees and liqueurs were ordered, and I decided to have a cup of tea which was served in such an awesome owl mug. This provided much amusement around the table, with many a Twitter related joke flying around.

All in all I highly recommend The George Payne for a Sunday lunch, especially if you're vegetarian. The food was delicious, the staff were friendly and everything was very reasonably priced. Take a look at their Facebook and Twitter pages for more information, and if you are in the area definitely pay them a visit. 

Megan x