What makes a proper roast? The nation has spoken!

Roast dinners are a staple of British cuisine. Delicious, indulgent, and taking a little bit of effort, these hearty dishes are well worth the time – with the roast dinners often topping lists of the nation’s most popular meals.

We decided to delve a bit further into just what makes for a great Sunday roast (thought they can of course be eaten any day of the week) and through a poll of 300 diners, the nation told us exact what they rated on their roasts.

First up, we wanted to know just quite how often diners are tucking into roast dinners. According to our survey results, over a third of diners (39%) have a roast monthly, while those having them weekly (23%) and every six months (23%) coming up next.

We think a roast isn’t complete without gravy, and our diners thought so too, with a huge 93% stating they have gravy on their roast, with just 7% going without. Lion’s new range of tasty gravy granules – available in Onion and Gravy for Beef varieties – are suitable for veggies, but have a great rich taste - providing the perfect finishing touch to roast dinners, bangers and mash and more.

Full of flavour and with great convenience, all you need to do is add water – with just 72g of granules making enough gravy for 20 diners.

Condiments can make or break a dish – some people find it hard to imagine beef without horseradish, or gammon without mustard… but the nation’s top condiment came out as mint sauce, with almost a third of diners (30%) enjoying this tangy condiment. Second was horseradish (24%), followed by apple sauce in third place (18%).

Whatever condiments you choose to service, why not take a look at Lion’s range of condiments and mustards? From mustards both fiery and tame, to delicious creamy horseradish and fruity apple sauce, as well as the nation’s favourite mint sauce, there’s a condiment for every dish.

The nation’s favourite meat of choice was a hotly contested battle. While chicken was the most popular choice overall (29%), it was closely followed by beef (27%). Our surveyed diners also went for the veggie option – with 3% of diners enjoying a nut roast best of all.

When it comes to tasty side, unsurprisingly roasties came out on top, with a quarter of diners (24%) choosing this as their side of choice. It’s followed up by Yorkshire Puddings (16%), while the humble carrot is the third most popular accompaniment (12%).

Now you know what the nation loves, make sure you cater accordingly! With so many different tastes and preferences to consider, make sure you’re covered every Sunday with Lion’s great range of condiments, mustards and gravies - perfect for every diner.