As the autumn transforms into the chill of winter, it is a time whereby we particularly cherish certain things. Central heating and woolly hats undoubtedly ran highly, but none comes so coveted as the traditional British Sunday roast.

For as we launch headlong into darkness of early evenings, office sniffles and predictably dreary weather, the British public takes great solace in the cosy, warm and comforting tradition of the great Sunday roast. Often referred to north of the Watford Gap as ‘Sunday Tea’, this customary meal is believed by the well-schooled to date back to as far as the industrial revolution, when families in Yorkshire would leave cuts of meat in the oven while they attended church before eating it on their return.

Whether you’re a black pudding junkie, a bubble-and-squeak devotee or a nut roast enthusiast, we’ve picked five of the best – guaranteed to (dare we say it) match your mum’s best work.

1: Hawksmoor, Seven Dials and other London locations

With the ‘Best Sunday Lunch In The UK’ title already bestowed by the Observer Food Monthly, the Hawksmoor is the London carnivore’s most lusted-after location. The tasty beef rump, duck-fat roasted potatoes and flying pan-sized Yorkshire puddings, washed down with a Bloody Mary, are out of this world. Go hungry; leave in a delirious food coma.

2: Harwood Arms, Fulham

Boasting a Michelin star to its name, this gastro pub is every roast-lovers’ dream.  Despite its South-West London setting, it has a cosy Home Counties feel. Their Sunday special blends rural heartiness, in the form of a giant rib of beef with smoked bone marrow, with urban reverence, in the guise of heather-honey ice cream for desert.

3: The Ship,Wandsworth

It’s not often you can get a roast on a liner – well, a good one at least – but The Ship delivers impressive hearty meals that soothe the soul. Famous for their char-grilled delights, their Sunday menu should be crossed off of every Londoner’s bucket list. And if miracles occur, i.e. the weather is pleasant, you can enjoy your roast while overlooking the murky depths of the River Thames.

4: The Coach and Horses, Soho

This Soho watering hole was one of the first to ditch meat from the menu and become London’s first vegetarian pub. If meat’s not your thing and nut roasts bore you to death, veggies will be spoilt for choice here. Home-made veggie sausages and buttery mash with lashings of gravy, hearty vegetable pies…and the wine menu is suitably diverse. Carnivores or veggies…dig in.

5: Old White Bear, Hampstead

With any great British tradition, some form of pomp and ceremony is required, and the Old White Bear provides that while you’re tucking into your Sunday meal. Attracting a refined clientèle, this gastro pub, set within a country house hotel, is all about the food. On Sundays, you can expect a choice of roasts, served alongside dishes such as sautéed calf’s liver with lentils, cotechino (a type of Italian cooked salami) and salsa verde.