A Sunday lunch unlike any other

Don't visit Llansteffan's Inn at the Sticks expecting your average boiled veg, writes Kathryn Williams

- Kathryn Williams

Vichy carrots Lemon cheesecake

I'LL never ever get sick of a Sunday dinner. I don't know whether it's partly to do with nostalgia, the communal experience or simply just the fact I love succulent roast meats with tonnes of gravy and a Yorkshire pudding bursting at the seams.

Spending time with your family around a big table filled with food isn’t an unusual occurrence but I reckon it happens way less than it should these days. I was fortunate enough to do that on a birthday trip down to Pembrokeshire.

En route home, I booked us into one of Wales' most impressive and popular places to eat.

The Inn at the Sticks in Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, is a long-established pub and I've visited many times over the years.

But since new(ish) owners Teej Down and Tracy Jenkins took over the 18th-century inn, I've not had the opportunity to try out their award-winning fare.

This was about to change. The kick up my backside came when the Sticks was named as one of the UK's best pubs in the Good Food Guide's top 100.

The same guide has also given them the accolade of best local restaurant. Let's just say they're renowned for being excellent at what they do and I needed a piece of it.

Our booking landed on a Sunday, much to my brother's chagrin, as he, unlike me, does not go apopleptic over a roast dinner. But I knew the menu at Inn at the Sticks would be a turn-up for the books, even on a Sunday, as they don’t subscribe to menu norms and I am glad of it.

I know where to go for an excellent “traditional” Sunday dinner but with the recent reputation of the Sticks and choosiness in the party, I knew we'd get a Sunday lunch with a difference.