THE PLACE
A year on from our huge roast round-up – which you can still read on brightonsource.co.uk, of course – and we’re just about ready to get stuck into a pub-based Sunday lunch again. But where to start? Well, how about the Earth & Stars, the one you guys most recommended as the jewel we missed in the top 10. But not wanting to be rash, we asked for new tips and this place came up again and again. There’s obviously some consistency if, in the fast moving world of roasts, it’s getting props after a year. We feel pretty confident this is gonna be good.
THE MEAL
There’s a misunderstanding that the Earth & Stars is an organic pub, but that hasn’t been the case for a while. That’s a good thing – ‘natural’ cola is rank – but the return to the chemical world doesn’t mean that we’re looking at hormone-injected crap. The quality of meat and veg is right up there with The Forager: local, free range and organic where possible. The lamb shank is particularly good with a stewed taste, the meat crumbling onto our fork to leave the cleanest bone we’ve ever seen. The sizable pork belly is similarly soft and tasty. The crackling doesn’t look like much but turns out to be salty and crunchy. Perfectly cooked leeks, peas, carrots, red cabbage and white cabbage are all thrown in together in buckets of rich gravy, while parsnip crisps, a Yorkshire pud, crisp and soft roast potatoes make up a huge plate full of food.
THE VERDICT
All the roasts are around a tenner but really worth it. Properly cooked without gastro showing off. A straight up, top quality Sunday lunch. No wonder it’s so raved about around Brighton.
WERE WE SUSSED?
No way. We’ll never get sussed doing roast reviews cos the barstaff are either too rushed off their feet or hungover from Saturday night. We must stress that the Earth & Stars were busy, not hanging.
SECRET EATER
Earth & Stars
Windsor St (01273) 722879
12.30pm-4pm (approx)