North Wales 'best value Sunday carvery' where you won't go home hungry
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
When people ask where is the best Sunday carvery in North Wales the Sandy Cove Club in Kinmel Bay, near Rhyl, always seems to get mentioned.
I had never heard of the place before, but the family-owned pub and carvery seemed a very popular choice, with people citing good value and a friendly family atmosphere.
The Sunday carvery can sometimes, unfairly, have a catering reputation of being a 'Jack of all trades' due to its multiple meats and veg for a fixed price. However, judging by the long shuffling queues of hungry customers on a weekend, we all seem to love them.
We booked a table online and due to its popularity, you are required to leave a deposit of £6 each. We received a warm welcome from a member of staff from behind the bar, who checked our booking and informed us of our table number.
The venue was alive with lively conversations and is obviously a popular meeting place for friends and family. It's very close to a few caravan parks, so is a convenient place for families to get their regular Sunday roast fix together.
Sandy Cove appeared to be split into three large rooms with a private members area on one side of the building. There was a television on one wall showing football and customers were taking advantage of a well-stocked bar.
We were informed that we should buy a carvery ticket at the bar and that we needed to choose our size of plate for the food (the plates sizes were displayed on the club wall).
The carvery Sunday lunch was priced at £13.95 for a big plate, £11.95 for a medium plate or £8.95 for a children's plate.
We decided to take the medium size plate and handed our tickets to the friendly chef behind the carvery counter.
The great thing about a carvery is that you do not have to wait for your food. You can just rock up to the counter and choose from a choice of four slow roasted seasoned joints, including beef, gammon, turkey and lamb or a nut roast.
The chatty chef could see that we were both having trouble making our minds up over what meat to pick. She informed us, that we could take up to two meats each.
(Image: Mark Williams/North Wales Live)
I went for beef and a slightly left field choice of gammon, according to my wife, whilst, in my opinion, she went for the more controversial choice of beef and turkey.
Whatever your preference of meat, they were all served, marinated in delicious aromatic herbs.
We were served the meat, pigs and blankets, stuffing ball and Yorkshire pudding by the chef, and then helped ourselves to the rest, including roast potatoes, new potatoes, creamy mash, Hasselback potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower cheese, honey roasted parsnips, cheesy leeks, green cabbage, garden peas and roasted sweet potatoes.
There was a choice of three gravy options including beef, lamb and turkey and there was the all-important condiments selection with horseradish, mustard, cranberry and mint sauce.
I put a bit of everything onto my medium sized plate, as I tried not to look too greedy, whilst being greedy. I made the fatal mistake of filling my plate with too many roast potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips, so that I didn't have enough room for all the veg.
My wife managed the art of filling the plate much better than myself but we both watched in awe as other customers struggled back to their tables, hidden behind a mountain of food, higher than their head.
If my plate of food looks messy on the picture, blame me, the serving man, not the chef.
The beef was nice and lean with a lovely rich flavour, whilst the turkey was succulent, considering it can often be described as a dry meat. The gammon slices were deliciously thick and salty.
The vegetables all tasted good. We liked the fact that the broccoli still had a bit of crunch, along with a lovely brown tinged cheesy cauliflower.
The new potatoes were served with an herby butter; the stuffing had a sage and onion tang and the Hasselback potatoes had a wonderful crispy skin. The cheesy leeks were an unusual addition but tasted fantastic.
(Image: Mark Williams/North Wales Live)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Long-awaited retail park cafe has arrived but was it worth the wait
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info It's been quite a wait for coffee fans. Signs have been suggesting Black Sheep Coffee were opening a cafe at Broughton shopping centre for some two years. But on Thursday the chain - with branches around the UK - finally flung open their doors. Judging by the response so far it's clear that it's set to be a success. Franchise owners - and husband and wife team - Haris Mirza and Saba Jamshed will run the cafe - in addition to one they operate in Preston. Hari, 41, told me their Preston one took a year to be as popular as this Flintshire one is now so the future looks positive. The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here's how to sign up (Image: David Powell) Haris said what makes Black Sheep Coffee is different is its Robusta coffee naturally contains twice as much caffeine as normal Arabica coffee beans but in a good way. It's less acidic and it's more chocolatey and nutty so it's got the right notes. "It's what drove me to open this cafe," he says. "I was literally just a customer like anyone else. I would just go and buy a regular mocha and then I just ended up taking on the franchise. (Image: David Powell) "The Robusta coffee beans come from India and the equivalent of the Arabica beans - which is the Blue Volcano which is fruitier - come from Colombia. There are other coffees as well. "There are so many options to customise - different syrups like hazelnut. caramel....., and whipped cream." Haris says it's a friendly place where staff including him and his wife chat to customers. Customers order at the front, pay at the next counter and collect at the far end. (Image: David Powell) The orders are made on one of three touch screens, much like in McDonald's or M&S cafes. There are lots of bagels, sandwiches and croissants and the like. The meal deals looked good. I went for a Chicken & chorizo farmhouse sandwich, flapjack (in a plastic wrapping) and cappuccino. The drink is from their "Blue Volcano" range and I went for added caramel. It's quite strong and rich and exactly what it's difficult to make at home. There were many Matcha drinks too. Matcha means finely-ground powder of green tea which can be added to milk, water or another drink. While here I had one with lemonade. It tastes rather like Lilt or 7UP, from back in the day, without the fizziness. And while it looks somewhat unappetising it tastes sweetish and light, and with some ice, it was a refreshing pick me up on a warm and muggy day. (Image: Reach plc) The Chicken & chorizo sandwich was on fresh bread and with a cottage cheese filling. That made it lovely and moist and it was delicious. I would have preferred the flapjack not to be in wrapping and to be a bigger square on a plate from the counter. But it was soft and fruity and a lovely snack. The decor was unpretentious, like the Black Sheep Coffee cafe I'd been to in Cardiff. This one has exposed, ventilation ducts, faux distressed plank flooring, breeze blocks and corrugated metal on one wall. They give it an industrial look. (Image: David Powell) The grey artwork personalises this branch. Striking images of two racehorses presumably hurtling around the Roodee circuit (Chester Racecourse) and Roman Chester city walls are a nice choice. It's the first Black Sheep Coffee branch in North Wales - between Clogau and Lush at Broughton retail park. And with a relatively captive audience it should do well. The facts Location: Black Sheep Coffee, Broughton retail park, Flintshire CH4 0DE. Food: Tasty and fresh with imaginative coffees, shots and Matcha teas. Service: Friendly and efficient Atmosphere: Unfussy and relaxed. The bill: Chicken & chorizo farmhouse sandwich, cappuccino with caramel shot and fruit and seed flapjack: £9.38. Verdict: A little piece of cosmopolitan life from a household chain now in North Wales too.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Second homes and holiday lets curb slammed as a 'big brother' move
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info North Wales Live readers are concerned to hear that planning chiefs have stated that new restrictions on second homes and holiday lets in Eryri will grant "more control" over local housing stock. Data reveals nearly half the homes in one village are second homes. A new Article 4 Direction within the Eryri National Park as of June 1, 2025, has curtailed rights concerning the conversion of primary residences to second homes or short-term holiday lets, including certain mixed uses. This move also affects the change of use between second homes and holiday lets. Following this, the planning and access committee of Eryri National Park has endorsed proposals regarding its Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG), which aims to regulate the usage of dwellings as holiday homes. The SPG establishes an annual review process to determine a threshold percentage for allowable properties, with 15% being deemed an "appropriate" limit for the number of holiday or second homes in specific locales. Across Eryri, the current rate is 17.4%, but setting a 15% cap for individual areas aligns with policy frameworks of other authorities. Statistics indicate the proportion of second homes and short-term lets across community council regions, with Aberdyfi topping the list at 45%. Cllr Elwyn Jones queried the rise and fall of figures in areas, and asked if there would be a review. Director of Planning and Partnerships Keira Sweenie said a review in a year would be "very sensible". She said: "Whatever percentage we agree today, nobody knows what the impact of the guidance will be. What is important is that we are in a better situation than before Article 4, because, at least now we have some level of control." Commenter Morpick says: 'Sadly shades of a 'Big Brother' state that will have zero impact on the availability of affordable homes. Just takes attention away from the council and their lack of priority given to the provision of such accommodation for generations.' BarnettFormulaSpongers replies: 'The problem is lack of jobs. On average property in North Wales is very cheap.' Llanpeter agrees: 'I think that's the point: the problem is jobs and the income that comes with them. The rest is a consequence, whether it's housing, poverty, lack of opportunity or whatever. SCATHINGPEN adds: 'Control of housing is control of a major asset, control of income and ultimately, control of someone's money. This argument about the housing crisis caused by holiday lets second homes is a false flag. It has been from the start. There are plenty of homes that are cheap enough to be affordable for locals, if employed.' Truebrit thinks: 'All those houses have been sold to outsiders by locals to get a higher price for them, so who is most at fault the locals selling out their neighbours or the outsiders buying a house put up for sale on the open market? If all the houses were owned by locals how would they make a living as there's very little local employment, the hard fact is Wales needs tourism to survive.' Indigodebz adds: 'I'd love to know how many of these second homes were built as second homes in the first place. So many wealthy Victorian and Edwardian businessmen built homes in North Wales towns and villages. Some brand new towns. Subsequent generations have developed and maintained them employing local tradespeople. We have some fabulous restaurants and retail shops that depend on wealthy visitors.' Tomosb81 points out: 'Basic economics means that if you take an asset (a primary home) and impose a massive selling restriction on it (can only be sold as a primary home), then the value of that asset will fall. Note, that the smoke and mirrors that continue to be deployed mean that many people still think this primarily affects second home owners. Of course, as a secondary impact, all house values including second homes and holiday homes will be hit due to everyone losing confidence in the governance of Gwynedd and Eryri. But even if in the short-term that means second homes are sold for reduced prices, they will most likely just be bought by other second home owners. "The only primary home owners who may be unaffected by this are those who never intend to leave Gwynedd/Eryri. They continue to say "we need house prices to crash". But it is incredibly selfish to everyone else who may need at some point to sell their home to move away for a multitude of reasons, or to fund care home fees, etc.' Glueman53 complains: 'The government under-funds councils and then gives them the right to introduce a punitive tax on people's investments. They will find to their cost that second homes will inject more income into the local economy than any local resident. Affordability is nothing new, I wanted to live in London but got priced out, so I moved out.' Do you think the Article 4 direction will free up homes for locals? Have your say in our comments section.
North Wales Live
2 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Second homes and holiday lets curb slammed as a 'big brother' move
North Wales Live readers are concerned to hear that planning chiefs have stated that new restrictions on second homes and holiday lets in Eryri will grant "more control" over local housing stock. Data reveals nearly half the homes in one village are second homes. A new Article 4 Direction within the Eryri National Park as of June 1, 2025, has curtailed rights concerning the conversion of primary residences to second homes or short-term holiday lets, including certain mixed uses. This move also affects the change of use between second homes and holiday lets. Following this, the planning and access committee of Eryri National Park has endorsed proposals regarding its Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG), which aims to regulate the usage of dwellings as holiday homes. The SPG establishes an annual review process to determine a threshold percentage for allowable properties, with 15% being deemed an "appropriate" limit for the number of holiday or second homes in specific locales. Across Eryri, the current rate is 17.4%, but setting a 15% cap for individual areas aligns with policy frameworks of other authorities. Statistics indicate the proportion of second homes and short-term lets across community council regions, with Aberdyfi topping the list at 45%. Cllr Elwyn Jones queried the rise and fall of figures in areas, and asked if there would be a review. Director of Planning and Partnerships Keira Sweenie said a review in a year would be "very sensible". She said: "Whatever percentage we agree today, nobody knows what the impact of the guidance will be. What is important is that we are in a better situation than before Article 4, because, at least now we have some level of control." Commenter Morpick says: 'Sadly shades of a 'Big Brother' state that will have zero impact on the availability of affordable homes. Just takes attention away from the council and their lack of priority given to the provision of such accommodation for generations.' BarnettFormulaSpongers replies: 'The problem is lack of jobs. On average property in North Wales is very cheap.' Llanpeter agrees: 'I think that's the point: the problem is jobs and the income that comes with them. The rest is a consequence, whether it's housing, poverty, lack of opportunity or whatever. SCATHINGPEN adds: 'Control of housing is control of a major asset, control of income and ultimately, control of someone's money. This argument about the housing crisis caused by holiday lets second homes is a false flag. It has been from the start. There are plenty of homes that are cheap enough to be affordable for locals, if employed.' Truebrit thinks: 'All those houses have been sold to outsiders by locals to get a higher price for them, so who is most at fault the locals selling out their neighbours or the outsiders buying a house put up for sale on the open market? If all the houses were owned by locals how would they make a living as there's very little local employment, the hard fact is Wales needs tourism to survive.' Indigodebz adds: 'I'd love to know how many of these second homes were built as second homes in the first place. So many wealthy Victorian and Edwardian businessmen built homes in North Wales towns and villages. Some brand new towns. Subsequent generations have developed and maintained them employing local tradespeople. We have some fabulous restaurants and retail shops that depend on wealthy visitors.' Tomosb81 points out: 'Basic economics means that if you take an asset (a primary home) and impose a massive selling restriction on it (can only be sold as a primary home), then the value of that asset will fall. Note, that the smoke and mirrors that continue to be deployed mean that many people still think this primarily affects second home owners. Of course, as a secondary impact, all house values including second homes and holiday homes will be hit due to everyone losing confidence in the governance of Gwynedd and Eryri. But even if in the short-term that means second homes are sold for reduced prices, they will most likely just be bought by other second home owners. "The only primary home owners who may be unaffected by this are those who never intend to leave Gwynedd/Eryri. They continue to say "we need house prices to crash". But it is incredibly selfish to everyone else who may need at some point to sell their home to move away for a multitude of reasons, or to fund care home fees, etc.' Glueman53 complains: 'The government under-funds councils and then gives them the right to introduce a punitive tax on people's investments. They will find to their cost that second homes will inject more income into the local economy than any local resident. Affordability is nothing new, I wanted to live in London but got priced out, so I moved out.'
