The Argus Sunday Roasted: The Camelford Arms
Each week one of our journalists visits a Sussex pub or restaurant to munch the meat, taste the tatties and chew the fat. Nick Mosley heads to The Camelford Arms in Kemp Town…
Price: A choice of beef sirloin, half chicken, lamb, pork loin or gammon for £21.90. Upgrade to beef rib for £23.90 or if you’re ravenous then a three meat roast is £26.90. Vegetarians can choose from a chestnut, blue cheese, spinach and mushroom wellington, or the vegan option of butternut and beetroot parcel, both at £21.90. All plates include potatoes, vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding.
Venue vibe: The Camelford Arms is a proper community boozer of St James Street that has a genuine feeling of warmth and inclusivity about it. Just like the ‘Cheers’ theme tune, you get the impression that ‘everybody knows your name’.
Menu options: As above, there is a surprising amount of Sunday lunch choice for a pub venue. It is also hands-down the most enormous portion of food I think I’ve ever seen. Landlord Alistair told me that everything is home cooked on-site, so that must keep a chef busy for a day or two of prep. Clearly nobody leaves The Camelford Arms hungry.
Meat count: More than enough for little ol’ me with four decent slices of beef that whilst being tender certainly were a long way from being pink. Little Miss Greedy Guts had a half chicken that almost defeated her, while her regular Sunday lunch posse – John and Derek – devoured roast pork and the vegetarian wellington with gusto. Retrospectively I think John’s pork was the highlight of the table but then again I’m a sucker for crackling.
Veg out: Plates are piled high with broccoli, leeks, roasted carrots and swede. I haven’t had swede for years as its one of those vegetables that fell a bit out of fashion but I think definitely deserves a comeback. There was also a side of cauliflower cheese priced at £7 – again a big portion to share but a little on the bland side and needed beefing up with a more mature cheese to give it some balls.
Roast potato crisp-to-fluff ratio: If perhaps lacking in colour these were perfectly acceptable roasties that I’m guessing were finished in an air fryer as they were hot as the sun. Lovely and fluffy on the inside.
Gravy rating: Excellent and plenty of it although I was puzzled why it was already added to my plate when I also had my own jug. But definitely tasty with lots of body.
Yorkshire puds or duds: I’d give the Yorkies a middling score. Crisp and well-seasoned but they felt like they’d been hanging around a while. Certainly no squidgy bottom which I believe is the mark of a proper pud.
Allergens and dietaries: For those looking for plant-based options, both on the menu were well-considered. The kitchen can’t guarantee there’s no cross-contamination so I’d say be cautious, speak to your server and preferably let the kitchen know in advance. My lunch was gluten free and I had no issues.
Family-friendly: Afraid not kids! The pub’s licence doesn’t allow under 18s, which to be honest is somewhat of a blessing every now and then.
Dog-friendly: Absolutely. In fact their website proudly proclaims ‘the most dog-friendly pub in Brighton’ although quite how that was judged isn’t exactly clear.
Post-lunch nap probability: Very high. If you manage to clear your plate then I think you’d best go straight home and get your PJs on before the food coma kicks in.
The roast round-up: The Camelford Arms serves up proper, unpretentious pub grub. Its the kind of comfort food that you’d get at your gran’s house. With every table full at 3pm on a sunny Sunday in October, it certainly seems to hit the sweet spot with Kemp Town locals.
The Camelford Arms, 30-31 Camelford Street, Brighton BN2 1TQ
01273 622 386 • www.camelford-arms.co.uk
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