Have you ever spent 1 hour 53 minutes thinking about nothing but meat and feet? I have – I even got a medal to prove it.

I recently completed my third half-marathon after taking a long break from running. I didn’t think I’d ever run again after my ordeal at The Loch Ness Marathon – I still have flashbacks to that 6-hour slog.

Scottish Half Marathon

My training for the Scottish Half Marathon went fairly well this year, but I had some extra pressure/motivation to finish in good time – we’d been invited down to Macdonald Marine Hotel in North Berwick to try out their new Sunday lunch menu and had a table reservation that demanded a two hour finish time.

Searching for the Best Sunday Roast

We’ve been on a mission to find Edinburgh’s best Sunday lunch since we started EdinBraw in 2013, but were more than happy to cast our net a little wider to North Berwick. We never need an excuse to visit that gem.

Motivated by Meat

The half-marathon went according to plan, each mile brought me closer to a mountain of meat. My feet didn’t enjoy the experience, I hadn’t realised my trainers had split and offered no support whatsoever. I’d clocked up over 1,000 miles in these trainers and really should have checked for wear and tear before the big day. Thank god Macdonald Marine Hotel had a spa.

As I reached the finish line I could almost taste the gravy. I collapsed into a corner and inspected my feet – something I regretted instantly. It didn’t matter, I knew there would be a Yorkshire pudding soon. Yorkshire puddings heal all wounds.

Macdonald Marine Hotel’s Sunday Roast

I don’t think I’ve ever deserved an oversized Sunday Roast as much as this day. Gemma had been to two high-intensity gym classes in preparation for overeating and was also incredibly excited for the meal. We both had extremely high hopes for this Sunday roast and thankfully weren’t disappointed.

But first…

A DIY Bloody Mary Station, with comedy-sized Worsechestire Sauce and Pepper Mill. Obviously, this came in handy for us, Gemma gets full marks for creating such a well balanced bloody mary.

Appeitzers

To whet the appetite, we tucked into a variety of hors-d’oeuvres from the chef’s table. Great restraint is needed at this stage of the meal, unlimited buffets usually bring out my competitive streak, and I didn’t want to miss out on the main event.

There was a great selection of appetizers available, from the seafood bar, cured artisan meats and cheeses, speciality breads with pickles and chutneys and marinated olives, to the range of roast vegetable and couscous, Caesar, Greek and house salads, we were spoilt for choice.

For us, this is the perfect way to start a meal and could easily have been the main course given the variety of options available.

Sunday Roasts

Roasts included: 21-day aged Scottish beef, roast chicken, catch of the day and gnocchi. I’d been thinking of beef for too long to change my mind and Gemma had was keen to try the chicken.

The roasts were supremely satisfying, with generous portions of well-cooked meat. This homely comfort hit every spot – we both thought it was worth the wait (and effort).

The chicken roast didn’t come with a Yorkshire pudding, which is not an issue for Gemma, she doesn’t understand why they exist. Personally, I would have liked to see one on her plate, that way I could have enjoyed two! As a Yorkshireman, this Yorkshire Pudding gained two thumbs up from me.

Dessert

There’s always room for dessert, especially with cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding on the menu. The cheesecake was a little disappointing, with a slightly granular texture instead of being silky smooth. The banana sticky toffee pudding, on the other hand, was heavenly.

We’d both worked incredibly hard for this Sunday roast and aside from the cheesecake, this was an incredibly satisfying meal.

Prices for Sunday lunch start from £29.95 for two courses and £34.95 for three courses.

Kick back and relax at Macdonald Marine Hotel

North Berwick is a stunning place to visit, so when Macdonald Marine Hotel offered a room to enjoy after dinner we jumped at the chance. We had good intentions, we’d go for a walk along the beach, eat an ice-cream, enjoy a Steampunk Coffee and then visit Macdonald Marine Hotel’s restaurant again for an evening meal. None of this happened.

As soon as we got to our luxurious room we entered a state of hibernation. Dinner plans were cancelled and North Berwick remained unexplored. Our food babies needed rest.

We slept so well, a half-marathon, huge meal and incredibly comfy bed are a great combo.

Breakfast

Breakfast the next day didn’t quite live up to the standards of the Sunday roast, the poached eggs were over-cooked, resulting in no satisfying ooze. We still ate everything on the plate, but expectations were high following on from such a great roast dinner.

Would we Visit Again?

We’d happily stay at the Macdonald Marine Hotel again, it would be the perfect base from which to explore North Berwick, or to just to kick back and relax.

Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa
Cromwell Rd, North Berwick EH39 4LZ

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