The Great British Roast Competition: Paul Mulholland, Owner of King Street Tavern, Southsea

Paul Mulholland is the Owner of King Street Tavern, Southsea, the winner of ‘Best Vegetarian Roast’ in The Knorr® Professional Great British Roast Competition 2022-2023.

Launched in 2011, the Knorr® Professional Great British Roast Competition is open to all businesses that serve roasts.

Upon application, a panel of judges will review the entries, visiting shortlisted restaurants anonymously to reach a final decision on which two roasts – one meat, one vegetarian or vegan - are the best in the country for the year.

Commenting on the win, Paul said he and his team were thrilled to have won the award for the best vegetarian roast in the country, especially because they put so much effort into developing the perfect plant-based Sunday lunch.

Originally from a recruitment and HR background, Paul got involved in the hospitality industry when he helped open a number of hospitality venues in the South of England, one of which being the King Street Tavern in Southsea.

Paul added: “Out of the blue, we were contacted by a representative from Knorr® Professional to tell us we’d won – we couldn’t believe it!”

Located in an 18th century pub in the heart of Southsea, Paul’s King Street Tavern combines their authentic smoked/BBQ meats with great beer, as well as providing an extensive range of vegetarian and vegan alternatives for Portsmouth’s growing vegetarian community.

Whether it’s meat or vegan dishes King Street Tavern’s practices remain the same with the focus placed on the rubs and the infusion of wood smoked produce cooked ‘low and slow’ to perfection and paired with a wide range of beers and ales.

King Street Tavern won the title in the vegetarian category with its Mediterranean roast vegetable tart, served with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding and a vegetarian roast gravy.

“You’ve got your seasonal vegetables, and you’ve got your trends and curveballs, and what we do is integrate this effectively into a very colourful and well-presented plate of vegetable goodness,” explained Paul.

He added, “I’m not going to tell you the details of the recipe for our winning vegetarian roast as it’s taken us seven years to perfect!” but he did assure us it included lots of seasonal produce, sourced from local suppliers.

Explaining why he and his team were so passionate about providing top quality vegetarian roasts, Paul said: “Increasingly now, over 17% of the buying public are either vegan or vegetarian, so it’s important we embrace trends.”

“It’s taken us a couple of years to perfect the colours on the plate of our vegetarian roasts, you just have to try it for yourself!”

The restaurant's roasts are only available on a Sunday, served between 12:00pm and 5:30pm with the King Street Tavern offering a wide variety of family-style dishes throughout the week between Tuesday and Saturday.

When asked what tips he would give to make an award-winning roast, Paul explained the trick is to defy traditions and try new techniques.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment and be bold. The term tradition has become almost pseudo-cliché now, but undeniably that’s an expectation of the patrons. They want a classic roast, albeit configured slightly differently to suit a particular diet or palette and it’s something we do really well,” he said.

Among those in the distinguished judging panel was Alex Hall, Executive Chef for Knorr® Professional and Unilever Food Solutions. Announcing the winners, Alex said: “This year the competition saw an exceptionally high standard of entries from establishments across the UK. Winning the title of Britain’s Best Vegetarian Roast is an incredible achievement and a testament to the work that the team at the King Street Tavern have clearly put in to serving outstanding roast dinners.”

As well as the prestigious titles of Britain’s Best Vegetarian Roast 2022-23, the King Street Tavern will receive a prize package including a £3,000 voucher to spend on equipment for their businesses.