Spit Roasting

Before the availability of large roasting ovens chefs throughout the ages have perfected the art of cooking meat and poultry over open fires. To ensure even cooking and great flavour they found that rotating the food over the flame produced the best results.

When most people hear about spit roasting they normally think of Tudor times and King Henry. This was a time of great experimentation in English cooking and King Henry demanded the best of his Chefs. Many of the techniques of our spit roasting preparation, marinades and cooking styles have their origins from this time.

A large Hog roast will take approximately six hours to cook to perfection and a Ram between three to four. A recent Tudor cookbook discovered in the national library quotes the same cooking times. The only difference for us is we have a motor to turn the spit and use gas to create the open flame.

A large variety of meat and poultry can be spit roasted from a full sized Hog to a small free range chicken. Cooking time will of course vary greatly and our chef will discuss this with you when you are choosing your menu.

The meat is prepared seasoned and mounted on the spit prior to our arrival, then in full view it is cooked under the constant supervision of our chef. As the aroma starts to waft on the air the spit roasting becomes a constant attraction as young and old are fascinated to see the process. Our roaster will not produce acrid smoke or fumes and is safe and rated for cooking indoors or out.

Once the meat is cooked our chef raises the spit and will carve, again in full view. The carving and meat presentation is a great crowd puller and our chef is happy to discuss the cooking techniques but will not pass on his secret marinade and sauce recipes many have been handed down from medieval times.