Living in Hertfordshire means that I am very lucky to be surrounded by some incredible places! However, many of them I have sadly never visited, including Fanhams Hall! Known for being one of the top places to stay in the county, it has been a dream to go there, which the blog was lucky to do on Sunday for a superb roast dinner!

Good Morning Lovelies, 

Do you have a place that is so close to you but that you never go to? You see it and say that you should visit but always forget to go back! Well, for my family, this has always been the wonderful Fanhams Hall, which is located in Ware, around 15 minutes away from us. 

Yet, yesterday (1st March 2026), this all changed, as the wonderful team at the Four Star hotel invited us along to try out their incredible Sunday Lunch. Hosted on the first Sunday of every month, between the hours of 12:30pm and 2:30pm, the catering department goes all out to make a buffet, which includes a large selection of starters, a traditional cavery and plenty of puddings to choose from. All of which we were very excited to try. 

Upon arriving at 1pm, we were greeted by the loveliest of hosts, as they showed us to our table and told us all about what was on offer today. Taking our drinks order, we both chose the simple options of Coca Cola and lemonade to go with our meal, which were both chilled and utterly refreshing. 

With amazing smells in the air, it wasn’t long before we went all in on the starters. From light options, such as bread sticks and salads to classic dishes including smoked salmon and prawn cocktails, there was something for all to tuck into. Both of us opted to go for a wide mix of items, including the smoked salmon covered in a beautifully creamy dill sauce, a wonderfully refreshing and crisp prawn cocktail salad, with added smoked bacon pieces and a light and airy onion flan. 

Each dish was amazing! The flan’s pastry was light, flaky and melt on the tongue buttery, whilst the prawns tasted like they had just been caught and served. The salad was crisp to the core and the smoked salmon and sauce were out of this world. My mum stated that she wished she could have it every single day, as it was a taste to savour. 

With the wonders of the starters remaining on our tongue, we couldn’t wait to get stuck into the Sunday Lunch main course. Served in a carvery style area, the lunch was a buffet service, allowing you to pick exactly what and how much you wanted of each portion, after being served your chosen meat. At our lunch, the meat we could choose was a gorgeous rare cooked roast beef and a traditional roast turkey that had us wishing it was Christmas again, as it would have been perfect during the festive season. 

Grabbing our plates, we both chose the option of beef as our main meat, however, you could have had both at the same time or gone back for another serving of the other meat if you had wanted to. The team were honestly happy for you to have as much as you wanted and could not have served the dishes any better. 

It was then time to load our plates with the delicious vegetables on offer. Trying to go for things that looked a lot better than when we make them at home, we found ourselves falling head over heels in love with the roasted potatoes that could not have been roasted any better. They were knock on them with your knife crispy dreams. 

We also had plenty of the gorgeously roasted root vegetables, which was made up of carrots and parsnips, as well as light but with a slight crunch white and red cabbage, green beans, cauliflower cheese and of course a big and puffy Yorkshire pudding. Plus, a big serving of sage and onion stuffing. All of which coated in a large portion of rich homemade beef gravy. 

Upon taking our first bite, we were in awe at how all the flavours combined to make a dish that deserved a place on the hall of Sunday Lunch fame. The potatoes had that crispy coating but inside, they were light and fluffy, blending with the gravy beautifully. The vegetables were all cooked to the right levels, making each bite a real joy, as you could savour how well they fitted with the spring season. 

The beef was a little tough to cut, due to the cutlery more than the actual meat, but was truly delicious. Served at a rare level, it had all the right juices flowing through it, which made it melt on your tongue perfection. When forked up with a hit of the stuffing, it was as if heaven had actually landed in our mouths, as the herbs and spices came together in a thing of pure wonder. 

Finishing our mains by using the Yorkshire pudding to mop up the gravy, we were truly stuffed. Yet, the dessert selection couldn’t keep us away. After a little pause to chat, during which our plates were cleaned away, we took to the pudding area to make our choices. Again, there was so much on offer that it was a little hard to know what to opt for. 

From Creme Brulee to cheese and simple slices of fruit, we decided to go with a bit of a real mixture. Whilst one of us opted for the apple pie and cream, alongside a slice of rocky road, we also chose the Eton mess, another slice of rocky road and rhubarb trifle to sample too. 

The apple pie slices were giant and full of the biggest pieces of delightful stewed apple that you could want. With the pastry being light again, the pudding fell apart in a great way within the cream, causing each bite one that you wanted to last forever. When it came to an end, the now spiced cream became a beautiful base for the rich rocky road, which had the most incredible chocolate, marshmallow and biscuit blend that you could have asked for. 

As for the Eton mess, it left us wishing for hot summer days in the garden. The meringue was crispy, light and full of that sugary flavour that you could only wish for, whilst the cream had been mixed to just the right consistency that allowed for the berries to swirl into it to give it a really refreshing end to the meal. Something that rhubarb trifle mirrored, as the jelly and cream slid down easily, leaving a taste that only the ripest and sweetest rhubarb could leave. 

Upon finishing our puddings, we allowed our food to settle for a little while, before saying goodbye to the team, who was fantastic throughout. No issue or question was too big or small and they continuously presented themselves to let us know that they were there to help if we needed them. Not in an annoying way, just in a very helpful manner that was really appreciated. 

Fanhams Hall is a place that we will now definitely be returning to this spring, summer and beyond. More than just an incredible hotel, it is a place to really enjoy the wonders of food and drinks within, as well as a place to enjoy a number of festivities throughout the year too, with a blended Afternoon Tea and Easter egg hunt looking to be the next big event. 

Priced at £45 for an adult, £22.50 for children under 10 and £15 for children under four, you really do get your money’s worth with the whole experience, as you can eat as much as you like of the brilliantly cooked food during your chosen time slot. Drinks are also reasonably priced and the service is absolutely amazing.

We are now firm fans of the hotel and I cannot recommend going there enough if you are in Hertfordshire! You may also want to book a room afterwards though, as you will be in a really delightful food coma afterwards! 

Joey X