MOST grandmothers would say they could whip up a good roast dinner.

But Britain’s best? That is saying something.

Luckily enough, you will find it right here in Brighton.

The Cleveland Arms, in Cleveland Road, was named the winner of the Best Meat Roast Dinner in food giant Knorr’s Great British Roast Dinner Competition.

So what is the secret to a great roast?

Long carrots, according to co-owner Sarah Davies.

“We buy all of our vegetables from local farms and we get our meat from Barfields Butchers in Fiveways,” the 43-year-old said.

“We do everything from scratch.

“Peas are a cop out so we don’t use those.

“We keep the carrots nice and long but cut them in half so they roast well.

“And we have the gravy bubbling away for at least a week in the kitchen.

“But most of all we don’t cut corners. It’s blood, sweat, and tears.”

Not literally, of course.

The pub began only two years ago when partner Jamie bought his father’s restaurant with Sarah.

“Jamie was born and raised in the pub world,” she said.

“But this was my first time running a pub.”

But the small team has already made waves in the pub world, not least thanks to the hard work of head chef Danny Frape.

“There aren’t any egos here, sometimes in kitchens you get chefs with big heads but that’s not a problem here,” Sarah said.

“Our team is fantastic, they all work so hard and we pull out all the stops.

“Most of the staff have been here since we started two years ago.

“To anyone who hasn’t come here, just look at our TripAdvisor reviews.

“We’re happy to accommodate anybody here.”

As a reward for nabbing the prestigious prize, The Cleveland Arms has won a £3,000 kitchen equipment voucher and branded chef jackets.

The competition was judged by a panel including National Chef of the Year Kuba Winkowski.

The Polish chef hosted the final judging at Kubarn, the home of his unique charcuterie business in the Cotswalds.

Finalists were graded on quality, service, cleanliness, value for money, presentation, and taste.

Mr Winkowski said: “It was a real honour to be asked to judge this year’s competition and hugely motivating to see such a high standard of entries from all across the UK.

“Great Britain truly does have one of the best culinary landscapes in the world, no matter what type of cuisine you’re looking for.

“For me, judging this competition has only served to cement this viewpoint.

“And you can’t get more British than the humble roast dinner.”

Kate Drew, senior marketing manager for Knorr Professional, added: “Winning this award is truly an incredible achievement and a testament to the work that the team at The Cleveland Arms have clearly put in to serving a simply excellent roast dinner.”

“This year the competition saw an exceptional standard of entries from establishments all across the UK.”