Treat your special Dad this Father’s Day

Father’s Day is just a week away.

If you’re yet to make plans, get booking now, lest dad should realise you’ve forgotten about him. South London has pulled out all the stops for dads this year.

Take advantage of someone else doing the hard work and sit back and enjoy a family lunch on Sunday, June 19.

The word is spreading since foodie influencer, ‘Food Guide London’ visited The Spread Eagle in Wandsworth, awarding the sharing roast 10/10.

And so, it would seem the pub’s Garratt dining room is serving up the perfect meal from noon until 9pm on June 19.

We can’t wait, as for a family of two-and-a-half people, this dish will do very nicely indeed.

Located in Wandsworth High Street, the stunning Grade-II listed Young’s pub has recently been restored.

If you’re wondering what else head chef David Waller has in store, know that it includes seasonal British plates, using local produce where possible.

Classic dishes prevail here – bangers and mash, with pork, leek and apple sausages with onion mash and charred cabbage; rack of Welsh lamb with burnt baby gem, potato and onion hotpot and mint; and vegan shepherd’s pie with apple-wood smoked cauliflower.

The Spread Eagle, 69 Wandsworth High Street, SW18 2PT

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Lunch at the Old Frizzle in Wimbledon is the gift that keeps on giving.

Take dad for lunch on Father’s Day and he gets a free pint, a free round on his next visit and entry into a prize draw for a tour of Camden Brewery.

Livelihood Pubs is known for its Swingers roast – a towering mound of Hereford roast beef, Old Spot pork belly and free-range chicken.

No need to decide which meat to eat, have them all, as a treat.

Served with crispy roasties, fluffy Yorkshires, loads of different vegetables and delicious gravy, the dish serves two but would stretch to three, easily.

And if you don’t fancy a roast, the modern British bistro-style menu will satisfy with starters such as Bang Bang Calamari and Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger. Why not turn day into night and stay on for the quiz, every Sunday at 8pm?

Old Frizzle, 74-78 The Broadway, SW19 1RQ

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Nice to see there are so many family-friendly pubs in South London. Here are some of the top picks this Father’s Day, from Visitlondon.com

• Bring little ones to fun pre-school classes featuring ukulele playing and storytelling at The Ivy House, London’s first co-operatively owned pub at 40 Stuart Road, Nunhead, SE15 3BE.
• Allow the kids to let off some steam at The Rosendale, a pub with a children’s play area and plenty of family games at 65 Rosendale Road, West Norwood, SE21 8EZ.
• Join families attracted by the relaxed atmosphere and fun activity sheets at The Florence, 131 Dulwich Road, SE24 0NG.
• Get creative at The Bolingbroke, where kids can decorate their own delicious fairy cakes at 174 Northcote Road, London SW11 6RE.

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Garden entertaining in the summer should be all about relaxing outdoors with friends and family, so keep the food simple.

Here is a quick recipe which you can prep ahead of time that’s perfect for enjoying outdoors.

A new generation of pit masters can take their love of cooking over coals to a new level with these pork spare ribs.

As meat cooked on the bone is often more flavoursome and, the fact that ribs tend to be marbled with fat, more succulent, this is a real winner.

No cutlery required. Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
5 tbsp Tracklements Habanero Hot Ketchup
2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 large uncooked pork spare ribs (approx. 1.2kg)
Salt and pepper to season
For the slaw:
¼ white cabbage, finely sliced
¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
2 carrots, finely sliced
½ red onion, finely sliced
For the dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Place all the ingredients, except the spare ribs, into a bowl, mix together and season to taste.

Pour into a big plastic food bag, add the pork ribs and massage. Marinate overnight.

Once you’re ready to barbecue, place the ribs bone-side down, on the cooler part of the grill (indirect heat).

Close the lid and cook, rotating the ribs once, and basting with the leftover sauce, until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones, about two hours.

You can also cook the ribs in the oven in a heavy based roasting dish at 180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4, turning every 20 mins for about an hour and a half.

In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing together then stir in the slaw veg.