Toby Carvery is now in supermarkets and people have thoughts

There are few things more British than a Sunday roast, and a trip to a Toby Carvery is a treat many people enjoy.

Now, Toby Carvery has entered the supermarket freezer section, giving shoppers the chance to get a taste of the restaurant chain at home, although, judging by the reaction, not everyone is convinced.

The restaurant brand has launched its first-ever supermarket range in the UK exclusively through Iceland and The Food Warehouse.

The collection features 15 frozen products inspired by the carvery menu, including filled Yorkshire puddings, pies, mac and cheese, pigs in blankets and roast-style dishes.

Initially, the first 11 products are out for sale, with four coming on October 6.

At £4.75 each, or two for £8.50 as part of a multibuy offer, the range is aimed at people who fancy the comfort of a roast without having to spend hours peeling potatoes, preparing vegetables and wondering whether the Yorkshire puddings will actually rise.

And some of the combinations are certainly imaginative, which brings us to the problem some social media users have questioned.

Is this really a Toby Carvery experience, or is it simply a frozen ready meal wearing a very familiar name?

What's in the Toby Carvery range?

The range includes:

• Carvery Pigs in Blankets Mac & Cheese
• Loaded Carvery Mac & Cheese
• Roast Potato Topped Cottage Pie
• Sausage & Mash Filled Yorkshire
• All Day Breakfast Yorkshire Pudding
• Pulled Beef & Cheese Filled Yorkshire Pudding
• Chicken Roast Dinner Filled Yorkshire Pudding
• Little Pigs in Yorkies
• Mini Steak Pies
• Mini Battered Pigs in Blankets.

The future release will include their Yorkshire Pudding Wrap and Ciabatta range.

Divided opinions

One unhappy customer dubbed it a ‘glorified microwave meal’.

Others questioned whether the supermarket versions could genuinely reproduce what people expect when they walk into a Toby Carvery restaurant.

"Looks disgusting" savaged one commenter, while another wrote "Disappointing, they look vile."

"It doesn’t look like the packaging pics," wrote someone else, after watching a review online.

However, one insisted: "‘My boys and me had the hunter’s pigs in blanket Mac and cheese on Saturday, and they were really nice, and the hubby had the loaded yorkie breakfast which he enjoyed."

Another wrote excitedly: "Oh yeah, I love Toby Carvery!"

Ellie Leacroft, Head of Brand Marketing Toby Carvery, commented: "For generations, Toby Carvery has been bringing families and friends together over a great roast, so we're incredibly excited to bring that same much-loved experience into people's homes in a completely new way."

She said they have been working to 'create a range that's unmistakably Toby Carvery - from our iconic Yorkshire puddings to the comforting flavours our guests know and love - while also introducing some fun new twists for the frozen aisle. We can't wait for shoppers to discover the range and enjoy a little taste of Toby Carvery whenever they fancy it."

Oliver Gilding, Founder of Food Brands Now said: "Our ambition was to create a range that remained authentic to Toby Carvery whilst bringing genuine innovation and fun to the frozen aisle that celebrates Britain's love of the roast whilst creating something entirely new for retail."

The supermarket range is not necessarily trying to replace a Sunday visit to the restaurant. Instead, it is selling the idea of a convenient fakeaway, something you can stick in the oven after work when you want something comforting without actually cooking a full roast dinner.

Whether you think this is culinary genius or an elaborate cry for help probably depends on how seriously you take your Sunday roast.

If there is one thing the British love almost as much as a roast dinner, it is having strong opinions about one, so Toby has succeeded there anyway.