E10 Sunday Carvery Leyton (from East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

I'M NOT exactly what you would call a new man and only ever really used the oven to get a light for cigarettes - and since I stopped smoking eight years ago I don't think I've turned it on at all.

So when I suggested to my family that we have a proper Sunday lunch I wasn't volunteering to put on a pinny and get to work in the kitchen myself.

That's why we piled into the car and headed to the E10 club in Leyton for the all you can eat carvery. My mother-in-law came along too and you can insert your own Les Dawson-style joke here if you like.

E10 is a fairly new building, part of Leyton FC and stands on Lea Bridge Road, in front of the club's pitch. It seems to be very busy during the evening with entertainment, private functions and the like.

There is a small car park at the back and on Sundays parking is allowed in the bus lane on the main road.

The carvery costs £7.95 for adults and £4.95 for children under 12. It's available on Sundays between 12noon and 7pm and I'm guessing is aimed at bringing in custom at an otherwise quiet time.

Being Sunday afternoon, the home of the EastEnders omnibus, it seemed appropriate that were greeted at the door of the E10 by a man who had more than a passing resemblance to Phil Mitchell.

The room is spacious with lots of room between the tables. My wife pointed out that it would be excellent for families with pushchairs. The background music was quite interesting, easy listening versions of Bon Jovi songs.

In some establishments, the claim to be unlimted only applies to potatoes and vegetables - not so here.

There are four meats on offer, beef, turkey, pork and gammon. You can choose two at a time and return as often as you like.

The nicely cooked meat is carved and served up by a member of staff and it's help yourself to the rest of the food which includes roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and pork crackling as well as peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, sweetcorn, mashed swede and carrots and gravy. There is also a salad bar available for an extra £1.50 per person.

The food was laid out in heated serving dishes. As with all serve-yourself set-ups, the veg can sometimes look a bit tired after a spell under the lights, but the dishes are replenished often enough for this not to be a big deal.

My family gave the food a big thumbs up. The children, boys aged eight and four, can sometimes be a bit picky but they both tucked in heartily, with the eldest going back for a second helping.

I had to laugh at another diner who piled his plate so high that his gravy spilled over the table as he poured it on. It's all you can, although maybe not in one go.

Me and the missus gave the deserts a miss, but my mum-in-law and the children enjoyed the raspberry sponge pudding and custard (£2.95 each).

We had coke, with unlimited refills, mineral water and coffee. A fully licensed bar was also available.

I fully understand that a business would want to sell the bottled stuff (£3.50 a go) rather than give it away, but the excuse that tap water couldn't be served for 'health and safety reasons' was a bit lame I felt.

Also, it may be better to let customers have a fresh plate for each visit to the food serving area rather than using the same one each time.

And lastly, after our visit I read the advert for the carvery in the Guardian which stated that children's meals include a soft drink and ice cream.

We did not receive them and they were not mentioned by the staff, so it may be worth checking this on your visit.

The bill for three adults and two children came to £51.30. We all thought the meal was excellent and value for money. The surroundings were pleasant and we plan to visit again.

As I settled the bill a staff member remarked how well-behaved the children were. I smiled to myself about this a few hours later as I tried to break up that night's scrap before bathtime.

As we left I noticed the Phil Mitchell look-a-like was talking to another stocky bloke with a shaved head. They could have been brothers.

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