Liverpool’s newest culinary offering seems to be sending scouse shoppers potty. Roast, which opened just a month ago, has already garnered positive reviews and recommendations on TikTok, so I headed along to see what the fuss is about. Can this small chain really compete with the likes of Subway, McDonalds, KFC and Chopstix, its neighbours in St John’s food hall? Will Roast kickstart a revolution of small businesses in 2026?
My first of two visits to Roast was on a jam-packed early January afternoon. Convincing my vegetarian partner to come with me to a restaurant that sells enough meat to make an abattoir look like a piece of tofu wasn’t easy, but I dragged her along anyway. At first glance, the shop was bursting at the seams, the queuing system seemed to have gone out the window as we spilled over towards the counter. In a world where most fast food is ordered on a screen, trying to make my order heard to a member of staff who was constantly trying to upsell me was a welcome experience.
I ordered the salt and pepper chicken box filled with three chicken chunks, hot wings, sui mai chips and a drink for £6.99. My partner wasn’t expecting much given the heavy supply of meat on sale, but told me she was impressed with the range of options available for a primarily meat-based food outlet. For her, it was encouraging to see items such as vegetable spring rolls and salt and pepper potatoes included for non-meat eaters, especially at a small business. Pleasantly surprised by the price, I sat in the food court area of St John’s Shopping Centre. As I looked around, I noticed most customers had shunned McDonalds and KFC for the new kid on the block. The food tasted fresh, it was hot and full of flavour, and in honesty it felt nice to spend money at Roast as opposed to one of the big boys.
I visited again at 10:30 on a Monday morning. This was the real test: no one wants fried chicken at 10am. I thought I would arrive at the location to a heap of sad looking chicken, whilst people queued for McDonalds Breakfast. Instead, I arrived to find Roast selling a 6-item breakfast for £3.99, while McDonalds staff were sat twiddling their thumbs. I noticed this small business had an answer for every question the huge chains were throwing at it. Roast provided me with value for money, a filling meal and the satisfaction of supporting a small business all in one.
Roast now has eight stores and counting in the Northwest and has recently begun sponsorships with Burnley Football Club, so it’s good to see the money I spent being reinvested in their savvy business plan. Just as I began to think the great Christmas gorge was over, Roast has pulled me back in.
Featured image: Stephen Hornby
