It’s coming up to my teenage daughter’s birthday and you can’t help but think how crazy it is that our little girl is all grown up, living in a flat in London, attending a performing arts college under a national TV spotlight, and thinking nothing about flying half way across the world to spend summer with us in the kingdom.

Fresh from a modelling assignment onboard a yacht to help promote Destination Bahrain, which is likely to be shown during her next Gulf Air flight home, she joined us for a weekend family roast at the Royal Golf Club (RGC).

As we sat down in the Links Lounge Restaurant overlooking the lush green Colin Montgomerie-designed course and watching a party of hardy golfers brave the midday sun for the love of their sport, I had one of those sudden memory flashbacks whilst studying the menu.

Links traditional roasts are available from noon till late Friday and Saturday and the choices included Beef Rib, Chicken and Lamb.

Sunday roasts, of course, are a much-loved part of the British way of life and I can recall sitting down with the family ready to tuck into our feast when Imogen, then aged around four, suddenly burst into floods of tears.

“Mummmmy … Daddddy,” she sobbed, cuddling her soft toy of a popular farmyard animal. “Why does lamb have to taste so good?” It was followed by another sob ...

The Marinated Leg of Lamb tasted pretty good too at the RGC, alongside crispy baby vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding with thyme gravy.

The service at the Riffa Views retreat was as good as ever and you can understand why this quiet culinary revolution has proved so popular with visitors as the price of the Friday brunch offerings on the island have shot up at several venues in recent months as costs have increased.

At BD10 net per person this is a real value-for-money alternative and a massive change in direction by the outlet which last year offered the kingdom’s first posh A la Carte Brunch.

Diners have been vocally delighted with the move and the social media messages have been extremely positive.

Chef Paul Gindra, who hails from Durban in South Africa, has an award-winning culinary career that spans several continents. He has worked in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa and Ireland, predominantly overseeing the openings of Radisson Blu properties, focusing on the successful launch of their restaurants.

He explained: “I believe that we have been successful in delivering the best traditional roast on the island. Every item is cooked on the day to ensure a fresh homemade taste that you cannot find elsewhere, in my opinion.

“A lot of preparation has gone into ensuring that we serve the most delicious roast meats, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and condiments.

“The main objective was to give our guests more options when dining out over the weekend.

“Almost all hotels and restaurants are doing the same buffet brunch concept which in these trying times can be expensive, especially when treating your family and friends.

‘We are offering our normal a la carte menu with the addition of a traditional roast special and attractive beverage packages.”

The lamb was luscious and it was cute to have the option of choosing slices of all the roast choices available on the plate if you wished, for the same price.

The bread basket was welcomed although I wasn’t quite sure of the point of having a side salad delivered to the table too. Guys, honestly, you don’t need it with a roast dinner!

Of course, we all went for the meat mix and match because we couldn’t make our minds up but the lamb, in my opinion, was the standout feature of the feast although I kept my opinion to myself … in case I upset Immy again!

* The traditional roast costs just BD10 net per person and there is an optional three-hour unlimited house beverage package available for BD15 net per person.

It is available in Links Restaurant and the Members’ Lounge every Friday and Saturday from noon till 10pm.

Call 17750777 for more details and to book a table.