It is the most sacred meal of the week to many.

After all, who does not like to indulge in nationwide approved feasting, at least once in a while?

But Sunday roasts are something of a touchy subject for the non-meat eating folk among us.

So a trip to part Huddersfield formed Northern Monk Brewery tap in Leeds, whose Refectory kitchen specialises in vegan alternatives as well as fish and traditional meat and two veg, was a saving grace.

It was one made even better by the vegan beers on offer, much needed following a very hilly half-marathon earlier in the day.

A five-minute walk south of the station led fellow food and beer fan Will and I to the free-standing former flax store, home to the Refectory tap and dining rooms.

It lies just a short way from more established beer lovers’ haunts, the Midnight Bell and Cross Keys.

The Northern Monk Brewery opened in 2014 by head brewer and former Huddersfield man Brian Dickson, along with business partner Russell Bisset.

They opened the upstairs Refectory tap room about the same time, to allow customers to sample Brian’s brews, which have included mainstays like the mocha porter, new world IPA and his range of more experimental beers such as the parsnip and black pepper dunkel.

The venture was several years in the making for Brian, who started out by creating his tipples at other breweries (a term called cuckoo brewing).

His beer is now known, not just nationally but across the world, in countries like the USA and Spain.

The Northern Monk Refectory, where The Grub and Grog Shop are currently based

The pair called in chefs Jim Hirst and Dan Palmer of The Grub and Grog Shop in 2014 to run pop-up food events in the Refectory, before asking them to make food for their customers full time in October 2015.

The first-floor venue was busy with beer fans, who had come both to sample the eight on tap ales.

We squeezed onto one of the large wooden benches in the room, which also play host to events and themed beer and food nights throughout the year. This includes the vegan festival Vegfest and the weekly Tuesday vegan nights.

Grub and Grog do not like to over complicate matters when it comes to the menu.

After all, if several beers have been had before dinner time, trying to make out more than one page could be quite a challenge.

There was one small but deliberate decision though, that was hard to miss.

While I normally scour menus for a vegan symbol, there were none to be found on the Grub and Grog’s list.

Far from being because they wanted us to go hungry, Grub and Grog have decided to turn a tactic on its head, so that for once everything on the menu was vegan unless specified.

The vegetarian, meat and fish options were all marked, with two options for every type, made using locally sourced ingredients.

It was a close call between the cauliflower steak with stuffing (£9) and the vegan haggis with mash and swede (£7) but the latter won out for both of us.

Also on offer was cauliflower with Yorkshire puddings, kippers (£8.50), smoked haddock (£9) and two types of beef (£8 and £12).

We ordered at the bar and began the more difficult choice of deciding what to drink.

Finding a vegan beer can be a minefield, as many ales cask-conditioned are refined using isinglass, a form of collagen made from fish bladders.

Beers at Northern Monk's Refectory

But while the two cask beers at the refectory were off-limit, all of Northern Monk’s keg beers are vegan friendly.

There were seven on offer, alongside nine from other breweries, spirits, wine and soft drinks.

Will finally decided on the cask mocha porter, while I chose First Chop’s FCB gluten free beer.

He said the aromatic ground coffee beans gave it a welcoming kick, while the rich dark chocolate overtones gave it a deep, smooth and moreish finish.

It was not long before our meals arrived, fortunate for Will who had grown weary of being stuck with a hungry runner.

Two ample bowls were placed down before us, full of vegan haggis.

A neat pile of mixed pat groats, spelt and pearl barley was not what we had imagined it to consist of.

But the concoction, seasoned with black pepper and mace, dressed in a light vegetable gravy and topped with delicately charred leek rings, made for one of the most beautiful dishes I have tasted, and all without a scrap of the sometimes questionable fake meat in sight.

The side of parsnip mash and the baked swede chunks brought a great sweet contrast and added to the playful variety of textures on the plate.

The pièce de résistance was the vegan bread sauce, normally out of bounds to non-dairy eaters.

It being a Sunday, we could not resist cake for pudding.

Parkin by The Grub and Grog Shop at Northern Monk's Refectory

I plumped for parkin (£3.50), which had a wonderfully fiery ginger kick. It was an education for Kent boy Will, who assumed I was making a misplaced motoring request.

He chose the pear crumble (£3.50), which he said had a lovely slightly tangy, fresh taste mixed with a satisfying sugary finish.

Happily full, we rolled out into the night like one of Northern Monk’s many barrels of beer, me hoping that someone would push us back in the direction of the Refectory soon.

Northern Monk Refectory, Leeds Marshall Street, Holbeck, Leeds

Tel: 0113 243 0003

Website: www.grubandgrog.co.uk

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am until late and weekends 10am until late

Children: Allowed with adults

Disabled access: None. Visitors to the refectory must climb a staircase.

The bill: £30.50 inc two mains, two puddings, two beers and one herbal tea

Would you go back? Without a second thought.