The Hairy Bikers Go North in Lancashire

Pardon the pun, but our appetite for programmes that blend food and travel with a soupcon of emotion shows no signs of diminishing, despite being faced with a smorgasbord of shows.

Just look at the reception given to Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, which became a global sensation earlier this year.

Apart from making us all try to say “awwww” in that particular way he has when chomping on a mouthful of something delicious, it’s also picked up various award nominations.

Want more proof? This week sees Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Siriex hit the roads of Greece as they go in search of more culinary adventures. It might not have the elegance of Tucci’s show, but we’ll all be drooling over the trio’s rustled-up recipes, mark our words.

Taking a foodie staycation, if you will, are Si King and Dave Myers, better known to their legion of fans as the Hairy Bikers.

There may be a little less hair between the two of them these days, but the affable pair are still going strong on two wheels, this time exploring ‘up north’, visiting the regions where they grew up as well as other destinations. Although they are familiar with their old stomping grounds, there are plenty of surprises being served up.

Speaking about making the series, Si said it was “without doubt our most personal, emotional and enlightening journey we’ve undertaken. Go North was a trip around the wonderful northern landscapes that shaped our identities, palates, culture and friendship. We met some great folk dedicated to their areas and to the continued success of their beloved communities. We flipping loved every turn of that motorcycle wheel.”

Dave Myers enthused: “It’s been nearly a decade since we went on the road in Britain and it’s true you quite often miss what’s on your own doorstep. We had already decided to film in the UK before Covid was an issue and stopped foreign travel, so we filmed here through choice not circumstance.

“The series is a love letter to the north, and a celebration of the food and the people that produce it. Viewers will get to see the two of us in our temporary homes in an intimate, honest reflection of two life-long friends cooking, laughing and living together.”

He added: “We found amazing cooks, chefs and producers who have chosen to make the north their home, where the landscape and roads are as varied as the people themselves.”

Last week, they sampled the many and varied delights of Lancashire, but this second episode has them firmly in the white rose county of Yorkshire.

Their journey starts on one of Scarborough’s breathtaking beaches, where the bikers meet Jamie, whose company is the first to farm seaweed offshore.

Moving on to Aike, they visit Laurel Vines, a family run vineyard and winery, and borrow the clan’s kitchen to prepare moules mariniere, triple-cooked chips and their own northern baguette.

They also explore the delights of Malton and windswept Whitby, best known for its links to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, before hot-footing it back to Scarborough to rustle up a beer and miso BBQ chicken with grilled, marinated aubergine.

If all that doesn’t have you tucking a napkin in your collar make the dining room reverberate with the sound of your lips smacking, we don’t know what will. Bon appetit!

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