Is your town on The Hairy Bikers’ list of UK foodie hotspots?
In new series, The Hairy Bikers Go West, one city in particular really stood out to Dave and Si for its exciting food offering. Can you guess which one it is? It’s been a difficult couple of years for Dave and Si, aka The Hairy Bikers. In 2022, Dave opened up about his cancer diagnosis, explaining that he was going to be taking a break from our screens. “I’m not going to be filming [[…]] this year’s a bit of a write-off for us,” he said. A year and a half later, the duo are back on the road with their new BBC Two series The Hairy Bikers Go West, which begins Tuesday 6 February at 7pm. Si spoke to the BBC about what this series means to the two longstanding friends, and picked out some of their very favourite western regions that feature in the eight episodes. Back in the game For both Dave and Si, it was a relief to get back out travelling the length of the country, doing what they love most: riding their motorbikes, meeting local foodies, tasting and cooking regional produce and seeing some beautiful scenes along the way. The geographical focus of this series was particularly significant for Dave, who comes from the west coast of Northern England. “It was so joyous because [the West is] Dave’s neck of the woods, it was great to visit some old haunts that we’d frequented both prior to the ’Bikers as well as during the numerous series we’ve produced together,” says Si. “Our focus, and particularly Dave’s focus, was to get out on the bikes, to start the process of filming and to bring a level of normality back for him, his family, for me, for the crew. That’s what he worked towards and that’s what got him through that particular portion of his treatment. “There was a lovely moment on the first day of filming where Dave overtook me on the road on the bikes and it was great, it was like ‘aw he’s back.’ It was just like old times and over the comms he was going ‘Kingy, are you sure we’re going left here?’. That sort of dialogue was great [[…]] It was really quite emotional.” Related stories: “This series is a love letter to the North”Quiz: How well do you know the UK’s most famous regional dishes?Why are we so obsessed with carrots, onions, peas and tomatoes? “This series is a love letter to the North” Quiz: How well do you know the UK’s most famous regional dishes? Why are we so obsessed with carrots, onions, peas and tomatoes? The regions the Hairy Bikers visit on Go West Through the course of their careers, Dave and Si have visited hundreds of towns, cities and countries. “We’ve been around the world four and a half times together and around the UK more times than I care to mention,” says Si. On Hairy Bikers Go West, the duo travel to 10 counties, starting on the west coast of Scotland before heading south, stopping in Lancashire, Merseyside, North Wales, Bristol, Devon and Dorset along the way. “Every single part of the country has its own character, personality and feel to it. It’s the people that make it special [[and they’re]] defined by the landscape in which they live,” says Si. “The east coast is different to the west, the north is different to the south, but despite the differences it’s always great fun and important. “In the Lancashire episode, you’ll see this really innocuous bungalow and at the back of it is 40 acres of tomatoes. This dude supplies all the Michelin-starred restaurants and he literally lives in a tiny bungalow. “The market garden in that part of the world just blows me away. It always has but you can sometimes forget these things.” Try these regional British dishes Lancashire hot potSomerset chickenLentil Cumberland pie Lancashire hot pot Somerset chicken Lentil Cumberland pie Unexpected foodie hotspots Given how far the pair have travelled, there are plenty of locations which they’re particularly fond of. “Lancashire has a very strong presence in the food scene,” says Si, before adding that along with Cumbria it produces some of the best produce in the country. “Also in Lancashire, there was a gingerbread manufacturer who produced the old-fashioned gingerbread of that area. There’s that social history the community is still trying to maintain which is enormously important… It’s a sense of identity, a sense of place, who they are as a community and where they fit in the wider world.” Si also hands out compliments to “Northumberland for the seafood and landscapes, Lincolnshire for the flat lands and growers, the west coast of Scotland for the people, landscapes, beer and dairy, and North Wales for produce, landscapes and levels of creativity around food.” And there’s one city that Si talks about having an affinity for, which the Bikers visit on episode six of Go West. “Bristol was culturally incredibly electric, just great food, a real mix of cuisines.” Here, in addition to meeting Iman, a chef at the city’s east African restaurant Jikoni, they spend time with Anna Bearne, the name and creator behind Anna Cake Couture. Inspired by both, they whip up treats including their interpretation of a Clifton Puff, a pastry pud filled with currants, sultanas and sliced apples, which was said to be at the opening ceremony of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Regional desserts to try Yorkshire parkinManchester tartDorset apple cake Yorkshire parkin Manchester tart Dorset apple cake This series isn’t just a celebration of the UK’s finest food locations, but also the joy the two presenters feel at returning to their day jobs. “We are very privileged to do what we do and I think this [series] was particularly special in general because of Dave’s health and his sheer and utter determination and love for what he does,” says Si. “Especially to continue to do it while he was having treatment took remarkable courage and energy – and adds to why Dave and I will not forget it.” Originally published February 2023