Whether savoury or sweet, the British love puddings. The hairy duo create some classic puds and explore the history and traditions behind our favourites. There is no point in counting calories with delicious puds but the bikers do try and burn some off when they take part in the world black pudding throwing competition in Lancashire.
There was a time when the British pub was pretty much a male-only establishment and food, at best, was a bowl of nuts and some pork scratchings. Today most British pubs depend on the income from food and some dishes have become pub classics. The bikers explore the history behind the boom in pub food and snacks and recreate mouthwatering dishes that would make any publican proud.
Cookery books are a huge business but they are more than just collections of recipes, they are social documents that reveal a great deal about who we are and what we eat. In this programme, the Bikers cook dishes from their favourite cookbooks and also meet food historian Ivan Day, who has one of the world's most extensive historical cookbook collections in the UK. The Bikers also tell the story of some of Britain's most iconic food writers, such as Elizabeth David and Isabella Beeton.
The flavours of the Mediterranean have had a huge influence over modern British cuisine. Brought over at first by the Romans and more recently by hordes of holidaymakers returning from the sun, the range of dishes and ingredients Britain has adopted from the Med are now commonplace on our menus and in our homes. Dave Myers and Si King look at how this has evolved and create their favourite dishes.
The Bikers indulge their foodie passion by creating truly mouthwatering dishes that are extravagant and made of the finest ingredients, proving that the British certainly know how to put on a show - including food. With lobster, truffles, chocolate and the best cuts of meat on offer, the Bikers are going gourmet.
The Bikers explore our national love of picnics and everything that goes in it. With their unique banter and camaraderie, the Hairy duo create their ultimate al fresco lunch at Beaufort Polo Club; find out how our summer obsession evolved; celebrate picnic classics such as the cornish pasty and the scotch egg; bake a luxurious dundee cake, and make a country terrine that would play centre stage in any outdoor feast.
The Bikers explore how the British have managed to create fantastic food even at times of war, when supplies are often scarce, and how some of Britain's favourite dishes have evolved out of the innovation and spirit of the people who lived through rationing. With their unique banter and camaraderie, the Hairy duo try their hand at rabbit stew and carrot cake, visit HMS Victory to find out what Nelson's men ate at sea and meet the army cooks to learn what troops on the frontline eat today.
The Bikers discover how necessity often forced British cooks to pull out all the stops in an effort to create tasty dishes. In fact some of our favourite meals have been born out of hard times. From tummy fillers like mince and dumplings to hearty scotch broths, when the going gets tough, we often turn to food for comfort.
The Bikers explore the amazing food available in our British waterways. With their unique banter and camaraderie, the hairy duo try their hand at fly-fishing for trout, create a sumptuous stuffed wild duck and find out about how the Gloucestershire tradition of eating baby eels has effectively died out.
The Bikers explore the incredible influence the monarchy has had over the food we eat, past and present. With their unique banter and camaraderie, the Hairy duo prepare a modern version of the classic coronation chicken and create a sumptuous beef dish named after Prince Albert. The duo also meet food historian Ivan Day and recreate dishes from the coronation dinner of James II from the original cookbook.