Rick Stein’s Food Heroes

7:00pm Sunday, December 30 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick and Chalky travel to Loch Torridon in Scotland to go fishing with John McGreggor for langoustines. Here the prawns are protected by the Marien Stewardship Council, which has awarded its seal of approval to the fishermen for practising a sustainable fishery. Seafood has always been Rick’s first love and here he cooks the Langoustine on Rock Salt. Sadly, the story is not so good elsewhere. Elizabeth Stevenson tells him a tragic tale of fishermen having to dump prime monkfish off the coast of Cornwall, but Rick has no intention of wasting a thing when he cooks Steamed Monkfish with Ransom’s Garlic.

7:00pm Sunday, December 23 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

In the Clovelly area of North Devon, Rick goes fishing for herring with Steve Perham, whose family have been fishermen for over 200 years. All that fresh sea air gives them a hearty appetite as Rick fries the Herring in Wholemeal Flour. Next, Rick visits the Somerset Levels and meets Judith Freane from Brown Cow Organics, who produces beef from Guernsey cattle. At Smithfield Market, some of the porters take part in an impromptu test: can they tell the difference between cooked sirloin from a local butcher, supermarket best or organic beef? That decided, Rick cooks Beef Stroganoff with Matchstick Chips.

7:00pm Sunday, December 16 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick is on home turf when he visits the Tintagel area in Cornwall. Here, legend has it, the ruined castle atop the craggy, untamed cliffs is what remains of King Arthur’s Camelot. But Rick’s attention is fixed firmly on the ground where the local new potatoes are free of pollution and full of flavour. Sally Nute’s family grow them the old-fashioned way, and Rick uses them to prepare a Potato, Bacon and Dandelion Salad. He also visits a pub in Iddesleigh where they use good local ingredients, joins drinkers for a convivial session at the Newton Abbott Beer Festival, pays a call on

Jekka McVicker in her herb garden to find ingredients for a Pork and Herb Terrine. Travelling North, Rick visits Stoke on Trent, where Roy Gavin makes Burslem Oatcakes. In Yorkshire, Paul Theakston’s brewery at Masham has a considerable reputation among British real ale enthusiasts. Rick samples the famous Black Sheep ale, which is quite different to the beers he tried at Newton Abbot. From the allotment next door to the brewery, Rick finds fresh ingredients for a dish of Beans cooked with Tomato Sauce, Garlic, Olive Oil and Thyme. Back in Cornwall, Rick joins Nigel Legge to fish for crabs and lobsters at Cadgwith on the Lizard, then makes a tasty Russian Salad with the crab.

7:00pm Sunday, December 9 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick visits John Firth, who rears freshwater crayfish in Galloway, and cooks crayfish with pasta. He then travels to the picturesque town of Ludlow in Shropshire, which is as rich in gastronomic delights as it is in history. Chef Shaun Hill shows him around the market town (which boasts no fewer than 10 gourmet sausage shops and more Michelin starred restaurants than any other place in the UK outside London). Shaun’s own restaurant, The Merchant House, was recently voted 14 of the top 50 restaurants in the world. Inspired by all the good food on offer, Rick cooks lamb sweetbreads. Ron Smith’s hop shoots are also very popular in the area, not least because they flavour local brews, however they put Rick in a reminiscent mood – he recalls that hop shoots are a delicacy in Northern Italy and explains how they cook them.

6:30pm Sunday, December 2 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick visits Cartmel in the Lake District, famous for its racecourse, its ancient 13th Century Priory and Jean Johns’ sticky toffee pudding. From her village shop in this tiny pretty village, truckloads of puddings are transported daily to all parts of Britain. Rick meets the lady who has probably ruined countless diets, hears how her recipe saved her shop, and watches her in action in the kitchen. In Cork, Southern Ireland, Rick talks to retailers and cooks Corned Beef and Cabbage. He travels up the east coast to Waterford, a town usually renowned for its glass, but is more interested in the Glencairn Inn, where Ken Buggy serves him what has to be the best soda bread in the world, straight out of the oven.

7:00pm Sunday, November 25 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick and Chalky are in the Yorkshire Dales. At Leyburn market, they check out the local dairy produce and, after chatting to the stall-holders, Rick prepares a Yorkshire Curd Tart, a local variety of cheesecake. Then it’s on, to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland, where Rick samples Tristan Kerr’s legendary Bloody Mary at The Canny Man pub. Rick is on familiar ground at Eddie’s Seafood Market, where he meets a charismatic fishmonger and checks out a tempting array of fish and seafood, before cooking a Chinese dish of Stir-Fried Razor Clams with Black Beans and Chilli. Next stop is nearer home for Rick -Swindon in Wiltshire. He visits the village of Stanton Fitzwarren, where there is a Japanese supermarket at the hotel and Sushi chefs in the kitchen. Then it’s off for a fishing trip with some anglers to catch some fresh ingredients for Rick to try his hand at preparing some sushi of his own.

7:00pm Sunday, November 18 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick visits the Olde Ship Inn, where he meets ex-professor of marketing Bill Weeks, an advocate of Geordie (Newcastle) food. Rick conducts a test (with the help of staff from a local hotel) to see if they can taste the difference between battery-reared, free range and organic eggs. He also meets some farmers’ wives, who run a co-operative, making cakes and biscuits. In the Lyth Valley, Rick experiences the delights of Damson Day, a celebration of the local Damson plum orchards, and meets Gillian Cowburn, who is passionate about local food from the Lake District, before he tries his hand at cooking Damson Cobbler.

7:00pm Sunday, November 11 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick and Chalky round off their journey of the UK at John O’Groats, after visiting Rick’s favourite deli in Edinburgh and a fish smokery in Argyll, enjoying freshly cooked lobster on Crail harbour front, and obtaining oatmeal from a watermill in the Tay Valley to make the famous Scottish dessert, Cranachan.

7:00pm Sunday, November 4 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

In the coastal village of Wabberthwaite, Rick meets the Woodall family who have been producing traditionally cured hams and sausages for eight generations, earning them a royal seal of approval. Their air-dried ham is a worthy rival to the continental Parma and Iberico varieties. Crossing the border into Scotland, he pays a visit to the glorious shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll. Loch Fyne means ‘pure, holy water’ and provides a perfect environment for shellfish to thrive, including king scallops which are cultivated in lantern nets – a technology introduced by the Chinese – near the beautiful fishing town of Tarbert. Next morning, Rick takes the ferry to Mull to join the Mackay family for lunch and admire their herd of organic Highland Cattle. Finally, in Edinburgh, Rick encounters a champion haggis maker and pays tribute to Scotland’s national dish.

7:00pm Sunday, October 28 on Prime

Lifestyle Series

Rick pays a visit to his favourite formal vegetable garden at Chatsworth House, where he also chases chickens and cooks cabbage. Then he crosses the River Severn to sample the delights of Wales, including Welsh Black beef, Conway mussels and salt marsh lamb.