The Town Is The Menu

Episodes

EpisodeTitleFirst
Broadcast
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01Peterhead2014041420140630 (R4)

Forfar has its Bridie and Cullen its Skink but how do you capture Peterhead on a plate? Food Innovator Simon Preston and award winning chef David Littlewood gather a colourful cast of local characters on board a fishing trawler to share stories and songs of the sea in a bid to help them create a brand new signature dish for the town. Local trawlerman Jimmy Buchan tells of a life spent fishing off Peterhead; folk singer and storyteller, Pauline Cordiner, conjures up some of the darker side of life for a fishing community while local photographer Scott Donald sees the town through an alternative lens. The challenge for the chef is how to re-tell all their stories and ideas through one delicious dish!

Inspiring sea stories and delicious ideas help Simon Preston capture Peterhead on a plate!

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

02Barnard Castle20140701

Stories of Dickens, Richard III, an entrepreneurial community and a unique landscape all provide inspiration for food innovator Simon Preston and local chef Andrew Rowbotham as they capture the spirit of Barnard Castle in Teesdale in a single signature dish. Local antiques expert David Harper shares stories from history; young business entrepreneur Leah Hobson gives her alternative view of the townsfolk through the clothes they buy and sell while retired vet Neville Turner provides a window into the beautiful flora and fauna that surrounds the town.

Dickens, Richard III and a unique landscape help inspire a new dish for Barnard Castle.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

02Barnard Castle2014070120150908 (R4)

Stories of Dickens, Richard III, an entrepreneurial community and a unique landscape all provide inspiration for food innovator Simon Preston and local chef Andrew Rowbotham as they capture the spirit of Barnard Castle in Teesdale in a single signature dish. Local antiques expert David Harper shares stories from history; young business entrepreneur Leah Hobson gives her alternative view of the townsfolk through the clothes they buy and sell while retired vet Neville Turner provides a window into the beautiful flora and fauna that surrounds the town.

Dickens, Richard III and a unique landscape help inspire a new dish for Barnard Castle.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

03Merthyr Tydfil20140702

A fiery history of rebellion and working class spirit from the town that fuelled the industrial revolution provide inspiring ingredients for food innovator Simon Preston and award winning chef Stephen Terry as they create a brand new signature dish for Merthyr Tydfil. A cast of colour local characters gather at Theatr Soar to share some of the more surprising stories from Merthyr's past - from Mario Basini we hear of the town's Italian community; retired nurse Margaret Lloyd reflects on over 80 years in the town while history enthusiast Chris Parry recalls some of the fights which characterise the town's fiery past. The challenge for Stephen and Simon is to bring all those elements together in a single dish which captures the essence of this intriguing town.

Revolution and rebellion provide the inspiration for a new dish for Merthyr Tydfil.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

03Merthyr Tydfil2014070220150915 (R4)

A fiery history of rebellion and working class spirit from the town that fuelled the industrial revolution provide inspiring ingredients for food innovator Simon Preston and award winning chef Stephen Terry as they create a brand new signature dish for Merthyr Tydfil. A cast of colour local characters gather at Theatr Soar to share some of the more surprising stories from Merthyr's past - from Mario Basini we hear of the town's Italian community; retired nurse Margaret Lloyd reflects on over 80 years in the town while history enthusiast Chris Parry recalls some of the fights which characterise the town's fiery past. The challenge for Stephen and Simon is to bring all those elements together in a single dish which captures the essence of this intriguing town.

Revolution and rebellion provide the inspiration for a new dish for Merthyr Tydfil.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

04Cambridge20140703

Can town and gown be united through food? That's the challenge for food innovator Simon Preston and chef Alex Rushmer as they try to create a dish which will appeal to both the townsfolk and the 'gownsfolk', members of university, in Cambridge - a small city with a huge reputation. University chaplain, Malcolm Guite, shares inspiring stories of the great and the good including a walk with CS Lewis, local historian Caroline Biggs talks of Cambridge's surprising past as an inland port, while tour guide and ex-road sweeper, Allan Brigham, shares his unique perspective on this beautiful city.

Town and gown provide the inspiration, as Simon Preston creates a new dish for Cambridge.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

04Cambridge2014070320150922 (R4)

Can town and gown be united through food? That's the challenge for food innovator Simon Preston and chef Alex Rushmer as they try to create a dish which will appeal to both the townsfolk and the 'gownsfolk', members of university, in Cambridge - a small city with a huge reputation. University chaplain, Malcolm Guite, shares inspiring stories of the great and the good including a walk with CS Lewis, local historian Caroline Biggs talks of Cambridge's surprising past as an inland port, while tour guide and ex-road sweeper, Allan Brigham, shares his unique perspective on this beautiful city.

Town and gown provide the inspiration, as Simon Preston creates a new dish for Cambridge.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

05Inverness20140704

How do you capture the city of Inverness in a single dish? That's the challenge for food innovator Simon Preston and local chef Steven Devlin as they gather some colourful local characters at Eden Court Theatre to hear inspirational stories, past and present. Naturalist, Kenny Taylor, shares his perspective on the city's unique blend of wilderness in an urban environment, from journalist Iain MacDonald there's comic stories of the theft of Nessy while Gaelic broadcaster Roddy Maclean draws on a the city's rich multi-lingual and multi-cultural history.

Simon Preston helps create a signature dish for the capital of the Highlands, Inverness.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish

05Inverness2014070420150929 (R4)

How do you capture the city of Inverness in a single dish? That's the challenge for food innovator Simon Preston and local chef Steven Devlin as they gather some colourful local characters at Eden Court Theatre to hear inspirational stories, past and present. Naturalist, Kenny Taylor, shares his perspective on the city's unique blend of wilderness in an urban environment, from journalist Iain MacDonald there's comic stories of the theft of Nessy while Gaelic broadcaster Roddy Maclean draws on a the city's rich multi-lingual and multi-cultural history.

Simon Preston helps create a signature dish for the capital of the Highlands, Inverness.

Simon Preston visits a UK town and, with a local chef, creates a new signature dish