John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under is a cookery-inspired Saturday morning travel series on ITV1 hosted by married culinary couple Lisa Faulkner and John Torode.
The five-part gourmet series follows the pair as they return to chef and presenter John’s beloved home country, travelling 500 miles by electric car along the stunning coast of Western Australia in search of the best local food and wine.
"John was happy to drive which I was thrilled about, because I like to take in the scenery," says Lisa, 51. "I remember looking out of the window saying, “oh my God!” at all the wonders. We ate our way through Western Australia. The food was delightful and cooked by so many talented chefs – and it was great not to do all the cooking for a change! I came away thinking, “I want to live here!”’
Along the way John and Lisa meet top chefs, winemakers and food producers, while sampling treats from black truffles to abalone, a type of marine snail! However the series isn’t just about Aussie food. The couple also enjoy Western Australia’s stunning scenery and wildlife, paddling alongside stingray at Hamelin Bay and spotting dolphins off the coast of Rockingham.
"We went south from Perth along the Margaret River coastline and got to see everything from amazing beaches to the huge ancient Southern forests where the karri (eucalyptus) trees were the biggest I’ve ever seen,’ says John, 58. "I remember getting up early one morning at the Karri Valley Resort in Pemberton and watching all these kangaroos come out – there must have been around 150 of them. It was a really special moment!"
So heres everything you need to know about John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under...
John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under release date
John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under is a five-part series that starts on ITV1 on Saturday January 20 2024 at 11.40am. Episodes will also become available on ITVX.
Is there a trailer for John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under?
There's no trailer for John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under available yet. If one arrives we'll post it here.
Interview: John Torode and Lisa Faulkner on what happens in this series
We’re used to watching you cook in a studio for ITV1’s John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen — this show must have made a nice change!
John Torode says: "Honestly, being out of a kitchen and amongst nature was one of the biggest joys. To travel and go on a food adventure together was just great. We were so busy doing things and meeting people that we didn’t really have time to go into kitchens.
Lisa Faulkner says: "It was nice not doing all the cooking! It was a road trip that was like being on holiday. Travelling anywhere with my husband – who happens to be my best mate – is always lovely and great fun.
What are you both like as travelling companions?
John says: "I’d say I’m pretty good – but I would say that!
Lisa says: "I think I’m pretty good, too. With us, it always feels very easy. We just roll along as neither of us are pushy and we like doing the same things.
John says: "Whenever we do TV together, we’re just being us, how we are on Weekend Kitchen. There was one day at Margaret River, when we got up, had a morning walk along the beach and didn’t realise the cameras were on us – we were just chatting away having a nice time!
Where does your itinerary take you?
John says: "It was our first time going to Western Australia together, which was very exciting. We went south from [Western Australia’s capital city of] Perth along the Margaret River coastline and got to see everything from the amazing seaside to the huge ancient Southern Forests, where the Karri trees were the biggest I’ve ever seen in my life.
Lisa says: "It was great going to a place that we didn’t know much about and, I have to say, I fell in love with that side of the country. It’s so varied; there are beaches, countryside and forests within just a couple of hours of each other.
John Torode says: "And wherever you are, you can always get a good cup of coffee!
Did you share the driving?
Lisa says: "We could have, but I prefer John to drive so I can sit and take in the scenery. I remember looking out the windows saying, ‘Oh my God’, a lot, at all the wonders we were witnessing."
John says: "We wore GoPro cameras [a compact device for capturing immersive action shots] when we were driving and were told it gave some of the best material because it was so natural – with the odd funny remark or grab of some chocolate from the glovebox! It was all just great fun and I hope it inspires viewers to jump on a plane and discover Western Australia like we did. It’s inspired me to take more road trips! I think we should go back to getting in a car with an old-fashioned map and just going on an adventure."
Ah, but that’s known for causing arguments! Did you guys quarrel over map-reading?
John says: "No, because Lisa couldn’t read a map! There’s a fun bit about that in the series…"
So, how long has it been since your last visit to Australia?
Lisa says: "We went [there to film] a This Morning series, but quite a while ago."
John says: " Because of lockdown, I hadn’t seen my dad or brothers for four years, so with this trip I had the added bonus of seeing my dad afterwards, which was pretty special. Australia is massive and I’m lucky to have seen quite a bit and have tips for people visiting the parts I know. But the great thing about this series was going to places I’d never been to before. So I can now advise on what to see in Western Australia too. You definitely need to head north from Perth, along the Coral Coast to Ningaloo and swim with the whale sharks. It was unbelievable!"
Any other must-visits you discovered during your trip?
Lisa says: "Everywhere was amazing – I came back waxing lyrical about Margaret River. And seeing stingrays swim so close at Hamelin Bay and the dolphins at Rockingham jumping literally a metre away was incredible. We did come away thinking, ‘I want to live here’. If Australia wasn’t so far, we’d be there all the time!"
John says: " I remember getting up early one morning at the Karri Valley Resort near [the town of] Pemberton and watching about 150 kangaroos come out. I told the team and the next morning we were there to capture it. There were gorgeous kookaburras just sitting on the benches, too. It was really special."
You’ve given us wanderlust! What are your travel essentials?
John says: "A solid suitcase! And I like a nicely-ironed shirt, so I iron everything and take fold-up coat hangers which can sit in your hand luggage. They’re amazing!
Lisa says: "John was quite jealous of my ‘packing cubes’ for shorts and tops – you can squish them down into your suitcase."
Do you have any more adventures planned for 2024?
John says: "I’m off to the east coast of Queensland next for work and pleasure."
Lisa says: "Who knows where our next adventure will be, but I definitely want to return to Western Australia."
John says: "And we’re on screen a lot in 2024, actually! After this series, we might have something for springtime and we’ll be back in the autumn for a new series of John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen."
Lisa says: "We’re so happy to be doing more Weekend Kitchen. It’s set to be another brilliant batch of episodes!"
John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under episode guide
Here's our brief guide to the five episodes in John & Lisa's Food Trip Down Under...
Episode 1
John and Lisa enjoy fresh snapper, meet a cute marsupial and Lisa tries her hand at Chinese dumplings.
Episodes 2 to 5
We'll be updating as the series progresses so do check back.
