Rick Stein’s Food Stories sees the legendary TV chef with a new BBC2 series that unearths the stories behind the foods we Brits love to eat best. And there are some fascinating facts, like how fish and chips originated in Italy and Portugal, and that some of the best Italian food in the country can be found in Glasgow!
"I’ve been a chef for over 50 years and the whole UK has transformed foodwise in terms of cooking dishes from all around the world" says Rick, who has been sharing his love of food on TV since the 1980s.
"I’ve come to realise that the food we eat tells a story about who we are. So I’m on a mission to find out what we all like to eat today, from our traditional dishes to those we’ve made our own. I’ll also see how food brings us together."
So here’s everything you need to know about Rick Stein’s Food Stories on BBC2…
Rick Stein’s Food Stories release date
Rick Stein’s Food Stories is a 15-part series that began on BBC2 on Monday, February 12, 2024, at 6.30 pm, with episodes running weekdays at the same time for three weeks. All 15 episodes will also be available as a box set on BBCiPlayer.
Rick Stein’s Food Stories — destinations, recipes and what happens
Across 15 episodes of Rick Stein’s Food Stories. the TV chef takes us on a delightful culinary journey taking in all four corners of the UK, including Argyll, Lincolnshire, Northern Ireland, London, South Wales and the West Country.
The series starts in Cumbria where Rick enjoys a traditional mutton hotpot on a local sheep farm, before braving Morecambe Bay’s mud flats to catch brown shrimp.
Along the way, Rick also meets chefs, food producers and, in each episode, cooks dishes inspired by his travels from his home kitchen in Padstow, Cornwall.
Interview: Rick Stein talks us through this BBC2 series
How would you describe Rick Stein’s Food Stories?
Rick Stein says: “Behind every dish there’s a story, big or small. From fish and chips to Pad Thai noodles, and chicken tikka masala to square sausages in a bun for breakfast on the streets of Glasgow. This series is about my travels around Britain and Northern Ireland as I try to get a handle on what British cuisine is today. Some of the nation’s favourite dishes aren’t traditional to these islands, so it’s an attempt to show how exciting and varied what we like to eat in this country is these days!”
What did you discover?
“Well, did you know that fish and chips originated in Italy and Portugal? I also discovered you can find the perfect Filipino Sunday lunch in an open market created from a demolished cinema in the centre of Belfast, and some brilliant Nepalese dishes can be found in Ashford, Kent, close to the Gurkhas’ HQ!”
What makes British cuisine so unique?
“Owing to our country’s long tradition of maritime prowess we’ve enjoyed influences from all over the world. The reality that we are, as a trading nation, a crossroads for so many different cultures – and part of that is also different foods.”
Were there any stand out restaurants you visited?
“Two or three stand out as particularly exciting. One was a feast of dumplings in a restaurant in London’s Chinatown. There was also a fabulous combination of Gujarati vegetarian dishes and craft beer at a restaurant in Leeds, and a groundbreaking ‘no waste’ seafood restaurant near Portrush in Northern Ireland. I got to try smoked dogfish bacon there and it was utterly delicious!”
You also cook some dishes at home. Were there any you particularly enjoyed making?
“An aubergine biryani. It was actually the first time I’d made a vegetarian biryani and the aubergines were spot on. Of the fish dishes I cooked were a lightly smoked sea trout cooked on my barbecue, and a John Dory fillet with beer, bacon and lettuce. But curiously I think the star turn was a 70s favourite of black forest gateau. It looked so gloriously over the top!”
You meet some fascinating people on your travels. Did any particular stories stick out for you?
"In Bristol we went to a community centre and cookery school run by a woman called Kimberly Prado from the Cape Verde Islands. The object of the project was to teach female victims of modern-day slavery some techniques for running a small café or catering business. The women who were cooking their favourite dishes from their home countries were completely energised by the experience. What was so moving was that you could tell they’d all been through some grim times, yet were so happy to be doing something that they knew and loved.”
Rick Stein’s Food Stories episode guide
Episode 1 – Cumbria
Rick begins his food tour of the UK in the Lake District, enjoying a traditional mutton hotpot with sheep farmer and author, James Rebanks. He pays homage to actor Stan Laurel, then braves Morecambe Bay’s treacherous mud flats to meet a shrimp fisherman and discover an old favourite, potted shrimps. Back home in Padstow, Rick’s joined by his son, Jack, to cook his mum’s shepherd’s pie.
Episode 2 - Argyll
Rick meets chef Pamela Brunton, a Michelin Green Star winner, whose menu showcases local and foraged ingredients. He catches langoustine with teacher-turned-fisherwoman Mary Galloway and explores a century-old smokehouse. At home Rick cooks arroz rojo and tattie scones with Scottish smoked salmon.
Episode 3 - Lincolnshire
Inventor James Dyson who allows Rick special access to his farm of the future where strawberries, tended by robots, are grown all year round. Chef Rachel Green cooks Rick traditional plum bread and he meets pig farmers producing the finest Lincolnshire sausages. He also makes simple strawberry sorbet and the ultimate bangers and mash.
Episode 4 – Northern Ireland
Amid Belfast’s buzzy food scene, Rick tucks into Filipino-style Sunday lunch. On the Atlantic coast, he meets an award-winning chef with a ‘no waste’ approach, who turns fish offal and under-used species into stunning dishes. Rick makes his first ever Filipino dish and cooks beef and Guinness pie.
Episode 5 – Manchester
At Britain’s best market in Bury, Rick immerses himself in the rich food traditions of the northwest. In Manchester he meets Joe Otway, a chef reinventing those traditions for a cool crowd. He then cooks a scotch egg for a ploughman's and one of his favourites, liver, bacon and onions.
Episode 6 – South Wales
On the Gower Peninsula, Rick meets a farmer raising salt marsh lamb. He also tries vegan rhubarb pizza made by social-media star Gaz Oakley, and he tries coracle fishing at night on the River Tywi. He also cooks rack of lamb and shows us how to smoke sea trout.
Episode 7 - Kent
In the Garden of England, Rick harvests English cherries at a family-run farm. From Ramsgate he heads out to sea in search of Dover sole, and in Margate he celebrates our love of fish and chips. At home, in Padstow, he makes red velvet chocolate and cherry cupcakes and shows us a simple French dish called Dover sole à la meunière.
Episode 8 - Suffolk
Rick visits a Suffolk bakery making artisan sourdough. He meets an old friend who sells fresh fish on the beach and later cooks a simple sushi and a surprisingly delicious cabbage soup.
Episode 9 - Yorkshire
Rick discovers the history behind the Yorkshire pudding and, after Indian-style mushy peas in Leeds, he visits the UK’s biggest tofu factory. At home, Rick cooks two vegetarian dishes, tofu pad Thai and paneer jalfrezi.
Episode 10 - Bristol
Rick tries the ultimate jerk chicken made by the man behind Bristol’s most exciting Caribbean food kitchen. He delves into the history of the city’s African-Caribbean carnival and witnesses the healing power of food at a café staffed by victims of modern slavery, before making his own version of a modern UK favourite, the burrito.
Episode 11 – London 1
Rick’s in London, the city where he started out as a chef In Chinatown, he’s entranced by the art of making dim sum and in west London he witnesses the magic of mozzarella making. He also meets DJ Stuart Maconie, who's written a book on the Full English breakfast, while at home Rick cooks beef chow mein.
Episode 12 – London 2
Rick continues his food tour of London in Walthamstow, meeting head brewer Jaega Wise who explains why craft beer is so fashionable. In West London, he also eats a bowl of borscht at a Ukrainian restaurant staffed by refugees, before cooking his own version of Chicken Kyiv.
Episode 13 - Glasgow
Rick delves into Glasgow’s multi-cultural food scene, tucking into Korean and Pakistani dishes and finding out how Italian food became part of the city's fabric. He discovers the best chocolate he’s ever tasted, made by an artisan chocolatier who used to be a car engineer, and uses it to make profiteroles.
Episode 14 - Midlands
Food writer Gurdeep Loyal gives Rick a tour of Leicester’s finest Indian food, from a hidden gem food truck to the Indian equivalent of high tea at the Ritz. There’s Michelin Star fare from Brummy chef Aktar Islam, while Rick cooks a British favourite, chicken tikka masala, and a vegetarian dish called matar kulcha.
Episode 15 – West Country
Rick ends his UK food tour on home turf where he meets Riverford’s Guy Singh-Watson, who blazed a trail for organic food, and cheese maker Mary Quicke. Rick also cooks a carrot tart tatin and a cheese, potato and spinach filo pie.
Is there a trailer for Rick Stein’s Food Stories?
Yes! In the trailer you can see Rick on his travels around the country where he samples some of the culinary delights on offer...
