All language subtitles for remarkable.places.to.eat.s04e06.1080p.web.h264-cbfm

Experiencing great food is one of
the best things

about visiting a new city,

but how can you be sure that you
find the real gems?

I'm a seasoned professional
and even for me,

it's difficult to find amazing
places to eat.

So, I've asked six of Britain's most
celebrated chefs and foodies...

Let's go. Woohoo!

..to open up their little black
books

and take me to their all time
favourite places to eat.

Welcome to Puglia.

We must have a taste of that,
we must!

You're so excited. I am!

Together, we'll travel to
some of the world's

most exciting food destinations.

This place is such a hidden gem.

It's a floating restaurant.

But we won't be just eating.

Who's next?
What would you like, sir?

We will be joining the people
behind the scenes...

No, no, no, no, no, no.

If you do another one like that,
you're sacked.

..and rolling up our sleeves.

Look at this.
We've got the treasure!

..to find our exactly how they
deliver perfect service...

This is like a military operation -
on the beach.

..world-class food...

I've never had a meal
like this in my life.

I feel almost emotional.

..and an experience you'll
never forget.

For me, it's a ten out of ten.
Ten out of ten from Fred, wow.

This week, I'm exploring the valleys

and coastline of South Wales.

Wow, look at this, Tommi.

I bet you didn't know it was going
to be this beautiful.

And my guide is chef and co-founder
of award-winning

Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca,
Thomasina Miers.

So, my granny lived here and
we'd spend all our holidays

going to castles, going to
waterfalls and hidden woodland.

I grew up with my granny slathering
butter on her Welsh cakes...

Oh! ..and cream in her coffee,
and the thing is, for me,

is people know a bit about the
rugged landscape of Wales,

but what they don't know
is about this larder -

it's full to the brim
of incredible ingredients.

Aww, look at the cows, look.

Yeah, look at that,
they are just running

in the middle of the road without
a care in the world.

That is why the butter tastes
so good because,

look, look at where they hang out.

South Wales stretches from
Monmouthshire in the east,

past the capital, Cardiff,

and extends all the way to
the Gower Peninsula

and onto Pembrokeshire in the west.

The farmland here is some of the
most fertile in Britain,

so it's no surprise that
the area has

a legacy of producing
incredible meat,

dairy, veg and seafood from
the long coastline.

I'm impressed already,
so I can't wait to see

what Thomasina has in
store for me.

I really do not know Wales at all.

It's staggering, isn't it?
I mean, it's so beautiful.

But, look, you've already delivered
on the scenery front,

now we've just got to go and
get some good food.

The food is so insane and it's
because of the produce,

and I feel that's a real
undiscovered secret.

We're going to go to some wild
places where you are going to be

blown away.

And, aussi, Fred, we are here! Woo!

To kick off our road trip,

Tommi's taking me to
the 19-mile-long Gower Peninsula,

just west of Swansea.

It's an unspoiled Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty

and home to the first place in her
little black book.

Tommi, it's absolutely
gorgeous here.

But, tell me,
you've taken your shoes off,

are we going to have a picnic
on the beach?

Look, for me, Wales is about
beaches, holidays,

picnics, great food.

This restaurant,
the chef knows what he's doing.

He is like the ambassador
for Welsh cuisine.

It's going blow your mind, Fred.

Come on, I'm hungry,
let's go, let's race, come on!

In an incredible location
at Oxwich Bay,

the Beach House was opened
in 2016 by acclaimed

Welsh chef, Hywel Griffith.

It was a runaway success winning
the Best Restaurant award

the year after it opened.

HE PUFFS

Look, look how beautiful it is.

It's just so organic.
It looks so natural.

I love this place.

I promise you it's even better
when you get inside.

It's so in-keeping with its
surrounding, beautiful.

Hywel's hyper-local approach
to fine dining earned

the Beach House
a Michelin star in 2019

and he also has the Restaurant
Manager of the Year

for the whole of the UK
in Christie Hayes.

Hi, how are you?
Welcome to Beach House.

Hello, I'm Fred.
Nice to meet you. Hi.

What a beautiful spot.
Thank you very much. Just this way.

Thank you.

It's beautifully rustic.
Yes, I love the design.

This is your table for today.

Thank you.
You're very welcome.

May I bring you some water for
the table? Oh, yes, please.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

We're going to get a tan.
I know.

This is the most
beautiful landscape.

I'm just speechless how
beautiful this is.

And this guy, really,
from the moment he opened,

people come from far and wide cos
he's really showcasing

Welsh produce and elevating it.

He sounds like he is Mr Wales.

Do you know what I love?

Some Michelin star restaurants,
you come and it's really fine dining

and it's the white tablecloths,
and you're almost made

to feel uncomfortable because
it's so kind of...shi-shi.

What I love here is,
look, we're right on the beach.

They've got sunbathers there,
but we're going to eat really,

really fancy food.

You know what I love about
this menu?

It makes me feel like I'm
in a foreign country

because it's written in Welsh.

And the ingredients just
leap off the page.

I mean, wild garlic is there,
elderflowers, girolles.

You know, I was expecting it was
going to be a seafood restaurant

almost because, I mean, look where
we are, but it's not.

It's actually all that
Wales has to offer.

I'm going to be a little bit bossy,
if you allow me.

I love to be bossed around.
We're going to have a lovely mix.

We're going to have some things from
right there. Bravo, I like that.

And then we're going to have some
of this famous salt marsh lamb

because the flavour is so special,

that saltiness from the sea,
I just really want you to try it.

So, you see I've closed the menu,
I've already had a browse,

I love everything on it,
I'm in your hands,

you can decide, it's OK. OK.

This is a Michelin star restaurant
for a special occasion

and the price level reflects that.

Ooh. Good afternoon, how are we?
Hello.

Yeah, very good, thank you.
Are you Hywel? I am, yes.

Ah, how exciting.
We're so delighted to be here.

To start, we're having Hywel's take
on an iconic Welsh bake,

laverbread, laced with locally
picked seaweed

and lobster from right here at
Oxwich Bay,

enclosed in fresh tomato
with elderflower,

peas, kohlrabi and fine
rye cracker.

Tuck in right into this Welsh
butter. It's famously good.

Tommi, tell me about
this laverbread.

It's absolutely delicious.
You know what?

I love the combination of the butter
mixed with the seaweed.

You bite through this really
crisp exterior

and then there's this light,
fluffy crumb.

And this laverbread normally
doesn't look this pretty.

It's what they used
to feed their coal miners.

It's super nutritious, a really good
way of feeding themselves

when they were down in the mines.

I mean, this is not like the
laverbread we used to have

when I went to my grandmother's.

There's so much going on here,
you know,

you've got the taste of the sea,
the salt, this mineral-y seed,

the richness of the butter,

and with the oats, it adds another
dimension to the bread.

It's beautiful.

I did not expect
the lobster looking like this

because it looks so pretty.

Oh...

What a rich flavour.

Really delicious.

Now this lovely mayonnaise which,

combined with the taste of
the tomato,

takes me straight back to
the summer in France.

It's got these lovely
bursts of acidity.

It's clever though cos lobster
can be very, very rich,

and sometimes I find it's too much.

Whereas, this, because there's
to much going on here,

it's light and summery.

I mean, can you imagine lobster
coming just from here? Yeah.

I mean, how local is that?

You know, we are just in the middle
of this beautiful bay here,

where you could have
fish and chips,

you could have like a bacon butty.

But, no, you've got these elevated,
fine-dining dishes here

with all the local produce that
he finds around here.

The problem is this dish is so good
that it's disappearing

far too quickly inside my mouth.
Mm.

Here we are.
Christie, thank you.

Oh, wow, look at that dish.

For our main, we're having the
house speciality,

cig oen morfa Gwyr -

Gower salt marsh lamb
served with celeriac,

girolles, goat cheese,
shallots and a beer vinegar gel.

It really is the region on
the plate.

Oh, this lamb is so sweet
and so tender, isn't it, Tommi?

It's amazing. And I want to take you
to go and see these lambs

because they're roaming the marshes,

chomping on all the wonderful shoots
and natural produce vegetation

that grows up from the sea and
that's what's producing

this incredible flavour.

And Hywel has cooked
it beautifully.

I mean, that screams local produce,
local provenance and seasonality.

I just had a girolle. It's so good.

Isn't it?
The girolle is outrageous. Ah!

That's the word - outrageous.

You are outrageous.

And that combination with
the flavours here, it just works.

All there ingredients,
they belong together.

It's like a kind of homage to the
season right here on the plate.

It's really cool, isn't it?

That's it. That's what it is.
It's an homage.

And it's the taste of Wales.

For our final course,

we're having Hywel's most
celebrated dessert,

bara brith souffle with
a tea ice cream.

Oh, lovely, look at that.

Mm...Mm.

Light and airy, crispy.

Mm.

So, bara brith,
it's an old-fashioned fruitcake.

I mean, when I was going to
visit castles,

go to the cafe,
have a mug of tea

and a slice of fruitcake.

To create this out of it,
it's playful,

it's fun, but it's clever as well.
I love it.

The subtlety of the flavour,
I love how real it is,

how sweet it is,
and you can taste the fruits.

Those gentle, warming spices,
you know,

the ginger, is there nutmeg
coming through?

Yes, definitely. Touch of cinnamon.

And then this little ice cream,

which is like having a kind
of ice cold cup of tea.

Oh, the ice cream. Mm!

It is totally delicious.

I love the fact he's taken
an old-fashioned staple

and turned it into something
so wonderful.

Suddenly, I feel more connected
to the land and without that,

without the story, I wouldn't have
felt that connection,

but I'm connected to Wales through
a souffle.

How poetic is that?
It's lovely.

This restaurant is truly
exceptional.

But I tell you what, you know,
it takes a team

of dedicated professionals in there
to come up with something like this

because the cooking is
out of this world.

I really want to get to know
the chef,

I want to know his passions,
his reason for opening this place.

We've got to go behind the scenes
and we've got to find out

what goes through behind this door.

But, also, I want to go and see
those lambs, there,

where they are on the salt marsh.
Yeah.

I am just so impressed,
you know, by the setting,

the weather,
the food that we've had.

So, we've started well.
It's been amazing.

This week, I'm in South Wales
with acclaimed chef

and restaurateur, Thomasina Miers.

Tommi, where are we going?

We are going to el capital, Cardiff.

Are we going to Cardiff? Yes!
Let's go. Woohoo!

The restaurant scene in the Welsh
capital has exploded in recent years

and the city is blessed with
some of the UK's most vibrant

places to eat.

Fred, check it out.

What, Wales is full of castles?
Yes. To keep the English out.

I know, but a few of us snuck in.

Now, listen, Cardiff is buzzing.

It's got this incredible
foodie scene,

independent restaurants,
cool bars, it's really hip.

So, where are you taking me?
Get your heat around this.

It's kind of like if you can
imagine Wales meets Spain.

Uh-huh. It's a bit of a weird one,
but we've got these Welsh brothers

and their sister who've opened
this incredible

Spanish restaurant together.

It's kind of rustic Spanish.
But is it authentic?

Yes, it's authentic and they are
using such great Welsh produce

and it is delicious.

Is it why you're dressed like this?
Yes, it's my flamenco outfit, ole.

Yeah, this is the theme.

Nestled behind the Principality
Stadium in the city centre,

Asador 44 was opened to critical
acclaim in 2017

by Welsh siblings, Natalie,
Tom and Owen Morgan.

Inspired by the grill houses
of northern Spain,

the menu showcases incredible meats,

fish, veg and even rice dishes -

all cooked over the open fire.

Listen, you're walking so fast,
you can't wait to get there.

It's cos the food is
so insanely good.

I've got to catch up with you.
Come on. Thank you.

Hey, Owen. How are you?
Hey, guys.

How are you? Good to see you again.

How you doing? How are you? Fred.
Good to see you. Hi.

But, tell me, I've got a question,
I mean, you are all Welsh

and yet you cook incredible
Spanish food,

so I hear, where did this come from?

All from family holidays when
we were young.

We used to go to Spain at
every opportunity

and just go off the beaten track.

Asador 44 is all about conviviality
and warm, Welsh hospitality.

You see?
That Spanish angle on it.

It's all about having a good time
and having fun?

Yes!

Can we find out behind
the scenes what's going on

because I'm really excited now?

We're going to have a lot of fun.
Come on! Andale. Let's go!

The restaurant is open seven days
a week, serving breakfast,

lunch and dinner.

The heart of this kitchen is a
Spanish wood fire grill,

the asador, from which the
restaurant takes its name.

Every man thinks he is the
king of barbecue,

but this is the daddy.

I'm very impressed.

So, did you just buy it off the
shelf or did you design it yourself?

No, after a big, long road trip
around northern Spain,

we came back to a guy in the UK and
said, "Can you work with us?

"This is what we need." And he came
up with this.

So, when do you light the fire,
in the morning?

The fire goes all day, every day.

Our core wood is holm oak from Spain

and then the rest of it is
sustainable UK charcoal,

so we use ash, beech.

So, you cook directly on the fire?
Yeah.

Wow. Everything has a little bit of
smoke,

as long as it's balance
and it's not overpowering.

It's just like
any other ingredient.

This is not just cooking,
it's mastery of the fire.

I mean, this is a real skill,
isn't it?

Yeah. That's what we love.

It feels like I'm getting a tan only
on that side.

It's so hot!
It's a little bit hot.

Lighting the fire is a daily ritual,

but so is sourcing
the finest Welsh produce.

On top of deliveries from
trusted suppliers,

the team shop for ingredients at the
city's historic covered market.

This is an amazing market.

Isn't it? It's beautiful.
Look at this architecture.

It's amazing.
It's one of my favourite places.

Oh, look at these - Welsh cakes.

Tom, we have to get some of these
for Fred. There you go.

Oh, amazing. Thank you so much.

These are on me, don't worry.
Oh, thank you!

My treat. I hope you enjoy.
Thank you so much.

You're welcome. All right.

Whenever my brother
and I go to Spain,

the first thing we do,
straight to the local market,

and just like these Welsh cakes,
you get a feel for

the sort of locality... Yeah.

..and what's fresh, what's good.

And it's a little treat every day,
to come through this market

and pick out food for
the restaurant.

I absolutely love markets and
I couldn't agree more with you.

This looks incredible.
Look at this fish!

That's a whole smorgasbord
of stuff that's local.

So, what are we going to go
for today, Tom?

So, I think it looks really good,
we'll have some surf clams.

So, you just decide every day what
fish you're going to put on

the menu according to what's here?

Yeah. Yeah, and that's the beauty,
you just come along one day,

we'll have sardines over the fire,
nothing better.

So good. And then, next day,
you know, sea trout.

Even though we're
a Spanish restaurant,

we will come and fuse
Spain with Wales,

some Spanish techniques but
with Welsh produce.

I love that philosophy.
There we go.

Brilliant, thanks, Chris.
Cheers, mate. See you tomorrow.

Shall we get some veg as well?
Yeah, veg is key.

So, what are we cooking?

Well, in Wales,
it's got to be leeks.

That's what my granny used
to cook, leek quiche.

On the grill, just grill it,
grill it, grill it.

Till it's sweet.

Strip off the outside leaves and
then the centre is just amazing.

You are speaking my language there.

Many of the ingredients sourced
at the market feature on the menu

as daily specials.

Today, Owen is cooking a rice dish
inspired by Spanish paella,

but using Welsh pork belly

and those beautiful surf clams
from the market.

So, is this a paella or, isn't it?

Yes, and no, Fred.

So, a classic paella
would be snails,

rabbit, green beans in the country,
sort of a farming dish.

Paella referred to the pan,
which means wide and flat,

so it's cooked quite quick
over fire.

First things first, we've got
this beautiful sofrito.

The sofrito is a savoury paste
made of garlic,

onions, tomatoes,
peppers and paprika,

and forms the base of an infinite
number of Spanish dishes.

For maximum flavour,
Owen cooks his for four hours.

This is your flavour builder
with the stock, with the pork.

It smells delicious.
I can smell it from here. Yeah.

For the perfect rice,
the devil is in the detail.

Owen is using a short grain
Valencian rice,

which has been dry aged
for 24 months.

This, I'm going to deglaze.

So, what is that?
A little bit of sherry.

OK. So, tell me about this stock.
How do you make it?

This stock's been made from our slow
roast pork shoulders that we roast

with braising veg,
best saffron in the world,

that's the Spanish jewel,
also a Spanish cider.

And that's been cooking overnight.

But it's real slow-cooking. I mean,
everything has been done beforehand.

You're just assembling everything.

Bringing it together.

And we're going cook it not like
a wet rice,

like a risotto, you're going to cook
it till the stock is gone.

Oh, now we're going into
the risotto territory.

So, is it a risotto,
is it a paella?

No, it's definitely not
a risotto.

So, you're never going to stir this,
OK? That's a big rule, OK?

Don't stir. We call this
arroz mar y montana,

so it's a surf and turf,
fire-cooked rice.

Owen's passion for Spanish cuisine
is admirable

and I want to know where it
comes from.

My first memory as a
four or five-year-old

is eating sardines cooked
out of a hollowed out

fishing boat with the fire.

And you fell in love?

So, ever since then,
I've just been obsessed

with ingredients,
Spanish food

and different regional
Spanish culture.

So, a natural palate,
that's what you have.

Obsession, maybe, yeah.

Passion and obsession is right
as even in Spain,

many restaurants don't cook
their rice over

the open fire like this,
as it requires real skill,

especially in the heat of service.

You've got to know what you do with
the fire because if it was too hot

this is going to hot too quickly.

If it's too slow, it's not going to
cook. Exactly.

This is where really you're showing
your expertise here.

The dish is finished with clams.

The clams are opening.

The clams are opening, look!

Pork belly and Welsh
samphire and purslane.

This is such genuine, authentic,
you know,

very honest and humble cooking.

Yeah, a generosity in
great produce.

I've got to give you a hug. Come on.
You're saying the right things.

Oh, I love this!

As service swings into action,

hungry diners take their seats
and watch on,

as Owen and the chefs temper fire
and smoke to produce

their uniquely Welsh take on rustic
Spanish cuisine.

This place is amazing.
How was your morning, Fred?

It was amazing.
I mean, Owen is a pro.

And tell me about that kitchen.
What was it like to cook in?

I'll tell you what, it takes skills
in there to cook on wood fire,

and, boy, I mean, it's hot,
really, really hot.

Well, I am so excited about
the food.

All I can feel about these guys is
total passion for what they do.

And you know what's great here is
that you can actually watch

the kitchen from the restaurant,
see the chefs in action.

That is a sexy looking kitchen.

I've got some snacks from the chef.

Thank you very much. Enjoy.
Thank you. Thank you.

We've left Owen to order for us
and we're kicking off with

charcoal prawn croquetas
and spiced pork crackling.

You know, Tommi, I love it when
you don't have to order

and it's taken care of by the chef
and the front of house.

It is the greatest luxury when
someone like that who really knows

what they're doing just knows
the little morsels to feed you.

Oh. Mm.
This is naughty though, huh?

Mm, that's so good.
It's so crackling, it's so rich.

Mm. And that flavour of paprika is
so round in your mouth.

What I love about that is that
crackling can be quite tough

and quite chewy.

This isn't.
That is delicious.

Oh, la, la.

One go or...?

Oh! Oh.

Oh, my God. Mm...

Mm! Oh, my God, the flavour.

Rich, taste the fish and prawns,
it's beautiful.

And then it's just gently laced
with that kind of wisp of smoke.

I mean, as far as croquetas
is concerned,

this is one of the best
I've ever had, if not the best.

These guys are not even Spanish.

Salut, Fred.
Yes, salut.

For our main, we had to have the
daily special.

Hey, how are you?
How are we, OK?

Oh, check this out.
Oh, wow, look at that.

Oh, Owen.
Fred pretty much cooked this.

He is very nice.
I didn't do anything.

Arroz mar y montana,

fire-cooked rice
with cured roast pork belly,

surf clams and Welsh sea herbs.

I can't wait to try it.

And as this place is all
about conviviality,

Owen has sent us an array of
fire-cooked veggie sides to share.

Oh, my word. Oh, my word.

As much attention to detail on
the vegetables as the main event.

Escalivada, roasted peppers
with aubergine,

onion and olives.
Courgettes with basil,

honey and pumpkin seeds.

And smoked leeks from
the market with

a light vinaigrette.

It's a Spanish feast. Ole!

Oh...Oh, my God, the clams.

The clams are a lovely flavour
of clams, of course,

but it's integrated with
this pork stock

and the paprika that was inside
and as well as the saffron,

it's got this lovely round flavour.

It's incredible.

And the way that sherry just
permeates through all the rice, mmm.

It's so full of umami hits.

Also the sofrito feels like
it's been cooked for hours

and hours and hours. It has!

I am a particular sucker
for vegetables

because I feel like when my
grandmother was alive,

the way she used to eat,

she used to eat meat as a treat,
not all the time.

I mean, this is an art form, what
they've done to these vegetables.

Yeah. But what I love about it also
is it reminds me about

Mediterranean lunches with a table
full of family and friends.

It's like a fiesta.

They're so serious about
their ingredients

and yet they're still playful.

You summed it up.
It's the playfulness.

You know, they're just having
fun with the food

and you're having fun eating it.

And at just under £40 a head for the
food, it's very reasonable.

This is just an incredible meal
and it feels like

we are actually in Spain,
but we're not, we are in Cardiff.

It's quite nerve-racking, Fred,
taking a Frenchman to South Wales

and telling him the food is good.

Today, I'm feeling a bit reassured
cos you love it.

I'm so pleased.
Two out of three.

Phew.

Since it's a good value one.
Definitely yours.

Thank you very much, Tommi.

I'm in South Wales with cook and
restaurateur, Thomasina Miers.

Look at this path.

Thank God we've got a car like this
because... I know.

..otherwise it would be very
difficult, wouldn't it?

My car would not get down here.

Today, we are heading back to the
Gower Peninsula

to meet Hywel Griffith,
head chef at the Beach House,

who wowed us his passion
for Welsh produce

when we ate at the restaurant.

I mean, look how wild this is.

It's so natural. Yeah.
Come on, let's jump.

Ha-ha.

We're so sporty.
THEY LAUGH

Gower's salt marsh land is
an iconic Welsh ingredient

and takes pride
of place on Hywel's menu.

We are meeting him eight miles
north of the restaurant

at Weobley Castle on a regular visit
to his trusted supplier,

Will Pritchard, whose family farm is
the only place in

the country that supplied this
cherished product.

Shwmae.
Ah, sut wyt ti?

Shwmae, shwmae.

How did you come across, Will?
How did you find him?

When I opened the
restaurant originally,

kind of looked around
for local supplies,

and Gower salt marsh land really
stuck out there.

It was fantastic to find this
and to be able to come down here,

really see the sheep wandering
the marshes,

and, you know, comes full circle
to the restaurant.

Will, that lamb was so incredible.

I'm glad you enjoyed.

To die for, really beautifully
marbled, very delicate flavour.

This is where it comes from.

How long have you been farming,
Will?

Our family have been farming
here since about the 1950s,

I think, and we've been lucky enough
to use this marsh ever since.

The salt marsh covers an area
of around 4,000 acres on

the northern shores of
the peninsula.

And the environment is
so unique Will has become

the first producer in the UK

to be awarded protected status
for his product.

Why is it so good to rear lamb here?

So, the tide covers it twice a day,

so we have all the salt water
coming in and, as a result,

you just have so many different
things growing here,

which you won't find in
a field or on a mountain.

The sheep are free to roam,
so they're healthy,

they're fit and they have such
a wonderful diet,

and that gives the wonderful flavour
that is salt marsh lamb.

So, what are they actually eating?
What grows here?

Samphire and sorrel.
There's sea lavender.

I think thrift grows here
from time to time.

But they're all seasonal,
so they all grow

at slightly different times.
Would you like to try some?

Yes, of course. So, we've got some
sea purslane here.

Mm. It's very salty.
Yeah. Really salty.

A little salty, a little burst
of salinity,

but there's a great flavour
to it as well.

So, how many lambs do you have?

In peak we'd have 900,
1,000 lambs.

But, I mean, it's quite amazing,
Hywel, what you do.

I mean, you're not just like your
standard chef who picks up

the order, you know, and call
for your order of lamb.

You come here actually,
you meet Will and you

want to actually pick your
sheep yourself.

It really does kind of make
a full story to be able

to know exactly where it
comes from.

But, Will, this area is so big,
how do you manage to find

your sheep and bring them back
to the farm?

We have to go out, we have to bring
them into the farm,

and that's when we look after them
and check on them.

And we'll go and bring them in now
so you can have a look at them.

I've love to do that, yeah.

How long does it take to check
a sheep?

To check a sheep, not very long.

You just want to visually look at
them, really,

maybe a couple of them, just touch
them, see if they're walking OK,

things like that. Just obvious signs
for health, really,

that's a good thing.

The breed of sheep that Will
keeps is a Suffolk crossed

with a Welsh mule, which is nimble
and smaller than other breeds,

making it perfectly adapted for
life on the marsh.

Right, then, Fred,
it's France versus Wales,

rugby World Cup final,
can you make the tackle?

Hey, you got him. That's it.

He looks good.
Well done, Fred.

Feet look OK... Head looks
all right, he looks happy enough,

nice cover of wool.

I'm happy with that. I think that's
a nice healthy sheep there.

FRED EXHALES SHARPLY
Well done, Fred.

So, Will, tell me, what's the
season for lamb here?

So, our salt marsh lamb season runs
from July up to Christmas.

Right. So, by July, they've been
down on the marsh grazing,

enjoying the scenery.

That's what makes us
so unique, really.

The lambs have so much time
on the marsh.

For you, I mean, it must be a great
sense of pride to work

with somebody like Hywel
because he's really showcasing

your product in the best
possible way.

Whenever we see
the photos he sends us of

the finished plate,
it just looks magnificent.

Will, thank you very much.

My absolute pleasure to show
you around.

But I can see why you guys are
so good at rugby.

Yeah. It's all that training!

I'm starting to realise just how
incredible this landscape is

and why Hywel has chosen the
Gower as the location

for the Beach House.

Within 20 minutes, Will's lamb can
be in the kitchen

and Hywel can begin to create
this incredible dish

of salt marsh lamb for
his customers.

So, I'm particularly excited
at seeing

the provenance stamp right on
this piece of meat.

Oh, yeah, so, all these saddles
that come in,

all the lamb is stamped with the
Gower Salt Marsh Lamb logo.

It's such a special label,
that, isn't it?

It is fantastic.
When I first opened the restaurant,

I had this idea about using as much
local ingredients as possible,

and, you know, fast forward seven
years later,

we have in excess of maybe 20
suppliers that we use is all Welsh.

And then how did you get
into cooking?

I gave up on school
because I wanted to be a chef

and I just thought, right,
I'll go to catering college.

So, I went to Coleg Menai in
Bangor and then I turned 17,

I'd done a few years in college and
I went straight down to London.

And you didn't even speak much
English, did you?

I spoke Welsh. My parents are Welsh,
my grandmother,

my friends, everybody.

It was a big shock, you know?

Arriving in London, yeah,
that must be massive,

straight into a kitchen.

And in those days quite
a kind of, you know,

bang, bang, bang,
get your food out on time.

Well, not much has changed,
I'll be honest with you, yeah.

I really want to know how we
cook this lamb.

My dad grew up in Wales, so I'm
going to practise some of my Welsh.

Awn ni.

Let's crack on. I want to see -
let's cook this.

Very good, very good. Yeah.

Hywel chars his lamb on
a barbecue to add

an initial layer of flavour.

What makes that so special,
that flavour?

Salt marsh lamb and your mountain
lamb is very different.

Mountain lamb, generally a lot more
fatty. Yeah.

You know, the meat is a lot redder,

the flavour and texture is
stronger, yeah?

My dad always used to tell us that
the hillside lambs had two legs

longer than the others so that they
could stand up straight.

I always believed him.

I don't know if that's strictly
true! I know. Yeah, yeah.

If you turn it over now, you'll see
the bottom is quite dark now.

Obviously, you're not going to
eat this side,

but what we want is this kind
of deep char,

smoky flavour to permeate
the meat.

So, essentially, this is what we
could be doing on our barbecue.

What, at home? Yeah, totally,
getting that lovely flavour.

Yeah, absolutely.

Just need to pop it in the over
for about 45 minutes

just to finish off.

Once the lamb has rested,

Hywel masterfully assembles
the dish starting with

an inventive beer vinegar gel...

So, this is vinegar that's been
aged in beer barrels.

..carrot puree...

Nothing is over-fussed,
overworked, you know,

it's about locality, flavour,
freshness, seasonality.

..braised shallots and celeriac.

And then girolle mushrooms.

They're so pretty.

And then, here... Yeah?

..we've got some softened
goat's curd,

quite creamy but has an
edge to it.

Then, it's adorned with locally
foraged fennel pollen before

the salt marsh lamb can take
centre stage.

Look at that, pink,
tender, juicy.

It's just perfection.

Finally, a delicate lamb jus to
bring all the elements together.

World-class produce,
essentially, on this plate.

Absolutely, couldn't agree more.

And the people who come here,

I feel like they really get
a sense of that,

that this is an incredibly special
place to come and eat.

It's a sense of responsibility
almost to kind of, you know,

over-deliver on what people expect
and that's what we try to do.

Salt marsh lamb isn't the only
local ingredient

that Hywel and his brigade
champion here.

Another standout were the
elevated spin on

the old school Welsh classic
laverbread -

made on-site daily by head chef,
Dan Andree.

So, Dan, can you tell me about this
laverbread.

Tommi tells me she's been eating it
since she was a child.

Laverbread is cooked down seaweed.

So, a really traditional staple.

The first laverbread what
they used for breakfast

and it traditionally comes
from miners.

A mixture of oats,
a little bit of vinegar,

and that would go along
with their meats and cheeses,

a sort of workman lunch.

So, would Welsh speakers
and people who are really into

the Welsh culture know about
this bread?

I think it's got a massive cult
following to our guests

that come here and eat with us
and certainly we'd have trouble

if we ever took it off the menu.

I mean, it's like eating a piece of
history, isn't it?

Yes, people love it. So, how many
portions do you make a day?

We're normally aiming for the
60, 70 mark.

What is it like to work here in this
part of the world?

It's amazing.
I think we're very fortunate.

We go out fishing, foraging,

and to be lucky enough to work here
and part of the restaurant

is an absolute honour.

Tell me about Hywel. Is he the best
chef you've ever worked with?

I've learned a lot from him
as a chef,

really, really pushing the
Welsh cuisine

and champion local products.

It's a privilege
to see what he's achieved.

With such passion for
the local produce

and pride in his Welsh heritage,

it's no wonder Hywel has turned this
beach-side restaurant into one

of Wales' most celebrated
dining destinations.

Thomasina, what a restaurant,
what an experience.

It really blew me away from
start to finish.

Whether it comes from
the sea or on the land,

it's on your plate
and it's all delicious.

It's hospitality at its very best.

That's how it should be, where we're
made to feel comfortable,

but also that it's a treat.

The food was out of this world,

the service was excellent,
and the setting,

I mean, look at that. I mean, I
could be in heaven for all I know.

This week, I'm in South Wales
with award-winning chef

and restaurateur, Thomasina Miers.

Where are we heading to?

We are heading towards
Monmouthshire. Uh-huh.

Now, Monmouthshire - it's like the
foodie capital.

It's where the whole food scene
first erupted.

The food scene erupted?

Yes. I tell you.
Wow. It's like a volcano.

Monmouthshire lies 20 miles
north of Cardiff

and borders England.

It punches well above its weight
for high-quality food

and drink experiences,

as well as hosting one of the
largest food festivals in Britain.

We are heading deep into the
countryside near the River Usk.

So, Tommi, this is our last place.
Are we going to finish on a high?

Imagine you've gone on
a three hour walk in

the beautiful valleys,
having a swim in the river,

and you stumble across this place.

This was one of the most memorable
meals that I've ever had in Wales.

Wow. It's a beautiful pub.

Simple, delicious,
pared-back food.

I think you're going to love it.
Oh, wow, can't wait. Come on!

Set in the heart of the county is
the next stop on Thomasina's list.

The Black Bear Inn has been a pub
for over 300 years.

This intimate 30-seater eatery
has been named as one of

the top 50 gastropubs in
the entire UK,

with husband-and-wife team Josh
and Hannah Byrne at the helm.

Look at this place,
this is so busy.

Because the food's so good.
Right, what are we going to have?

We definitely need to have Welsh
rarebit cos that's what he does

really well and it's the thing that
my granny used to cook.

I feel you need to try it. OK.

And then main course,
I fancy this asparagus tart.

Well, it's got the Welsh truffle on.

If you're sure. I might have some
seafood, cod maybe.

All right, let's do that, then.
OK, perfect.

And, look, here's Josh. Hey.
Hi, how you doing?

Hey, Josh, how are you?
Hi, long time, no see.

Hi, Hannah, how are you?
How are you doing?

Very nice to meet you, Fred.
Yeah, very well, thank you.

Hello, how are you?
Nice to meet you. How are you?

So, when did you open, guys?

November 2018.

And I came quite soon after,
didn't I?

Yeah, early days, yeah.
Early days.

Oh, it's so good to be back.

And where did you meet?

We met working together in Paris.

Hannah was my boss in the
kitchen when we met.

Ah, very good, the city of love.

Yeah, we had a great time
living there,

and then we left Paris to Bristol,
and Bristol to here.

So, have you managed to have
a look at the menu?

Oh, it looks delicious.
Yes, we've already decided.

Perfect. So, where would you
like to sit?

Well, it's a nice day, we were
thinking outside. Is it OK?

Yeah, please go ahead, yeah.
OK. Amazing, thank you.

Thank you very much.
Thank you. See you in a bit.

Before moving to Paris,

Josh trained under
the tutelage of top chefs

and at Heston Blumenthal's
restaurant Dinner.

But here, his philosophy is
to serve delicious

but down-to-earth seasonal plates
that feel at home

in this beautiful old inn.

Cheers. Cheers.

We have the best seat in the house.

And isn't it great that it's
a husband and wife team?

Yeah, I love that.
It makes it so much more personal.

So, one Welsh rarebit. Ooh.
I'll put it in the middle for you.

Thank you very much. Thank you.
Oh, lovely.

To start, we are having Josh's
take on Welsh rarebit,

a traditional recipe that dates back
to the 15th century.

So, this is what you used to eat
when you were a little girl?

It's like molten,
lovely caramelised top.

Oh, right, you don't use cutlery?

Well, it's kind of like a bar snack
thing, isn't it?

You do your thing. I do my thing.
OK, all right.

Mm.

Looks really creamy.
It's so good!

Mm!

Come on, Fred, that's really good.

It's super more-ish. There's a lot
of different flavours here

and there's so much going on in
my mouth,

you know, there's the richness.

There is something, you know,
also quite spicy.

I mean, I don't know exactly
how he does his,

but I bet he uses
a good cheese, though.

I have to say, though, you can't
compare it to a croque monsieur.

It's night and day, isn't it?

Yeah, I mean, this is far superior,
obviously.

No, it's not about superior.
These are two different recipes.

Yes, but what we do know is
it's bloody good.

This is the gold standard.

And at £4, I mean, what a bargain.

It's a steal.
Yes, it is. Cheers.

GLASSES CLINK

Main course is coming. Is it?
Yes.

Incoming.

Here, so I've got the cod
with crab broth

and buttered new potatoes.

Yes, that's for me, thank you.
There we are.

For our mains, I'm having the Usk
Valley asparagus tart

with poached egg
and Welsh black truffle,

and Tommi's having
the line-caught cod,

with crab broth, buttered lettuce
and new potatoes.

Wow. Truffles! Look at the size of
those truffle...

I had no idea there were
truffles in Wales.

We're in a pub here, right?

I mean, look how beautiful
and delicate this is.

Look at the presentation,
the colours,

so vibrant,
and all these different herbs.

Oh, look at this poached egg.
Look at that!

Look at that. So good.

Wow! This is going to become the
sauce, isn't it?

That's the perfect poached egg.

It's just so good to treat
a vegetarian main course

with such total care
and meticulousness.

I mean, it's so good.

This cod is tender,

it's beautifully cooked,
just flakes off,

but it's got this lovely
crisp exterior.

It's totally delicious.

The Jersey Royals are
cooked perfectly,

waxy and delicious,
and all these greens.

It's a really beautifully put
together plate of food.

But it's simple, but clearly you
have to know what you're doing

in order to produce a dish like
that.

And look at this pastry, look how
it's flaking.

There is no other way - this was
made fresh this morning.

I mean, that's pretty impressive,

a home-made puff pastry in a pub,
pretty incredible.

And this leek fondue here
is beautiful,

it's really nice and buttery.

And these truffles are so fresh.

Come on.

Oh, my God. Just have half.
Thank you. Thank you.

Mm. Oh!

That's incredible. They are so fresh
and full of flavour. Mm.

And they grow here.
Incredible.

These two dishes are summer
on a plate.

Even in a really fancy restaurant
in the middle of

a capital city,
you'd be pleased to get that.

I loved it. But I tell you what,
I want to find out about

these black truffles because I want
to find out where they come from.

I can't believe they come from here.

Also, I thought that Welsh rarebit
was exceptional,

so I am going to go talk to Josh and
see if he can teach me his secrets.

I can't believe I've never heard
of Welsh truffles.

Just ten minutes down the road
from the pub is an 11-acre

truffle orchard run by
Josh's supplier, Matt Sims.

These are truffle dogs, are they?

These are my truffle dogs.
This is Bella.

Hello, Bella.
She's a Sprocker Spaniel.

Yeah. And this is Truff,
she's a bit of a mixture.

Aww, so cute.

Yeah.

Setting up the orchard has been
a labour of love,

as all that was here beforehand was
just an empty field.

So, when did you start?

We planted in 2008,

sat back for another eight years

before we got any,
found any truffles at all.

Incredible. So, shall we go on this
truffle treasure hunt?

Yes, let's go. OK.

Come on then, find it. Find it.

And you don't even have to tell
them, they know,

they're just going to smell and then
they're going to start digging?

Oh, she's found one.
Yeah, she has, yeah.

Bella, come on, girl. Good girl.

Come on. Come on, quick,
you're going to miss it, quick.

Have you found one? Right there.
Have you found a truffle?

Yeah. Come here.
I want to see what's going on.

There you go. Not a bad size.

Wow.

Look at that.
A black truffle from Wales.

Who knew?

So, how much is that worth?

It goes on weight, so I would guess
that's 70, 80g.

I would say that's, I don't know,
£30, £40.

That's good going.
Yeah, it's OK.

But in terms of the condition of
the soil, you know,

was it right for truffle or
did you know?

I didn't know. So, the idea is you
create the right conditions

using a lot of lime.

You plant the sapling and
they're pre-inoculated

with the truffle fungus,
and it's basically

a network of threads that runs
through the soil

and the truffle is the fruiting
body of those threads.

How many trees did you plant?

Just under 5,000.

Until that time, did you know it was
going to happen... No.

..or did you still have doubts?

We were eight years in,
so I did have doubts,

then I thought I'd give it
another two years.

It's mad, but it's incredible,
and look what you've created.

Starting this business was a gamble,

but it's paid off as Matt
now supplies his truffles

to restaurants and private clients
across the UK.

How many kilos do you produce
every year?

Last year, we did exceptionally
well,

it was probably around 250 kilos.

She smells something, does she?
Truff, let me see.

What have you found?

Oh, look at that!

Oh!

Look at the size of this baby!

Wow. There you go. Good girl.

This is beautiful. I mean, but were
you the first to do that in the UK?

We were the first in Wales
to grow a summer truffle.

What an incredible world
you've created here.

I'm envious. It's you,
with your two dogs,

walking that forest, you know,
every day, finding truffles.

Shall we go and find some more?
Let's find some more.

While I'm out truffling,
Thomasina is in the kitchen

at the Black Bear with Josh
learning the art of making

the ultimate Welsh rarebit.

That lunch was spectacular.

Oh, thank you very much.

But, particularly,
this is my weakness, Welsh...

I always say rabbit.
What do you say?

Rarebit, I've always been told...
Yeah.

..but the history is vague,
isn't it?

Rarebit was originally
called caws pobi,

which is Welsh for toasted cheese.

It even has its own National Day
on September 3rd.

Josh starts off his version by
making a roux

with flour and butter.

When we started, we wanted to have
a few things on the menu

that people would recognise
and be comfortable with,

so Welsh rarebit was
a natural fit for that.

And then tell me about the cheese.

Yeah, so it's Calon Wen organic
Welsh cheddar.

Oh, love Calon Wen!

It's nice and mature. Yeah.
Lots of flavour in there.

The dish is about strong flavours,

so everything in there needs
to be bold and punchy.

The standard white sauce would
contain milk,

but the ale will give
the rarebit its distinctive

flavour profile.

How did you find this exact spot?

We love this area.

It's great for food producers
and eating out in general,

and, crucially, we could afford it.

What do we do next? If you could put
the Henderson's Relish in,

that would be great.
Oh, yeah, great. OK, brilliant.

So, that's like Worcester sauce
but it's vegetarian.

It's really punchy and will give us,
like, acidity and sweetness.

Got all that umami stuff going on,
hasn't it? It's delicious. Yeah.

And now for the rich cheddar cheese.

There you are.

Lovely. Mm.

To add punch, Josh adds mustard
powder and cayenne pepper.

It's a bit spicy, isn't it?

I do love that about Welsh rarebit,

that it does have that nice kind
of bite at the back of it.

Yeah, perfect bar snack.
Yeah.

Nice freshly poured pint
and a rarebit... Mm!

..and that's living.

The sauce is then chilled,
and as the orders come in

it's spread on hot home-made
sourdough toast.

That is quite a blowtorch, Josh.

Yeah, well, it gets the job done.
OK.

That smells so good.

Yeah, and that's it, that's the
finished article.

Now I know I've had lunch,
but I might just have to

have a little snackette. Fred.
How are you?

These are all mine.
I'm sure I'm going to have some.

What have you got in your hands?
Well, I've got some truffles.

These are for you, Josh. It's from
Matt. Oh, thank you very much.

It's a nice one, isn't it?
Wow, that's crazy. Look at that.

Just makes me realise how lucky
you are to be here

and why you chose to come here
in the first place.

I mean, delicious,
organic Welsh cheese,

truffles on your doorstep,
what it is to live in South Wales!

Thank so much.
I'm glad you can see that.

Mm, mmm!

When we first arrived here,

Thomasina promised to show me
the places where

the produce of South Wales
is truly celebrated,

and she's surpassed all
my expectations.

So, Fred, I could not
take you to Wales

without taking you to a castle.

Shall we go to the top?
Yeah, let's go!

The views are going to be fantastic.

Tommi, what a spot.
Look at these views!

Isn't it incredible? Wow.

I am so grateful you shared
with me all your childhood memories.

Because of you I've discovered
a country I didn't know.

And I had no idea that you had
such produce coming from

the sea as well as from the land.

These three restaurants are
true to South Wales

and the people who live here -
all of them striving for excellence,

using all that these green valleys
and long coastline has to offer.

Tommi, I've enjoyed every single
moment of this trip,

and all the people that we met are
so proud of where they come from

and just produce
the most amazing food

and the most amazing hospitality.

It's what this part of the world
is for me.

It's warm, it's generous and
it's bursting with good food.

Tommi, you really are
a true ambassador for Wales

and you've taken me
to three incredible placed.

I could have never come here without
you. Thank you so much.

Yeah. And they've even got
the flag up for us.

Well, you're the ambassador.
THEY LAUGH

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