0:00:04 > 0:00:08IN ITALIAN:
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Maurizio's farm in the southern Tuscan hills is up for sale.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Before he sells,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51he is handing over the running of his business to ten strangers.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- Hello.- Oh, hello. - Bottoms up.- Salute.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56They all share the same dream...
0:00:56 > 0:01:01I am to young to go in my rocking chair quite yet.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04..of starting a new life in Italy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Being a farmer, living in Tuscany is what I should be doing.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11But this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
0:01:11 > 0:01:12comes with responsibility.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- What have you done all morning? - You will not get an answer from me.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22By taking over the whole farm, they must tend the 13-acre vineyard.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24This is really, really hard work.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28And five acres of olive trees.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The little babies are starting to be made into oil.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34As well as breathe new life into the bed-and-breakfast.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I can't quite believe this is happening.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- And serve food to paying customers. - Come with us.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42To our...ristorante.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44SHE CHUCKLES
0:01:44 > 0:01:47This is their chance to put their dreams to the test.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50AP COUNTS IN ITALIAN
0:01:50 > 0:01:54We probably need someone who speaks Italian to know what it's saying.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55After two months,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59will any of the group decide to buy the farm together?
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I'd never be able to afford to do this sort of thing on my own.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Or will they find other ways to make Tuscany their new home?
0:02:07 > 0:02:09What could possibly go wrong(?)
0:02:23 > 0:02:26The group are starting their third week running the farm.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Little chicken eggs from our own chickens.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36These have got to be the smallest eggs in the world.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Good morning!
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I've devised a shopping list.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45What do you want for the next two days?
0:02:45 > 0:02:47A bottle of Irn-Bru.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- Irn-Bru? In Italy?- Yeah.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51THEY CHUCKLE
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Entrusted with Maurizio's prized vineyard,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59they've succeeded in pulling off the grape harvest.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But the daily farm chores continue.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Firewood needs to be collected to keep the boiler alight.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12OK, I think if we leave that open, we can get some air in there.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It's still pretty full from the load earlier.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16We all have the responsibility for it.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20It's got to be constantly burning, all day and all night, so...
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So, we're just taking turns, really, to keep it going.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I came here to find a reason to get up for every morning.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28I mean, it's beautiful scenery and it's...
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I mean, it's stunning.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34But in reality, it's bloody hard work.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38It's long hours, it's monotonous, it's tiring.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40It's the reality check, really.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43HE GROANS
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Look at this manly... He's carrying a hay bale.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48There's nothing more manly than carrying a hay bale.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50'I'm absolutely loving Tuscany.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52'If I'm truthful, it's probably been...'
0:03:52 > 0:03:5715 years since I've felt as good as I do now.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I'm actually surprised how much I'm enjoying it - the countryside,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03the people, the weather, the work we're doing.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05So where is the orchard, then?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- It's... Well, if we cut... Just move a bit further.- Yeah?
0:04:07 > 0:04:09'I want a simple life.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I love growing all my own stuff.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I love being out in the countryside.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19I love the fact that you can wake up every morning and the sun shines.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20It's just magic.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I see you've got the shopping bag with you, all ready to go.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26My special market bag.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30In search of some fresh produce, this morning,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Gill, Karen and Lesley
0:04:32 > 0:04:35are making the six-mile trip to their local town.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Castel del Piano lies on the western slopes of Mount Amiata and
0:04:45 > 0:04:48has a history dating back to the Etruscan times.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Look at all the stuff, wow.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Quanto costa?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Today, its main attraction is the weekly market.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Tartufo is truffle.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Yeah, it's a black truffle. - That would be really nice.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Salame, cinghiale?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- Si.- Si?
0:05:13 > 0:05:14That's perfect.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23That's bread.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Pane is bread.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- But no, look. It's... - Like pancakes, like crepes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38So, we need to find the fruit and vegetables. Oh, here.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40I think this is it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'For me, Italy just means'
0:05:43 > 0:05:45the food, the wine, the cooking.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49I'm going to go with the fact
0:05:49 > 0:05:51that they are so fresh that I think they'll be fine.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54'I can smell lemons, olives,'
0:05:54 > 0:05:56everything.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- Fennel's lovely.- I know.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I'm going to go for...four.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02'I do love to cook.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05'There are some really great Italian recipes that I've never really been
0:06:05 > 0:06:07'able to try'
0:06:07 > 0:06:10because they're really stuff that you need from Italy.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Are those unripened lemons on the vine?
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- Beautiful.- They've got all the leaves, too.- Get some.- Yeah?
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Definitely.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- Grazie.- Are we done?- Yeah, I think so. Are you happy with that?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26OK.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- What are you making for tea? - Risotto.- Risotto?
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- That'll be fine.- Wow! - That looks amazing!
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- I like your work. - Wow.- Well done, Gill.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Well, you can go and ask for all these things now.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59While the farm survives on income from the vines and olive groves,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03there are also other ways for an agriturismo to make money.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08- Looks delicious!- The group have plans to open a restaurant.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Am I right in saying that the general idea was that
0:07:11 > 0:07:14obviously different people want to cook on different nights?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16We could have, like, a run-through night
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and then do it on Saturday night.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Not charging anyone,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22but to invite all the people that have helped us so far.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It's like an opening night - you are opening up and you're
0:07:25 > 0:07:27just bringing in everybody who's helped you
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and you're getting word out there.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32You don't get a menu, you sit there, you eat what you're given.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33And you meet people and have fun.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Would it be sensible maybe, just to start off, to do,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38for the next two weeks, just do it on a Saturday night?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Just to get us going? Do you want to start this Saturday?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Yeah, honestly, I'll give it a go.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Right, so you are in charge this week.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46Gill is the head chef on Saturday,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and I think there is something at stake here, really.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51You know, we are kind of the Brits here and we just want to
0:07:51 > 0:07:55prove that we actually know about food and cooking good food.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57How many people are you planning on inviting to your first night?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- We can do up to ten. - This is restaurant standard food
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- we're talking about.- Yeah, yeah. It's all right.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- A good chef has got to do what they want to do.- Yeah.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07You're going to do what you want to do. They're going to do what...
0:08:07 > 0:08:08We've got to give everyone...
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Gill does enjoy cooking, but the difficult part is going to be
0:08:13 > 0:08:16finding people prepared to come up and try it.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18You've got to give them a reason, you know,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20"Why should we travel up to La Banditaccia?"
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So, we're just going to have to work on that a little bit.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24This sounds exciting now.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Well, it's good to do, isn't it?
0:08:26 > 0:08:27- Yes.- Good work.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30'I really want to get involved in the restaurant.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32'It's very hard work, but I don't see'
0:08:32 > 0:08:35any reason why we shouldn't have a go.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Andy, did you see we got yesterday?
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- Oh, that's fantastic.- I love it. - That's cool.- We really loved it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04We only saw it by accident, but I think it looks really sweet.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05I'm loving it.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09- Loving it!- Loving it! - Loving it.- Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15The restaurant isn't the only project on the agenda.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18The grapes have been gathered, but the olives are still ripening,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22and soon the group will have their second big harvest to contend with.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Across the region, the olive harvest for some farms has already begun.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57With the groves at La Banditaccia soon reaching their peak,
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Rob has invited local farmer Stavros to check out their crop.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05So, the olives are up there.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Also there. - And it goes, yeah, and down.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Two years ago here, it has a big, big attack of flies.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15This destroyed all the production.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20And we will look now, but if we see that is the fly, you know,
0:10:20 > 0:10:26the sickness, we have to take samples and to bring to someone
0:10:26 > 0:10:30here to look at the microscope.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- If the fly is attacking the olives...- Mm-hm.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35..we've got to move pretty fast, yeah?
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- We've got to...- We have to see how much is the attack, you know.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45- Yeah.- Has it the fly or not?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- We have to go inside.- OK.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I didn't come here with the concept that I would be a farmer,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56but you've got to embrace everything that's here.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It's hard work, that's the one thing I've really learned, you know.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00The farmers,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02a lot of them have next to nothing,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05but they are also genuinely happy and they enjoy their lives.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06It's great.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11We can see also some... We can...
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Oh, look, this is the beginning of the attack.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17It's not so much, you know.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Therefore, we have to take the samples so we can see how
0:11:22 > 0:11:27much is attacked, what percentage has been attacked by this fly.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- OK.- Hm?- Yeah, yeah, OK, we can do that.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33In a good year, each tree can produce
0:11:33 > 0:11:35up to four litres of olive oil,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38but this season, with the threat of the fly affecting the
0:11:38 > 0:11:43region's olives, Rob has concerns about their crop.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Do you see that?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48So this olive's got little pock marks on it, which is basically
0:11:48 > 0:11:50where the fly has kind of buried its larvae in,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and it'll eat... Basically,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55it eats all the pulp inside the olive, which it just knackers it from there.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Stavos was saying we've caught it early, so let's hope...
0:11:57 > 0:12:01We have to wait for the results to come back and take it from there.
0:12:23 > 0:12:29Rob and Altaf are visiting a local press for some professional advice.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- This is the lab, then, is it? - It's not a lab.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35This is an olive press.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Frantoio Franci is a world-renowned olive mill with
0:12:41 > 0:12:45a reputation for creating high-class organic olive oil.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Giorgio.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Best-case scenario is we get a phone call tonight to say the ideal
0:12:52 > 0:12:55course of action would be to spray the olives,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57leave it 21 days and look at picking them then.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59You know, it could be the make or break of the farm.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03If the olive is contaminated,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06is our harvest ruined, or can we still harvest the olives?
0:13:06 > 0:13:10It depends how many olives are...
0:13:10 > 0:13:12probably contaminated.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I don't know if it's the right word.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20The structure of the olives is in part destroyed
0:13:20 > 0:13:22by the action of the fly
0:13:22 > 0:13:28because the worm of the fly grow up eating the pulp of the olives.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Oh, OK.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33With the microscope, we can see if the egg is alive and if the
0:13:33 > 0:13:38worm is alive and which size is it.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Severe fly damage could result in the oil from their olives being
0:13:59 > 0:14:05downgraded, and as a consequence, less income for the farm.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Don't be afraid. You can make extra virgin olive oil.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Maybe you can't win the best of the world with these olives,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15but you can make a very good extra virgin olive oil.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18That's a huge relief, that we can still harvest.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20It's a massive relief. I'm actually really relieved.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Positive result, yeah, absolutely.- Positive result.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Remember, you have to produce oil - bitter and spicy.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Bitter and spicy oil, OK.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31If you come in Tuscany and produce extra virgin oil,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33you have to produce good.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35- Bitter and spicy.- No pressure(!)
0:14:36 > 0:14:38You can't make mistake.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Definitely not! Thank you very much.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Learning about what it takes to do a proper harvest and seeing
0:14:45 > 0:14:48kind of it all going on has been great.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It is seasonal. It's hard work.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55But everyone you speak to is passionate about what they do here.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58And it's so lovely. It's kind of a little bit like going back in time.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02After receiving good news about the olives,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Rob and Altaf head into Castel del Piano.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10So, what's the longest time you've stayed in one place?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I lived in Buckinghamshire for seven years, that's probably the longest.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15I love having that luxury. And don't get me wrong,
0:15:15 > 0:15:20I would love nothing more than to settle down, have kids.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24I've had that life, of having a home,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27a nice life, but then it doesn't work out.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- I have a very cynical view about relationships.- Yeah.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Do you know what I mean?
0:15:31 > 0:15:35I threw my heart and love into my wife, and it didn't work out,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40and it completely throws your life a curve ball,
0:15:40 > 0:15:41and you've got to deal with it.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45My marriage failed, and now,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47the first time, at 44, I'm single
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and finding...
0:15:49 > 0:15:51discovering myself again.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54I thought, "Oh, my God," my world had ended
0:15:54 > 0:15:56when my marriage broke down.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58And I couldn't see anything beyond that.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I thought, "That's it, I'm done."
0:16:00 > 0:16:02But I actually now realise, actually,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04I'm beginning to understand me more.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06In a relationship, you've got to compromise.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08You've got to compromise.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Yeah, you have to. It's a two-way street, right?
0:16:10 > 0:16:14There is a fine line between compromising and losing yourself.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18When you've been with another person for so many years,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21you lose yourself, you lose a sense of yourself.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The simple things. "What is it I like, what is it I want?"
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Back at the farm, with Gill in charge,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32the group are preparing for their opening night.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So, this room is going to turn into the restaurant.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36I'm liking that.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I put the wine glasses over there.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43I found some Italian cookery books.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47We found this old hammock. Yeah, it's a bit of a focal point.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48I like it.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52So I'm quite... Yeah, I'm quite pleased.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57'Coming to Italy has given me a real sense of purpose.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59'Life is about opening up to new challenges'
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and experiences.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And...
0:17:04 > 0:17:05trying to make yourself
0:17:05 > 0:17:07a better person.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- Is that prominent enough?- Yeah.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12By the time you've got your menu written on it,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Even just... Or, "Welcome to La Banditaccia."
0:17:16 > 0:17:20- Not over-the-top there? - No, not at all.- OK. No, actually...
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- Cos it's the same colour, right? - Colour, exactly.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24OK.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29My partner, Graham, died of cancer in March of this year,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and that really did hit me.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39I'd cared for him for six months, and actually, when that was over,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44it was almost like, "What am I going to do now? What's my purpose?"
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I've lost touch with the world, with everything.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I think you've done a stunning job.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52- POSH VOICE:- Sterling, darling, sterling.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- Thank you, thank you.- Yes, yes, yes.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- Wow! That looks so cool. - What are you thinking?
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I'm thinking, "Who's going to sit there while they're waiting
0:18:00 > 0:18:02- "for their food?" - THEY LAUGH
0:18:10 > 0:18:12HE SIGHS
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- This is beautiful.- Beautiful!
0:18:14 > 0:18:18It's absolutely gorgeously beautiful.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I love that. I just love the changes of the light.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Over the mountains, hills.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26You can see why people...
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- Painters used to come here, to Tuscany.- Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30It's tranquil, isn't it?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I don't think I've ever seen anything, like, you know,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35light and shade, the way it works.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36Incredible.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42- How's your day been?- Been good. - My day's been a bit weird.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Kind of struggling to...
0:18:44 > 0:18:47understand why I'm here, to be honest.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Yeah.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Living with strangers is difficult, you know.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56It's not an easy thing.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I think it's difficult for somebody
0:18:58 > 0:19:00who's predominantly used to
0:19:00 > 0:19:03being on their own or with a small group of close friends or
0:19:03 > 0:19:05family to all of a sudden
0:19:05 > 0:19:08have to deal with total strangers.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11I think we are all learning, you know, to get along with each other.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- This is so good.- Do you like it?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18- I love it. - This is absolutely fantastic.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Really awesome is what it is.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20It's real comfort food.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24While you're eating, Stavros came here today, he's had a look at our
0:19:24 > 0:19:27olive groves because we were worried these flies that attack
0:19:27 > 0:19:29the olives were kind of doing a bit of damage.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32He said it's good news, the olives are OK.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Realistically, at the earliest,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35the olive harvest is going to happen in seven days.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Oh, brilliant!
0:19:38 > 0:19:42There is the potential that we might actually make a profit.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Potentially on the olives.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- We'll get a good price? How does that work?- Potentially.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48We need to make some phone calls and have some conversations,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- but, yeah. - Gill, this is so beautiful.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- You like it, Chi?- Spot on. - I'm really glad.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56There's definitely been a shift.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I look around and everyone's got their own little roles.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03I just felt like I am walking about aimlessly trying to figure
0:20:03 > 0:20:05out what I could bring to the group.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07I came here to grow,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and today I felt I'd got nothing to offer to anyone.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- Bongiorno.- Bongiorno.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I'm just about to do some eggs.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31How many eggs have we had since...?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34There was one yesterday.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- Two the day before.- Uh-huh. - Two the day before.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42- Are we calculating our losses? No? - But they're very cute.- Oh, God!
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I like them.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45It's a new day on the farm
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and one of the group has reached a conclusion.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51I had an idea something was on the cards.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Yesterday, he wasn't himself.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55- He was a bit down. - Emotionally, yeah.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57But it's his decision.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- He's not a teenager, he's a grown man.- Yeah.- Right?
0:21:00 > 0:21:02He can make his own decisions.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09After a fortnight at La Banditaccia, Altaf is moving on.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I had a conversation last night with Robert and he said,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15"Altaf, you've got to have some sort of purpose or you've got
0:21:15 > 0:21:16"to be passionate about something."
0:21:16 > 0:21:22And, yeah, do I get itchy feet if I sit still for too long? Absolutely,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I get itchy feet. I want to run away. I want to escape.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29The only way I can be free is to get into
0:21:29 > 0:21:31my vehicle and just keep wandering.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Maybe it's the gypsy in me. It needs to keep travelling.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42I've had these misgivings and I've booked a flight to the UK.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I want to keep my options open.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- Take some time, yeah?- It doesn't feel I'm completely running
0:21:48 > 0:21:51away, but taking stock of what I want to do.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- You're going to touch base?- Yeah. I've left my stuff here.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Good. Excellent.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I've only just heard, Rob has just told me
0:21:59 > 0:22:01that there's a chance, or that there's a likelihood,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03that Altaf will be leaving this morning.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07I feel really funny. You can feel the atmosphere has changed.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Like, everyone is really sort of...
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Clearly, he had so much going on,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18but he couldn't really talk to people.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I felt a bit like we had let him down, actually, because,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23you know, perhaps if he had spoken to more people,
0:22:23 > 0:22:24maybe that would've helped.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31At the end of the day, what Altaf has done is his choice,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and we are not here to make his mind up for him.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Well, I mean, all you've got to do is look at a family of ten.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I don't think it's humanly possible
0:22:41 > 0:22:43for ten people to live together!
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- 24 hours a day.- 24 hours a day. - Seven days a week for seven weeks.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50So all it is is a reflection of life.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I think it would be really easy for all of us just a say, "Oh,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57"I've had enough, I want to go home. I miss my family, I miss my house."
0:22:58 > 0:23:01But these opportunities don't come along very often.
0:23:01 > 0:23:07And I feel that I still haven't found my answer yet.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36With one Tuscan journey at an end, farm life continues.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41And with the olive harvest a week away, the nets are being prepared.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44If you came to live here, then, were you thinking about something
0:23:44 > 0:23:46that would be just for yourself
0:23:46 > 0:23:49or would you also be thinking about a relationship?
0:23:49 > 0:23:53I honestly don't know is the answer to that one. I don't know if I
0:23:53 > 0:23:56would ever go down that path again.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59I'm not sure.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05Life throws funny things at you, things that you don't expect.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08And when I got married the first time,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I was 22 years old.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I had my first child when I was almost 24.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And I was more than happy to do that
0:24:18 > 0:24:20role of being, you know, house wife.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But things didn't work out that way.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30I've had two marriages have broken down due to financial reasons.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I'll be honest, it would be nice to settle down, but not, you know...
0:24:33 > 0:24:34It's got to be...
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I'm not saying I'm closing the doors on it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39I am saying I'm not actively looking.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- That's it, end of.- This is time for you.- Yeah.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I got disillusioned, I think,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48with the breakdown of my second marriage, thinking that that would
0:24:48 > 0:24:51be the one that would see us out and then realising that,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53you know, it wasn't going to happen.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56My dreams were shattered, my goals were shattered.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Everything I wanted in my life hasn't come true.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I hope that moving to Italy will give
0:25:06 > 0:25:09me a complete and utter sense of purpose again.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- Do you think that you would like a relationship?- I don't know.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19I think if Mr Right were suddenly to appear in front of me,
0:25:19 > 0:25:25I would probably, yeah, look at it and think, "Oh."
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Cos these things come along when you're least expecting it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Then pepsio.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Peposo.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- Is that...?- Potato, I think it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55We've got grated tomatoes with mushrooms...
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- Do you want me to tell you? - Go on, it would be easier.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59It would be less painful.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Peposo is the peppered stew,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and then budino is the pudding of apple and lemon.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- Is that like a mousse kind of thing or...?- No. It's pudding.- Pudding.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11SHE LAUGHS
0:26:12 > 0:26:17This evening, Gill will be offering home-cooked food to customers
0:26:17 > 0:26:21for the first time in an effort to boost their agriturismo.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22I want it really, really...
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Finely chopped?- No, not chopped.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- I'd like it finely sliced.- Sliced. - Mm-hm.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- And chillies as well, you said? - Yeah.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- I think that could all go in together.- It's cooked, isn't it?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Is it slowly cooked?- Yeah.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Is this all the stuff for today?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Yeah.- That's a massive pepper. What are you going to do with that?
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- Are you going to stuff it?- It will go into like a stew.- Oh, right, OK.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02So these are all going to go into the stew. And this here is the...
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- ..the fennel that you are going to braise.- Yeah.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09We'll kind of like slice it down the middle
0:27:09 > 0:27:11and then do it in a stock.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Well, it looks wonderful.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16- And you are feeling calm, aren't you?- I am at the moment.- Uh-huh.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Yeah, I am at the moment.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19I love cooking.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I love it when I've got a huge table
0:27:22 > 0:27:23full of people who are
0:27:23 > 0:27:25really enjoying their food.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Karen, bits of this meat is caught on the top.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Is that OK, do you think?
0:27:33 > 0:27:38Graham was really the cook. He's left me with that legacy.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Our dream was being able to buy a bed-and-breakfast.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47And we were so, so close, it's just ironic that we didn't quite make it.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53The starter's done.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55The meat's done. Everything's done.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- And breathe.- And breathe.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16Oh, my God.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17That's gorgeous.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20That is absolute perfect.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24To test out their hosting skills before opening to the public,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26the group have invited some of their neighbours.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29So if you say benvenuto, cos that's "welcome".
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- Benvenuto is welcome.- Benvenuto.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- Is that Italian?- Hm.- OK.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37A good restaurant relies on reputation.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Keen for local word to spread, for the first night only,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43dinner will be on the house.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- We've got the wines the guys bought.- Yeah.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48We'll stick to the champagne for now.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50- You good with pouring champagne? - Yeah.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53I mean, if it's the kind of stick it in the bottom of the bum
0:28:53 > 0:28:54and all that kind of stuff.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- That's what I'm wondering.- No, no, just hold it on the side.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00I think I am kind of front of house, kind of back of house.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02Kind of everything.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Romain is a local olive farmer who has been teaching the group Italian.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Benvenuto.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17- Buonasera.- Buonasera.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- I'm Chi, welcome.- Yes, Olivia. - Olivia. Lovely to meet you.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Marita, nice to meet you.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Lovely to meet you.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28It's really nice to have people here, actually. It feels real now.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Except I don't really know if we have enough coat hangers.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- A gift.- Oh, he comes bearing gifts! Fantastic.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38- Wow.- We have our menu on the board.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40This is our meal for tonight.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42- So I hope you enjoy this evening. - Great.- Thank you.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Just make yourselves at home, right? Just chill and relax and enjoy.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- Thank you.- OK.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Hoping to make a good impression,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53the evening starts with champagne and canapes.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58- The saucisson is wild boar. - Right.- And truffle.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- Wild boar and truffle, OK. - Yeah?- Hors d'oeuvres?
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- So you've got some smoked salmon. - Is there a vegetarian one?
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Yeah, they're both... We will do...
0:30:05 > 0:30:08I will bring you the vegetarian ones afterwards.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- Yes.- The sausage is wild boar and truffle.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12I'm vegetarian, so...
0:30:12 > 0:30:14You're vegetarian, so you're not going to...
0:30:14 > 0:30:18- Chef, we have a slight problem. There's no vegetarian option.- OK.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Do they not eat fish either?
0:30:20 > 0:30:23No, this is pescatarian, that's not vegetarian.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Is there anything that we can just quickly rustle up?
0:30:27 > 0:30:30A slight hiccup cos no-one told me that they didn't eat fish.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Anyway, we're muddling through, as they say.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Cheese and avocado for our vegetarians.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Anybody else vegetarian? There you go. Cheese and avocado.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47You'll have it anyway!
0:30:47 > 0:30:49OK, that one is good to go.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54Embracing the joys of Italian cuisine, Gill has prepared
0:30:54 > 0:30:59peposo - a traditional peppery beef stew and a staple of rural Tuscany.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Wow, this looks great. Yes, beautiful.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Buon appetito. Bellissimo.
0:31:22 > 0:31:23Wow, look at that!
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Yeah, look at that! I wonder what's inside.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28The surprise is it's full of meat.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- Funghi, mushrooms.- Funghi!
0:31:32 > 0:31:33I have a question.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Is the chef Italian or...
0:31:36 > 0:31:38English or French?
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Tasting the food, it could be Italian.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Is everything all right?
0:31:42 > 0:31:44It's very, very good.
0:31:44 > 0:31:45You have to tell it to the chef.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Pass our compliments on to the chef, thank you.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Gill did really well. First time we've done it.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57We are cooking for local people. The wine is flowing.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01They seem to be OK about the food, so I think it's all good.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- I know that the chef is not Italian. - Why?
0:32:04 > 0:32:09- Because we would not serve everything altogether.- You're right.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10Of course.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Only the meat and then you have maybe a side dish
0:32:13 > 0:32:16with the vegetables, but not altogether,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19so this is a sign that the chef is not Italian.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24We want to meet the chef because I think you call the catering.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28CHI HUMS A VICTORY MARCH
0:32:28 > 0:32:29Bravo!
0:32:29 > 0:32:33I did come here obviously to try everything out,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35and I did enjoy doing the restaurant.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38But have you been cooking before Italian food?
0:32:38 > 0:32:40This was not the first time.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42- Yeah, really, the first time.- Wow!
0:32:42 > 0:32:43The peposo was really Italian.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Yes.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46It's really hard work,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50but I think Graham would be quite proud of me.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- La chef.- ALL:- Alla chef.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09It's a new day at the farm.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- So was it successful tonight? - Yeah, very.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Somebody has booked to come back
0:33:19 > 0:33:21- and actually pay for it next week. - Cool!
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Tracey, there is a God, and they are all yours.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30The burnt offerings of the last three bits of shortbread.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Three bits, guys. Come on, three bits.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34That's all right, I'm OK with this.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Do you think you all played a good part, then, or...?
0:33:37 > 0:33:41- Would you change anything, or...? - It was actually really nice.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44We were in the kitchen and you could hear everybody laughing and
0:33:44 > 0:33:46it just sounded like it was a dinner party at home.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48I just wanted to go and join in.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51They would have been happy to have had, instead of it being plated,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55in the middle, which I've never had that in a restaurant.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Do you think that they'll come again if they've got to pay?
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Well, there are people who are coming already.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- Gavin's got a couple of people.- OK.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06Maybe some more people in the...from the village.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07OK.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Riding on the wave of Gill's success,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13for their next evening, the agriturismo will host their
0:34:13 > 0:34:18first paying customers with former chef Gavin in charge.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Well, it's like a little flyer. So it just says,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23"We would like to invite you to join us at La Banditaccia
0:34:23 > 0:34:25"for our very first evening of traditional Tuscan food,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28"wine and entertainment.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31"The menu will offer traditional local dishes, 40 euros per person.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34"Please call and reserve your table as soon as possible
0:34:34 > 0:34:36"so as to avoid disappointment."
0:34:36 > 0:34:39And what I would love to see is that the restaurant could be full
0:34:39 > 0:34:42every Saturday night. I have run businesses most of my life.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46I have been self-employed since I was 22, so, yeah,
0:34:46 > 0:34:47it does come natural.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50And obviously, I've been involved with the catering industry for the
0:34:50 > 0:34:53predominant part of that time, so it does come fairly naturally.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55So it's what I enjoy.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I spent many years learning to be a chef,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02then I moved into my own restaurant.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04I've had several pubs,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06a nightclub, a bed-and-breakfast hotel.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10The appeal to me of starting something from scratch and making
0:35:10 > 0:35:12a success of it, or not, because there have been
0:35:12 > 0:35:16a few that haven't been, but I think that's what motivates me.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20We're escaping, old bean.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Yes, go, go, go!
0:35:23 > 0:35:25It's a bit like Thelma & Louise, isn't it?
0:35:27 > 0:35:31In search of a flavour of Tuscany, Gavin and Andy set off to
0:35:31 > 0:35:34visit Italy's gastronomic capital - Florence.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- You couldn't take a picture of me, could you?- Sure.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Just so I can prove, in case nobody believes...
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Nobody believes you were actually there.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Nobody believes I was ever there.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09- With that dome in the background? - Yeah.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12There you go.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14Cheers, geezer.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18With his upcoming restaurant night, for Gavin, it's a chance
0:36:18 > 0:36:21to take inspiration from an authentic Florentine market.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45That's the one I was on about.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48That Fiorentina, that's like a full side of beef.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50What I really wanted to do for the restaurant was to serve that
0:36:50 > 0:36:53for everybody, but this Fiorentina, what they do is they cook it
0:36:53 > 0:36:56five minutes on one side, five minutes on the other, so it's rare.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- Virtually red and runny, bloody in the middle.- Well, raw.- Yeah.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00Raw in the middle, yeah.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03And you serve that with what?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It's going to be mashed potatoes with asparagus,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and I am going to do a thick sauce, like a jus, they call it.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11A thick meat sauce.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13That wouldn't be bad for the restaurant, either.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- The Cumberland? - It's kind of like that, yes.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19It's a spicy sausage, but it's got sort of paprika,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21it's got that paprika, smoky paprika taste.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Get some of those, they'll be nice.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25- Can we have quattro? - Quattro, si.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Just had a little bit of inspiration there - I might just do
0:37:30 > 0:37:33a very slow braise on it, and add it to one of the main courses.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Scusi, this...
0:37:55 > 0:38:00It is meat, beef.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Salted. With spice.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05This is my recipe.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09- This butcher shop is three generations of my family.- Si.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14My grandfather, my father, and me.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18So that is why you are excellent at your trade?
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Because it's in your blood, it's in your genes.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Yes.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26I think that walking round proper markets,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29things I used to do 25 years ago, when I was a chef,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32it's reminded me of how I used to feel about food, and cooking,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and experimenting, and things like that,
0:38:35 > 0:38:36and that's really unexpected.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41After a taste of Tuscan delights,
0:38:41 > 0:38:46Gavin and Andy are eager to sample some of the city's best cuisine.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49We are not coming all the way to Florence without having
0:38:49 > 0:38:50a Florentine steak.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53I suppose you can't really ask for a well-done one, can you?
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Let me tell you something, if you go into a restaurant in Florence
0:38:56 > 0:39:00or Tuscany and ask for a well-done beefsteak Fiorentina,
0:39:00 > 0:39:05they will throw you out. And I mean literally, throw you out.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Ciao.
0:39:07 > 0:39:13Bistecca a la Fiorentina is one of Florence's most famous dishes.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15A rich and rare kilo of steak,
0:39:15 > 0:39:19bred from Tuscany's finest Chianina cattle.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20You can get right lost.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24- Oh, my God! - That was mine!
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Do people really come in and eat the whole thing themselves?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- Yeah!- Really? - Yeah, it's really nice.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Also, if you make your shirt dirty, it's better. Enjoy.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35- Thank you. - Grazie.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43That is the best thing I've eaten in a long time.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45I'm speechless.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Good food, good company, good wine.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- Perfect. - Perfect.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05It's the day of reckoning for the restaurant.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09This evening, paying guests are booked into the Agriturismo,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13expecting an authentic Tuscan dinner.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16I feel OK, but I've got stomach cramps and diarrhoea and
0:40:16 > 0:40:18things of that nature, so there's something not quite right.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Nightmare.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24I've been quite unwell during the night, with issues,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and obviously, when you're cooking for anybody else,
0:40:28 > 0:40:30particularly paying customers,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32you've got to be very careful with that kind of thing.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Very disappointed, I've been looking forward to it,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37but at the end of the day, you've got to be sensible.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41- So, if we can get hold of Gill and Karen...- Right.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- And they agree to do the food, the cooking tonight.- Mm-hm.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Obviously, my menu is out the window,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49so they are going to have to go and do the shopping as well,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51before coming back here to prepare it.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- So...- OK.- Tight does not even begin to cover it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00I can't remember the last time I had my hair done
0:41:00 > 0:41:03- on a Saturday morning, actually. - No.- Buongiorno.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Buongiorno.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12- What you going to have done? - Shampoo and then a...
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- ..bit of a zhuzh.- A zhuzh? - Yeah, but I don't know you say...
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- Is there a word for a zhuzh?- I don't know how you say blow-dry.- Yeah.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23So long as you don't have that enormous thing on your head.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Oh... Ooh.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- That's very retro.- Mm.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29PHONE RINGS
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Oh, who's that? That's me.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37My bag's always too big. Erm...
0:41:39 > 0:41:43- Hello?- Hello, is Jill there? - Er, it's Karen.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47- Oh, hi, Karen. Right, you'll do!- Oh, thanks!
0:41:47 > 0:41:48- You're going to love... - HE LAUGHS
0:41:48 > 0:41:51You're going to love this.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Because of my dicky tummy, I cannot cook.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59The question is, can you and Jill take over the cooking?
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Erm, obviously my menu is not going to be suitable,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06so it would be a case of you guys sort of getting your heads together
0:42:06 > 0:42:09quickly and deciding something that you're comfortable to do.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- Even if it's a repeat of last week...- Right.- You know, whatever.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15- You know, you're kind of... - I know. I know, love.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Gavin, I'm going to talk to Jill. I'll call you back in five minutes.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- OK, that...- Or you can call me back in five minutes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- I'll call you back in five. - Five minutes?- No problem.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24All right, thanks, bye.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- Just get...- Have you ever heard anything so bizarre?
0:42:31 > 0:42:35- No. There's not enough time. - I haven't even thought about menus or anything.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- I don't know what the time is, what's the time?- It's 11 o'clock.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42There's been nothing done whatsoever. The kitchen's in a mess.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46- Yeah.- Everything is in a mess and he wants us to pull it out of the bag.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48The word is no.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50N-O.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52Can't be done.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55'What a joke. I'm not picking up his mistake,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59'because I wouldn't put my name to it if I couldn't do it properly.'
0:42:59 > 0:43:03I'm not doing it with an hour's notice, busting a gut to do
0:43:03 > 0:43:07something that, you know, if I haven't planned it, can't...
0:43:07 > 0:43:10You just can't do that. No chef would do that.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Ah, Lesley.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20This is your challenge for the day, should you choose to accept it.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23- Yourself and Tracey...- Right.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25I'm going to try and get this thing together. I know it's...
0:43:25 > 0:43:28- Look, I mean, I'm not being funny, but...- I know. I know, I know.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30This is just setting me up to fail, isn't it?
0:43:30 > 0:43:33You've had an entire week to think about your menu, sort it out.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37You're thrusting this on me, right, for a three-course meal, right,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40for eight people, at 11.20, and we haven't even done the shopping.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42It's either we come up with something
0:43:42 > 0:43:44or we have to postpone it for a week, until next week.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47That's what we've got to try and avoid.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50I mean, I'm just trying to think now what sort of recipe could you put together...
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I mean, by the time we've been shopping and messing around,
0:43:53 > 0:43:55we're talking about beans on toast.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04Milk, garlic, chilli.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08I have never cooked food for a restaurant.
0:44:08 > 0:44:13I don't do fancy highfalutin cooking, I do very basic home food,
0:44:13 > 0:44:18very tasty, very filling, to feed a family.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22I'm just going to pick stuff up from here that I know I can get from here.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26It's going to be, erm, a British menu tonight.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Whether they like it or not!
0:44:31 > 0:44:35Nothing matters like it used to. Life is for having fun,
0:44:35 > 0:44:39without having to obsess about it,
0:44:39 > 0:44:43the pressure of being obsessed about your looks.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Si.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55'Ageing is something that you have to accept.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59'People said that when you get to about 50, women become invisible.'
0:44:59 > 0:45:03Men no longer wolf-whistle at you, nobody turns...
0:45:03 > 0:45:07bats an eyelid when you walk past, and I agree, it's true.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09I am invisible.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13But I love being invisible, because I've got such a sense of freedom.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17- Grazie, arrivederci.- Grazie. Arrivederci.
0:45:17 > 0:45:18Right.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Crumble butter...
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Where do you get the stewing beef from?
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Back at the farm, with sickness keeping him from the kitchen,
0:45:53 > 0:45:58Gavin sets about turning the living room into a space for fine dining.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03I think it is going to be a nicer setting for the restaurant. Cosy.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Nice view. And away from the kitchen and the noise.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Apart from the bugs. I'm going to get rid of the bugs.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Purdy.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14I think if I'm honest,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16the reason I've tried so many different things in my life
0:46:16 > 0:46:20is that there is an aspect of a certain amount of boredom, yeah.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24After I've been doing something for a while I do tend to
0:46:24 > 0:46:26sometimes lose interest, and it's a big failing.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30I suppose truthfully if I'd have spent a bit more time concentrating
0:46:30 > 0:46:32on one thing I might have done a little bit better.
0:46:32 > 0:46:37But that's just not who I am. I'm a little bit of a free spirit.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Lesley was the only one who was willing to help, really.
0:46:40 > 0:46:41I think she'll do a nice job.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46You know, she's fairly confident about the menu she's going to cook.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50It's a lot simpler, but, yeah, we'll just have to get through it and...
0:46:50 > 0:46:53Not ideal circumstances, though.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58- So what are you cooking, Les?- Oh, Christ knows.
0:46:58 > 0:47:03We're having a chicken pasta starter, chicken which is
0:47:03 > 0:47:06done with peppers and fresh...
0:47:06 > 0:47:09whatever we could get, erm, tagliatelle.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12- Moving on to beef casserole. - How many layers are you having?
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- How many servings?- They want a meal. Sorry, but they want...
0:47:15 > 0:47:19- Blimey, Charlie.- That's what I'm saying.- It's not Christmas.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22Based on the food that we're putting on, I think 18 euros a head.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26- Three courses?- Yeah, three courses. - That's cheap.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Well, to be fair, the food is nothing... It's...
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Well, it's not exp...
0:47:31 > 0:47:35What I could do with, if you can, is just some cheap table wine.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- House wines.- Do they sell cheap stuff at petrol stations or...?
0:47:38 > 0:47:42- Really?- I know, but it's just table wine.- No, I won't have any of that.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44I'll get you something that's going to be decent.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47If it's under eight euros, something like that, that will be OK.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Thanks, buddy, I appreciate it.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Rob and Robert head to the winery where the grapes were sold
0:47:57 > 0:48:00last week, in search of some locally sourced wine.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07The Sant'Antimo wine estate, with its 40 hectares of vineyards,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11produce some of Tuscany's finest award-winning wines.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18- This is where the magic happens. - Quite a bit of wine in here.- Yeah!
0:48:18 > 0:48:22Charging 18 euros a head for dinner is a chance for the group
0:48:22 > 0:48:25to earn some extra money for the agriturismo.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26We're doing a restaurant.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29So some of the other people that we live with are going to cook
0:48:29 > 0:48:32and serve food, so I wanted to come back and see you and see if
0:48:32 > 0:48:35you could kind of help us out with some wines.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37'I love Italian wine.
0:48:37 > 0:48:38'I could wax lyrical about it.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41'Unlike the Brits, it's meant to be had with food,'
0:48:41 > 0:48:43whereas us it's like, finish work, "I need wine, I need wine!"
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Whereas the Italians are like, they sit down as a family,
0:48:46 > 0:48:48and for me that's important.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Wow. That's...
0:48:51 > 0:48:55- That's lovely. That smells really lovely.- It tastes really smooth.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58And that's only been open minutes, so we leave it for longer...
0:48:58 > 0:48:59- Decant it later.- Yeah.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01There's good tannins in it as well, so it would go
0:49:01 > 0:49:03with a rich, meaty food.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05- Yeah, it'll fit perfectly with the beef.- Yeah.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- Aw!- Keen to try the other one but I like that.- Yeah.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11- And this is the blend. This is with the Merlot?- Yeah, this is the blend.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14- Merlot, Sangiovese and... - And Cabernet Sauvignon.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18- Cabernet Sauvignon.- Yeah. - Oh, fantastic. Super.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21I'll be just taking a short nap when we get back, I think.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25- So...- Price.- Price, important part.- Yeah.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Brunello di Montalcino, 30 euros for a bottle.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Romito del Romitorio is 15.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I think... Yeah, six of the 30 and six of the 15.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37Or do you want to get 12 of the 15?
0:49:39 > 0:49:43I think six of each. Yeah. This is good.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Hoping to give their customers a taste of fine dining,
0:49:46 > 0:49:51Rob and Robert spare no expense in selecting the finest wines.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- This is 390 euros.- Yeah.- Thank you.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06At La Banditaccia, Lesley is busy in the kitchen.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09If we can get 20 euros a head
0:50:09 > 0:50:11and we're going to give them a bottle of wine,
0:50:11 > 0:50:12I think that's fair.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15I've dealt with a lot more problematic things than this
0:50:15 > 0:50:20in my life. This is just a straightforward cooking exercise.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22I mean, this is a walk in the park in comparison.
0:50:25 > 0:50:30- With a British take on the Italian menu...- Look, stew, pudding.
0:50:30 > 0:50:31What more do they want?
0:50:31 > 0:50:34..and Tracy and Chi front of house...
0:50:34 > 0:50:36Do you think I should change my wellies?
0:50:37 > 0:50:41..Osteria Banditaccia is open for business.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43I can't find the tagliatelle. Where is it?
0:50:45 > 0:50:46I have no idea, doll.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Well, that's what I'm saying, somebody needs to find it.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Is that it there?
0:50:50 > 0:50:51What are you after?
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- I can't find the tagliatelle. - She's looking for tagliatelle.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56Is this it?
0:50:56 > 0:50:57No.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59- Here?- Yes! Thank you.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01LESLEY LAUGHS
0:51:01 > 0:51:04TRANSLATION
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Welcoming their first ever paying customers,
0:51:22 > 0:51:25pressure is on to make an impression.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29- Are we charging £20 each or...? - 20 euros.- Right, 20 euros each.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31- What and some...?- And they can have the wine...- Buonasera.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34- Buonasera.- Hello! - Do you want to take them through?
0:51:34 > 0:51:36The menu for this evening is here.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40I have no idea what it is but this is what you have.
0:51:40 > 0:51:41- Is that OK?- Looks good.- OK.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43- Yeah?- OK.- Brilliant.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Gee, everything is absolutely boiling hot.
0:51:47 > 0:51:48Ow! I need an oven glove.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52And there's a fly in there.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54Flies crawling all over me.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Beam me up, Scotty.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00- Lesley, she needs her antipasti for the two people waiting.- OK.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02- What's that? Get that off. - It's only cheese.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05- Yeah, get it off, though... - I can't.- Oh.
0:52:05 > 0:52:06You have to take it off.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09LESLEY SIGHS
0:52:09 > 0:52:11- I'm not giving him that.- Don't!
0:52:11 > 0:52:13Oh!
0:52:13 > 0:52:15- Stop with that. - Lucky I didn't lick the plate!
0:52:19 > 0:52:21- Hello.- Buonasera.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23- Oh, hello.- Buonasera!
0:52:23 > 0:52:25I'll just take you through.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31So, just come with us to our ristorante.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35SHE CHUCKLES
0:52:35 > 0:52:37- Right, so who wanted white and who wanted...?- The lady...
0:52:37 > 0:52:39White for you? OK.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Ooh, that's not good.
0:52:44 > 0:52:45A bit of protein!
0:52:45 > 0:52:47SHE LAUGHS
0:52:47 > 0:52:49In the country of... Exactly!
0:52:49 > 0:52:52Don't worry, I'll change that completely.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Bon appetit.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56The Italian version is...
0:52:56 > 0:53:01I'm on a farm with stupid flying bugs that don't realise that they
0:53:01 > 0:53:05should not show their face when we have a restaurant. But, oh, no.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07- Hello.- Buonasera. - We'll just be with you.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Please come this way. Yeah...si.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14I wouldn't like to say how it's going.
0:53:14 > 0:53:15Most chefs I know actually, erm...
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Are they close to insanity? I'm not quite sure.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Girls, we need bread on the table, please.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- For what?- So they can soak their sauce up with a light bread.
0:53:24 > 0:53:29For her signature dish, Lesley's serving a classic British beef stew.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32I think I've probably bitten off more than I can chew, but I'm
0:53:32 > 0:53:36a mum and I've cooked food my life, so at least I know how to cook food.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38(Oh, these flies!)
0:53:38 > 0:53:40How much food, Chi, do you think they want?
0:53:40 > 0:53:41Just pour first.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50- Could we have some salt.- Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Yes, yes. And pepper?
0:53:50 > 0:53:51- Yes.- Yeah, well, both, you.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02I think the table with the two men are trying to be polite
0:54:02 > 0:54:06and the older man and woman are struggling to keep their food down.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Did you not like it?
0:54:10 > 0:54:12British food is not for you, is it?
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Chi...don't look.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18- SHE LAUGHS - Oh, my gosh.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21- How'd it go down? - Well, how do you think? Look.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Look, the potatoes burnt.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26- LESLEY SIGHS - God.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28I quit. I'm not going back out there.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30Oh, look, can I quit?
0:54:30 > 0:54:32You're sacked!
0:54:32 > 0:54:35THEY LAUGH
0:54:35 > 0:54:37I have never worked so hard in my life.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39But the light at the end of the tunnel,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43which is not quite the oncoming train but very close, is the fact
0:54:43 > 0:54:45that I've actually made a dessert
0:54:45 > 0:54:47and hopefully everybody will be happy.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49- That's all I can hope for. - SHE LAUGHS
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Oh, God and we haven't even got a bill to present them, have we?
0:54:52 > 0:54:53Oh, we can't charge.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55THEY LAUGH
0:54:55 > 0:54:57- LESLEY SIGHS - 20 euros will cover what they had.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00- We'll just tell them to pay whatever they like.- No, 20 euros, that's it.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02That's what we agreed and that's what they'll pay.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05And see if they don't. They all will, hopefully, and if they don't,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08well, we'll deal with that when it happens. At least we'll put
0:55:08 > 0:55:10something in the kitty.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12My favourite part of the night, this is.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17We made a complete botch-up in the kitchen,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20but we are also doing our best.
0:55:20 > 0:55:2540, 60, 80, 100, 120.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30Lesley is like the most hilariously scatty chef I've ever worked
0:55:30 > 0:55:33with in my entire life, but, in all fairness to her, she said,
0:55:33 > 0:55:35"I'm a mum, I'm not a chef."
0:55:35 > 0:55:39So she is doing what she probably does with her kids at home.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43You were trying to serve British food to Italian people...
0:55:43 > 0:55:46- Well, yeah.- ..so I think you did really, really well.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50And we are the first people to actually make money out of
0:55:50 > 0:55:51our restaurant.
0:55:51 > 0:55:56- We have pulled off a bloody miracle. - Yeah.- Tonight.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00Being here has given me a completely different outlook on life.
0:56:01 > 0:56:07It's just proven to me that anybody could do anything.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11Well done for being the worst front of house!
0:56:11 > 0:56:13Life is a learning curve.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15I don't want to go backwards
0:56:15 > 0:56:18and I don't want to try and be who I was,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22I want is to actually move on and become who I'm going to be.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Erm. And I think that's a very exciting thing to look forward to.
0:57:01 > 0:57:02THEY LAUGH
0:57:02 > 0:57:07Andy takes charge of the farm's all-important olive harvest.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11To actually pour olive oil, which I'll go, "I made this,"
0:57:11 > 0:57:12will be something special.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15But with more B&B guests arriving
0:57:15 > 0:57:18and other opportunities on the horizon,
0:57:18 > 0:57:20not everyone is so committed.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22I hope you're all aware that I'm not picking a single olive.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25- Why? It's got to be done.- There are things that I want to do, Gavin.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28If I'm in an olive field, I can't then do that...
0:57:28 > 0:57:30As farm deadlines approach,
0:57:30 > 0:57:33tensions mount and the pressure takes its toll.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35I swear my heart is beating ten to the dozen.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38It took all my self-control not to blow there.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44Subtitles by Ericsson