Episode 1 Grow It, Cook It, Eat It

I'm Dudley Newbery. I've been cooking and presenting

food programmes on TV for the last 22 years.

But for this series I'm going to be doing something a little different.

I know how much we Welsh love to eat

but over the past few years I've been getting

more and more concerned about what we're eating.

There's an obesity epidemic and it's happening right here in Wales.

We are eating too much junk food, too much convenience food

and far too many takeaways. Do you know what?

The sad thing is that many people have forgotten how to cook.

But the question is what are we going to do about it?

I'm proud to be a Valleys boy. This is where I'm from. Ynysybwl.

For this series, I'm heading back to my home town to try to tackle

these important issues.

I'll be meeting local people to hear their concerns.

Obviously I'm overweight. My son is overweight.

We need to do something about it now

because it's just going to snowball and get out of control otherwise.

I'll be enlisting local experts to help people grow their own.

They'll no longer want the supermarket shelf stuff

which looks beautiful, but tastes rubbish. They will want this stuff.

It won't look so good but it tastes absolutely fabulous.

I'll be doing my best to take on the takeaway culture

and get people to eat healthier.

I can make you a better fried chicken takeaway

than you'll get by the time you go to Treforest and pick it up.

I bet it will be better than the one you bring back.

Right, off you go and we're going to crack on here.

But it's not going to be easy, and I'm going to need

all my enthusiasm and experience to convince people

it's not just about food - it really is a matter of life and death.

When I was living here, I wouldn't say that people earned

lots of money, but they were wealthy in other ways.

They certainly knew how to grow food. They knew how to cook food.

And they could make it last.

Ynysybwl, a village situated between the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys

20 miles northwest of Cardiff,

used to be a busy coal mining town built around the local pit.

Alongside the Ynysybwl Cooperative society, there was DL James

the family grocer,

a couple of butchers, a baker's and quality fruit and veg shops.

It's fair to say that Ynysybwl has had

its share of tough times since then.

The Lady Windsor Colliery closed in 1988 and the growth of

out-of-town supermarkets has meant the closure of

most of the community shops that I remember.

But many of the people I grew up with are still here.

People like Tony Burnell.

Tony, it's been 30 years since I left here. More than 30 years.

-Have things changed much?

-They certainly have.

It upsets me because when we were kids, as you well know,

we had the Workmen's Hall, we had the ATC down there

and we had the youth club that we were both members of.

That's right.

Unfortunately now there's nothing for the young people

and all the older people have got is the day centre there.

The hwyl is still in the village.

This is why I came back to the village basically.

-It's good community.

-Certainly. I love the community spirit here.

Tony was keen to share his idea of a new community event

to commemorate 25 years since the colliery closed.

We got together with some people

and we said, "Why don't we commemorate that event?"

It would be fabulous, like the old carnivals we remember as kids.

Could we tie up something with that, do you think?

Certainly. That would be really good.

Tony's carnival plan really struck a chord

and it got me thinking - what could I do to help?

There was a very close-knit community

and everybody would be pitching in when the carnival happened.

I would just like to see that coming back.

I'm not going to turn anybody into chefs or into a food critic

but just to have the understanding of the goodness

they can get out of eating fresh food in season.

And where better to get a taste of how to cook on a grand scale

than at school?

So I headed for Glanffrwd Infants School to meet Sue

who's been cooking school meals for many years

and remembers my mother who was also a dinner lady.

-You're busy at it here.

-Yeah, making custard for the children.

-Lovely.

How long have you been cooking at the school?

-I've been with the school meals service for 35 this year.

-35?

-35 years, yes.

-You've seen some changes then?

-Definitely. Yes.

Are they fussy eaters now?

-Yes, all children are, but we do hide it.

-How do you mean?

What have you got to do then?

If we make pizza we put spinach, sweetcorn and peppers, but we put it

in the base so the children don't realise they're eating it.

We made sponge today and there is banana in that

which they won't know about.

That's the thing with a lot of children.

You've got to hide the goodness under something else, haven't you?

Yes, then tell them afterwards they've eaten it. And they're so proud.

So how many children do you prepare food for here?

In the school, between 20 and 30.

Then we transport to Trerobart in the region of 100-110.

I think I'll nip down to Trerobart and see what's going on down there.

-But don't rob our custard!

-I'll try not to. Bye now.

-Ta-ra.

-Ta-ra.

It was interesting hearing what Sue had to say about the children's

eating habits, especially the trick of hiding

healthy ingredients within their favourite foods.

But I wanted to know what the kids really liked,

so I followed the food boxes

down to Trerobart School just in time for dinner!

-What's your favourite food?

-Chips and pizza.

-Oh.

-Are you a big chocolate eater? Yes?

-It runs in the family.

-Does it?

-What do you not like?

-Fruit and vegetables.

-No salad? Do you like salad?

-No.

-What don't you like?

-Salad. Sprouts.

-I hate sprouts.

Sprouts are rarely top of the list when it comes to favourite foods

but what about Sue's trick of hiding the goodness,

like the bananas in the sponge cake?

-Do you like bananas? Do you know what's in that cake?

-Bananas?

Bananas.

Look, you've eaten half of it. I caught you out there, didn't I?

It's no surprise that kids still don't like their fruit and veg!

If I could get the youngsters actively involved in growing

their own veg, maybe they would start to feel differently about eating it.

What better way to do this than to create a community garden

and where better to dig it than on the school playground?

It was time to head back to the Infant School to see if

head teacher Dr Pike could help.

-You've got quite a bit of land here.

-Yes.

-How much can you let us have?

We are restricted in terms of the children need to play

on the grassy area. We've got football going on all the time.

There's also the athletics coming up in the summer term.

So somewhere near the fence with the hedging would be really good.

Great. I had the beginnings of a plan. Creating a community allotment

seemed the perfect way to get people growing fresh produce locally

instead of relying on supermarkets,

just like they did when I was growing up.

But while I know a bit about cooking, I'm no gardener.

Luckily enough, not too far away from Ynysybwl

is a certain allotment guru who features regularly on Radio 2 -

Mr Terry Walton!

-Terry, how are you?

-Welcome to the Rhondda Allotment.

You brought the sunshine. Come more often.

I should have brought my bathing suit. It's warm in here.

Yes, it is warm in here. One advantage of the greenhouse.

I've got this idea that I want to create a communal allotment

on the grounds of the school so that I can get children

to understand where food comes from,

how it's grown and what they can do with it,

and try and get the community in touch with growing food again.

That's a fantastic idea. Getting everybody involved.

Particularly in a school where you can get youngsters involved.

This is the time they get their hands dirty.

Grow up, hopefully a few of them catch the gardening bug.

They'll no longer want supermarket shelf stuff

which looks beautiful but tastes rubbish.

They'll want this stuff. It won't look so good, but it tastes fabulous.

-Fantastic. Can we have a look what you've got in the allotment?

-Let's have a stroll round.

Take some advice. That's the best thing.

I knew Terry wouldn't need much convincing on the virtues of home-grown food,

but what could we realistically grow in the time we had available?

We can grow some climbing French beans, some runner beans,

some dwarf French beans.

We'll grow some potatoes, we'll grow a variety of salad crops,

lettuce, spring onions, radish,

we can also grow some decent onion size...

-We've got time to grow them still.

-Have we?

-To add the garnish. Yes.

We've got time to make all that. The end of August, it's coming towards the end of the season,

so we've got a decent bit of time for that to happen.

The time frame isn't an issue,

but what about the patch of land I had in mind?

Let me just show you what I've got here.

This is the size of the plot. There's a hedge there

marking off the school. You've got all this green land.

How big can you make an allotment there?

You can create one about the size of this, which is about 300 square yards.

Which is the perfect size. Don't get too close to that hedge

because the hedge will take all the nutrients from the soil

and will also, if we do get a dry spell, take all the water as well.

And it will create some shade. So we don't want any of that.

We want an open sunny position where these crops will thrive.

Terry, thanks very much. Nice to speak to you today.

-Let's bring it on.

-Let's bring it on.

Terry's enthusiasm was certainly infectious

and the idea of living off the land got me thinking about

another important aspect of the old way of life in Ynysybwl -

rearing animals that would also eventually end up on the table.

I headed back from the Rhondda to meet Adam James,

a local smallholder who is doing just that.

-How are you?

-All right?

-Good.

-Firstly, thanks for offering to help.

-Not a problem.

-How can you help?

-I'll tell you what.

Why don't you just pop through the gate, go round to the top of the paddock,

I'll grab my boots, and I'll show you what I've got to offer.

-Good. I'll see you in a second.

-Lovely.

Why start a smallholding here?

Well, we'd seen a couple of television programmes

about changing your lifestyle,

about having the opportunity to grow your own food.

We both love food,

so we thought it was too much of an opportunity to waste.

Adam certainly makes the most of his two acres, with geese,

chickens, and ducks providing eggs all year round,

whilst sheep and pigs are reared for meat.

So what is your full-time job now, then?

I'm a nurse, and my wife is a surgeon.

Those two jobs must take a lot of your time, with shift work, etc?

Yeah, they both do, but every minute that we put into this

gives us a superb return.

Not only the quality of the food that we're getting,

but our health as well.

I'm out and about, rather than sitting in the pub.

-And you know exactly what you're eating.

-Absolutely.

I know, from the grain to the plate, exactly what's gone into my food.

-That's important.

-Absolutely.

Adam's smallholding philosophy is just what I'm looking for

with this project, and I was keen to find out what he had to offer.

I really want the children,

apart from looking at how food is grown, how meat is produced,

and how things like bacon and where pork chops come from,

and what meat goes in to make sausages, etc.

So I'd like them to get involved and see how the pigs grow,

and what you do to feed and look after them,

so they can understand and have an appreciation like you've got.

Yeah, OK. How's about we donate these two pigs,

we rear them on, we get some of the children to come down

and help us feed them through the year,

and at the end, you can have these for your hog roast?

-Are you sure?

-Absolutely.

Things are going well.

Everyone I've met so far has been hugely supportive,

offering help and expert advice.

And my plan was gradually coming together.

But up till now, I was only preaching to the converted.

It was time for me to talk to the whole community to see

if I could get everyone interested.

It's the 24th of April, and I'm at Glanffrwd Infant School,

and I've got to tell you, I'm very nervous,

because I've invited the parents of Glanffrwd, Trerobert School,

and also the village people to come here this evening,

so that I can explain to them what my vision is

to create this community garden.

I only hope people turn up.

And, by the way, when I said the village people,

I didn't mean the group!

It turns out, I had nothing to worry about, with quite a few people,

young and old, coming to hear what I had to say.

It's good to be back here, and it's great to see so many of you.

I've been concerned for some time with the way that the food habits

and eating habits of people have been going.

About six months ago, I was listening to a news item

that said America has the worst case of obesity in the world.

The second was the UK.

Now, does anyone want to stab a guess at where in the UK

-that problem is?

-Wales.

Yes, more specifically, it's the South Wales valleys.

There's no doubt that many people are eating the wrong things,

and maybe it's because families don't cook as much as they used to,

or maybe it's because they don't have the know-how,

how to prepare food.

I started to think about my childhood in Ynysybwl,

and what was so different then.

People cooked more, and allotments were very important,

providing great ingredients.

In August, there's a celebration in Ynysybwl

to celebrate the Lady Windsor colliery,

and the fact that it's been closed for 25 years.

We've got permission from the council to create a community garden

here, in the grounds of the school.

At that carnival, what I want to do is to feed people

the food that's going to be grown here.

So, on the first of May, we're going to need some help

to dig up this plot of land so we can start planting.

I appreciate you're all busy,

but the way I look at things is many hands make light work.

Let's make it a great occasion on the day,

where we've all pitched in as a community effort.

-Does that sound like a good idea?

-ALL: Yeah!

APPLAUSE

Judging by the atmosphere in the school hall, I think that went well.

And it was great to be back among familiar faces.

-She used to push me in my pushchair, can you believe it?!

-Yeah!

-Eh? Hang on...

-And to a lot more!

-Yes, she did.

Used to look past me and all. Don't go into that now!

-Don't go into that!

-SHE LAUGHS

And this lady here, she used to cut my hair!

My initial fears about people getting involved were quickly dispelled,

with offers to help coming from all directions.

We've got plenty of manure there as well, if you want any.

Oh, manure, we need some of that. That's good.

I think the message hit home,

and the old Ynysybwl spirit that I remember was coming back.

I think it's an exceptional plan. It's good for the village.

I think the contribution it will make the community will be good,

and for the children, I think we could all do with an education on food,

where it comes from, how we cook it, and the best way to do that.

We always go for convenience foods, and we both work full-time,

and I know that when we have got time, it's precious,

so you try and do as much as you can.

It's nice to be reminded that the simplest of tasks,

or the food that we consume every day is vitally important to us.

Vegetables, vegetables, we all love vegetables!

Vegetables!

I don't know what I was worried about

before this meeting took place,

because the people in there just showed their community spirit to me.

Most of the names on this list here,

they're all prepared to get stuck in and do anything.

We'll help to dig, we'll help with watering, you know,

anything you need doing, it's really...

It's just superb. It just goes to show that the Ynysybwl people are a great, strong community.

The only thing that's left now

is to get the spades out and get digging.

It was great to get such a vote of support,

but I needed to know that my plans would address the needs

of individual families as well as the community at large.

I met up with Ian Randell and Christina Jones,

who live in Ynysybwl.

I wanted to find out what worried them most

about their families' eating habits.

My family do like a takeaway on the weekends.

They like fried chicken, pizzas,

and the nearest place we can go for one of them

is probably to Treforest, for the ones they like.

We're all busy all week long,

you have a couple of days off on the weekend, it's just convenience.

It's easier to pick up the phone and order takeaway, order a pizza,

rather than just prepare it yourself.

When I come home from work in the morning, I've got to go to bed,

and when I get up, I'm thinking,

"Right, what am I going to do for dinner?"

So I've got to go shopping, and I hate shopping,

because I never know what to pick.

They all like different things. The little ones won't eat spicy,

my daughter, she will eat pasta until it's coming out of her ears,

and my son likes hot and spicy curries and things.

So it's never one set meal I can cook for everybody,

which I find very non-cost-effective.

What concerns you about eating too much takeaway food?

I know about all the saturated fat,

all the E-numbers that go into these prepared meals, and it all adds up.

When I'm cooking it fresh from the house, I know it's healthier,

it's more cost-effective, and if I can make it just as tasty

and as enjoyable, that would be the key for me.

Obviously, our health is a concern. I've got high blood pressure.

Obviously, I'm overweight. My son is overweight.

We need to do something about it now,

because it's just going to snowball and get out of control otherwise.

We need to get on the right track.

We need to eat healthily, and the only way forward is to learn

how to cook healthily and, you know, save money at the same time.

-So we need to get back to basics?

-Definitely, yeah.

And who's going to look after my kids if I'm not here?

I've got to, you know, change the way I eat now.

You've given me a bit to think about there, I've got to be honest.

But, you know, it's all down to us working together,

so I'm going to put a lot into it.

-Are you up for it?

-Wonderful.

-Thanks.

I was really pleased that Ian and Christina

had been so honest with me,

and decided that, in Ian's case, there's no time like the present.

I had an idea up my sleeve to make the Randell family's reliance

on takeaway food a thing of the past.

But were they ready for my takeaway challenge?

So what I'm going to do is prove to you that I can make you a better fried chicken takeaway

than you're going to get by the time you go to Treforest and pick it up.

How long is it going to take you to go to Treforest?

Oh, about 20 minutes, half an hour.

You get the takeaway, and we'll have it ready when you come back,

and I bet it'll be better than the one you bring back.

Right, off you go, and we're going to crack on here.

Right, Ian, let's start. I want you to start over here now.

Come on, Libby!

We're not going to make a coleslaw with creamy things,

we're going to make this a very healthy one.

According to a survey commissioned for the Live Longer Wales season,

one in five of us eat a takeaway at least once a week.

Well, do you think he'll do it?

Yeah.

I think we'll be down there and back and he won't be finished.

Ha! It was game on!

Martine and Libby headed off for their 10-mile round trip

to buy their £17 fried chicken meal with fries and coleslaw,

while Ian went to work on the healthy, Dudley version.

Ian took charge of the fresh slaw,

while I prepared the potato wedges,

a much healthier alternative to fries.

We're just going to make sure we cut them all the same size

so they cook in the same time.

To add more flavour to these, Ian, I'm going to pop

a little bit of garlic into it, OK?

I've got some olive oil, salt and pepper,

and it's as simple as that. So, do you think they're there yet?

I'm wondering how busy Robert Street is at this time of day.

They might still be left in Ynysybwl.

Ooh!

Robert Street is clear.

Looks like Martine and Libby were making good time.

So we'd better get a move on. Next step, the chicken.

If you go down to these places, they'll deep fry these.

We're not going to do that.

We're going to put them into a hot oven with

a little bit of oil on the tray, so we're going to quickly roast them.

To give the chicken a similar flavour to that of the popular takeaway establishment,

I'm making my own special coating by adding mustard powder,

celery salt, and cayenne pepper to the breadcrumbs.

Simple, but very tasty.

So I want that dipped again to make sure there's a nice coating

of breadcrumbs on it, so that when it's in the oven,

it's going to cook straightaway.

This is something that the youngest one will like, Libby.

-She likes this sort of stuff?

-Yeah.

Ooh, nice one!

We can park.

-They'll be there now, won't they?

-Just getting there.

We've got to get that chicken in the oven.

That's going to take about 15 minutes. That oven is nice and hot.

The potatoes are coming along lovely.

So I think we should have all this ready.

The girls just picked up their takeaway.

Looks like we're neck and neck.

At least with this, you know exactly what's gone into it.

I think that's important.

I think people need to pay a bit more attention

-to what's going into their food.

-No E-numbers in this?

-No.

Only D-numbers - Dudley numbers.

-Mmm!

-Mmm!

Instead of the mayonnaise-laden coleslaw served by takeaway chains,

I'm adding a light mustard and olive oil dressing

to the fresh vegetable slaw.

-Faster, healthier, and cheaper.

-I'm hoping tastier as well.

Crossed fingers, I hope so. Right, let's clean down.

-They shouldn't be long, should they?

-Just driving in now.

-Are they?

-Yeah.

Oh, here they come! Here they come!

We're ready! It's just keeping warm in here, now, it is!

-There!

-It's gone a bit cold. Those chips have gone a bit soggy.

Wait till you see what we've got in here. Right, then.

Look at that!

-A bit more chicken than you've got in that bucket there.

-Yeah.

-How long did it take you to go?

-A half hour.

So didn't take any longer for us to prepare this than it took you,

and I reckon this is going to cost us £8-£9, between everything.

-How does that taste, compared to the one you had at the takeaway?

-Better.

-Much better.

-It's crisp, yeah, it's nice. It's better.

I was going to say, pitch in, but the way Ian's going with it,

you need to pitch in, because there won't be much left here! Come on!

-SHE LAUGHS

-Lovely, come on, have more of these.

Oh, look at that! Go on!

So we're back at Glanffrwd Infant School, ready for our big gig.

The sun is shining, people are arriving,

and I've got to be honest, I'm getting quite excited about this.

But there's loads to do. We've got to dig the soil, put in the manure,

plant the spuds, and there's hundreds of seeds to also plant.

So, there's going to be no slacking today.

People had better get digging.

As promised, the people of Ynysybwl

have turned out in force, shovels in hand,

ready for a day of hard work.

First job is to remove the turf and rotate the soil,

and turn the school playground into an allotment.

Next to arrive, our gardening expert, Terry Walton.

But as he inspects the site,

it looks like he's already spotted a problem with my choice of location.

Well, boys, I think we've got a bit of a problem here.

There's not much soil, is there?

We've got about two or three inches, and then we're into hardcore.

I think this is a case of we need some topsoil delivered.

So, instead of going down, we're going to have to build up.

It might not be the ideal location for our community garden,

but with just 16 weeks to go before the carnival,

we just have to do the best we can.

Something we do have plenty of is manure.

Great to see everyone rolling up their sleeves and pitching in.

Come on, try one of these. These are lovely.

And it's not just the adults getting involved. The pupils of Glanffrwd

and Trerobert School are given the task of planting some seeds.

-Does anybody know what these are? CHILDREN:

-Beans!

Oh, most of you are quite good gardeners, then.

Now, these are the French beans, nice little jet black bean seeds.

And these are going to give us a good feast in July and August.

Oh, you're having trouble with that one. He's very lively, isn't he?

Right, come on, then. Let somebody else have a little go.

We're going to take them inside and water them,

and very soon, little seedlings will come to the top.

It comes up with big leaves,

and in about eight weeks' time, we'll have these to eat.

This is what I'd hoped for.

Three generations working together

to create a community vegetable garden

they can be proud of.

We'll be relying on this site to source most of our food

for the carnival feast in August, so the pressure's on.

Something like this is definitely going to bring the village together.

It shows that we can grow our own veg,

we haven't got to go to supermarkets,

and we can feed ourselves without a problem.

Exciting people about fresh, home-grown food

is what it's all about.

So it's time for me to get cooking.

-Right, then, hands up who's hungry.

-ALL: Me!

All hungry. Better make a lot of soup, then. Right.

This is a very, very quick soup to make,

so when people say they've got no time, that's a load of rubbish.

You've got plenty of time. It's all about preparation.

And we are going to make sure everything is cut the same size,

because that means everything cooks within the same amount of time.

So, there's your veg. The carrot, the onion, celery,

the stuff that's got to be cooked first.

Pop them in this pan with a nice bit of butter,

and we're going to cook those off until they're nice and soft,

before we add courgettes and the tomatoes.

Then, just add some stock and let it simmer.

Now, tell me, are you all going to come and help in this garden?

ALL: Yeah!

Yes. Well, we'll see about that.

Well, the soup is cooking,

pupils of Trerobert are ready to plant the first additions

to the new community garden.

You're just going to put them on the soil

and just press them in like that, all right?

And you're going to go 22cm apart,

so that's roughly that far apart, OK?

Right.

That's you. OK, that's good. And there we are, then.

That's our first row of potatoes of many. Give yourselves a big cheer.

THEY CHEER

He was really helpful, telling us where to plant them.

And he was guiding us through everything that we needed to do.

Things are starting to take shape.

Whilst the first row of potatoes is covered,

the very small green fingers of the Glanffrwd infants are also busy.

Well done.

Well, today is taking education to the outdoor classroom, proper.

Children enjoying,

children learning through hands-on work. It's been amazing.

A very successful day of planting.

But now, it's up to the pupils to look after the seedlings

over the next few weeks,

until they grow strong enough to be planted outside.

Everyone's certainly worked up an appetite.

Time to finish the soup, by simply adding tomatoes, courgettes

and peas, and some fresh herbs.

Well, it's been a hard slog today,

but we have nearly finished what we were supposed to do.

Now, the great thing about this sort of food is

there's so much flavour in fresh vegetables from the garden.

I'm looking forward to seeing their reactions

to eating their own fruit and veg that they've planted themselves.

Leave this to cook for another eight minutes, and then we'll serve.

Hopefully, we're going to please a lot of people here.

-What does that taste like?

-Mmm!

-You like that?

-Yeah.

-It's nice.

-You like that?

-Yeah.

It's got all my favourite vegetables in there, and it's really tasty.

What do you like eating?

-Chips!

-It's all right, there's chips in there. You'll love it.

They're green chips. They're special ones.

-I don't like green chips.

-Don't you?

Mmm!

Not everyone seems convinced by the fresh vegetables.

But I'm sure that, with perseverance,

people will start thinking differently.

Absolutely stunning.

Unbelievable. Better than that tinned stuff, mate.

So hopefully, when these come up here, that will be...

You can put it all in there.

It's been a really good day for everyone.

Brought the community together, the kids helping out. Really enjoyed it.

Projects like this just bring everybody back together.

It's absolutely fantastic.

That's the important thing. Moving forward from here now.

-Indeed we are.

-Thanks for your help.

-You're more than welcome.

The plot looks as if it's a plot now,

and the kids really threw themselves into it, enthusiasm was outstanding.

-Enjoy the soup, Tel.

-I will do.

You know, I'm quite pleased with this turnout today.

I'm glad the community have turned up

and they've supported what we are trying to do here.

The big challenge is to keep the enthusiasm going,

and I really want people to change the way they think about fresh food.

But we've all got to remember one thing -

this garden is just the beginning.

Next time on Grow It, Cook It, Eat It...

things get even tougher.

The community garden struggles in the hot summer sun.

The classic greasy spoon breakfast gets a Dudley make-over.

I give locals a lesson in cost-effective supermarket shopping,

and with the carnival only a few weeks away,

I still find myself struggling to get enough recruits.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd