0:00:03 > 0:00:05Can you see any whales?
0:00:05 > 0:00:06Sharks?
0:00:06 > 0:00:08MASON LAUGHS QUIETLY Sharks...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Have you got 20 pence? Cos it ain't working.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13MASON LAUGHS
0:00:16 > 0:00:19It's taken 50 years in broadcasting,
0:00:19 > 0:00:20but I've finally cracked it.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21TERRY LAUGHS
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'A chance to meander around the country, see the sights
0:00:24 > 0:00:26'meet the people...'
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- TERRY LAUGHS - '..and, yes, eat and drink.'
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Is "melt in the mouth" a suitable phrase?
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I've hail a cab with one of London's finest cabbies, Mason McQueen,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40to steer me around Britain's highways and byways.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42I'm looking forward to a decent meal, are you?
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Oh, I'm starving, I can't wait, Tel.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Our route has been mapped out by an adventurous gourmand,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Samuel Chamberlain,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51in his book, British Bouquet.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'Almost 60 years later, we're following in his footsteps...'
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I'll do all the work, Tel.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'..to seek out weird and wonderful regional British cuisine
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'and discover how our tastes have changed over the years.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Do it right, son.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07WHOOPING AND LAUGHTER
0:01:07 > 0:01:09LAMB BLEATS
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I'm never going to look at a lamb chop the same, mate. Take her away.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15You've ruined me, I'm going to be veggie from now on.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Oh, no, please don't.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Today, our 50-year-old food guide
0:01:28 > 0:01:31has brought us to the stunning Dorset coast
0:01:31 > 0:01:33in the seaside town of Weymouth.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36The perfect place
0:01:36 > 0:01:40for Mason and I to discover the coastal delicacies of Dorset.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Weymouth caught the eye, of course, of Chamberlain, as it was bound to.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51"Weymouth has particular appeal,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54"thousands of well-tanned bathers,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57"who relax on its golden sands in summertime."
0:01:57 > 0:02:00He must have got good weather like us.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04This 12th-century fishing village
0:02:04 > 0:02:07was described by Chamberlain in the early '60s as
0:02:07 > 0:02:10"the metropolis of Dorset-shire".
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Today, it seems as popular as ever.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Whoo.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Look at this, Tel.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Like the South of France.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Hope you've got your Speedos.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Well, I thought it would be a bit of skinny-dipping,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29bit of an anti-climax if I get into my Speedos.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I was hoping to frighten the horses, as usual.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34MASON LAUGHS
0:02:35 > 0:02:38I can't believe there's people in the sea.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41That sea is freezing. He'll get chilblains.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Get a chill on your kidneys going in there.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47But the beach is irresistible, isn't it?
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Dorset, it's the county that just keeps giving.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Three miles of golden sands
0:02:58 > 0:03:01attracts almost two million visitors every year the Weymouth,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03but we're not here to frolic in the foam
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and play with the fishes, no.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07We're here to eat them.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12So, it's on with the sea legs and down to the quay
0:03:12 > 0:03:16to discover what tasty treats are lurking in Weymouth waters.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17Ahoy!
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Peter, right?- Yes.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21All hands on deck, yeah?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23MASON LAUGHS
0:03:23 > 0:03:26'Peter Shaw has been an inshore fishermen in Weymouth
0:03:26 > 0:03:27'since he was a lad,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'so, who better to tell us about the local seafood delicacies?'
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- So, Pete, how have you done this morning?- Not a bad day.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39A lot of crabs in the sea around here.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- Certain times of the year there is. - And a lot of lobster.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43So, how do you catch them?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Just normal pots like this.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47We call it an ante pot.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50You get exceptional big crab.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51That is a big boy.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- Yes, that's a nice crab, that is. - Look at the size of him, Tel!
0:03:55 > 0:03:57- But most of them...- Good eating.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- ..most of them are this size.- Yes.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Have they got rid of that yet
0:04:01 > 0:04:04where you're supposed to throw fish back if they're over the quota?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06What we've got to do,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09if there's any lobsters with eggs, we've got to throw them back.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Do you know what's really good about those lobsters that you catch?
0:04:13 > 0:04:16They come with their claws already bound.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- Yeah...- Straight out of the sea. - Ideal.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Would they have your finger off?
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Oh, yeah, definitely.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26'Despite these finger-snapping shipmates,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30'it seems Mason is tempted by a life on the sea.'
0:04:30 > 0:04:32You've got a lovely lifestyle here, Peter.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I've got to say, the sun's always shining in Weymouth, right?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- Especially when me and Terry are in town.- Exactly.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40We bring the sunshine with us, you know, Pete.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42You didn't bring it early this morning, cos it was foggy.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Don't start criticising. - MASON LAUGHS
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Most of Peter's lobsters
0:04:47 > 0:04:51will make their way to the old fish market on the harbour side.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The building dates from the mid-19th century
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and continues to fill Weymouth with the aromas of the seaside.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Ah, great smell.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01THEY INHALE DEEPLY
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- Ah. Fresh fish.- Ah...
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Let's have a look.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- There's jellied eels, you'd love that.- I love the jellied eels.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- As long as there's a bit of liquor with the jellied eels...- Come on.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Nobody can eat that kind of stuff.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- Morning.- Hello there, good morning.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- Is this is where you nut 'em and gut 'em?- We certainly do, sir.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Most of the fish on display here
0:05:20 > 0:05:24have been caught within six miles of Weymouth harbour.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29And despite this vast array of fresh fish,
0:05:29 > 0:05:30our friend Chamberlain
0:05:30 > 0:05:32found fairly little to get excited about
0:05:32 > 0:05:35when it came to Dorset seafood.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39The fella whose book we're following around
0:05:39 > 0:05:42in a rather desultory fashion is a man called Chamberlain
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and when he was here, he thought the fish was a bit disappointing.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- OK.- So, it's obviously improved.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Would you say eating habits have changed?
0:05:49 > 0:05:50I would say they have, to be honest.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53We do find, we struggle, the younger generation,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55don't really know what they're doing with the fish.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59The younger generation don't know what they're doing anyway, don't know they're born...
0:05:59 > 0:06:03We are seeing more and more people trying it and coming back.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06So, look, jellied eels. You love this, don't you?
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- Have you got a problem with... - Absolutely.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- ..my ancestry and jellied eels? - I have no...
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Let's have it out now...- I have no problem with your ancestry, I have a problem with jellied eels.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- Who can eat a jellied eel? - There was a fight in here the other day and two fish got battered. Ooh!
0:06:18 > 0:06:20MASON LAUGHS
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- I'm going to take him out now...- No bother.- ..and give him a kicking.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Yeah, I might come and help!
0:06:25 > 0:06:27HE LAUGHS
0:06:27 > 0:06:28ALARM RINGS
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Stand clear of the barriers immediately. Stand clear.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36It seems that Mason's jokes
0:06:36 > 0:06:40are not the only thing to bring Weymouth to a standstill.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The mighty bridge of Weymouth lifts to my manly hand.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Every two hours, they raise the town bridge
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and let out the harbour's tallest boats.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Where are they off to?
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Don't know.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58The bridge has helped cars cross the harbour since the early 1930s.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00But the ancient wade across the water in Weymouth
0:07:00 > 0:07:02is far more civilised.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Is this what they laughingly call a ferry?
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Yeah.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09THEY LAUGH
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- This ferry's been going for hundreds of years.- Has it?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Since before they had a bridge across the harbour,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and the first bridge was built in the 1590s.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21So, it's been going a few years.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- You wouldn't live anywhere else but by the sea?- No, I love it. Yeah.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Even with the squawking old seagulls?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- GULLS SQUAWK - I don't mind that.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- Don't you? - Souls of ancient mariners.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Is that what it is?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Now you tell me. I'll have a bit more respect for seagulls now.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38HE LAUGHS
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Fresh air, sunshine.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Very bad for you.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Yeah!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Would you ever buy a little boat and...
0:07:52 > 0:07:55toddle out into the sea and catch a few mackerel?
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Ah, that sounds so idyllic, Terry, it really does.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Fresh fish on demand.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05On the other hand, you couldn't expect anybody to sell stale fish on demand.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Oh...
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Leaving the smell of fish guts behind us,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14we take a refreshing journey up along the Weymouth coast
0:08:14 > 0:08:18to discover the latest asset to this area's culinary heritage.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22But as the sea mist draws in,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I'm hoping that Mason's not getting us lost again.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Why you bringing me up this path?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Terry, we are about to sample
0:08:30 > 0:08:34the legendary naga chilli.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Wait for it, the hottest chilli
0:08:36 > 0:08:38in the whole world.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39TERRY GASPS
0:08:39 > 0:08:42That's right, the world's hottest chilli
0:08:42 > 0:08:44is not grown on the bushes in Mexico,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47no, they're grown just outside Weymouth.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53To find out if they really are as hot as all that,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55we're meeting the man behind this fiery beast,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57American, Michael Mishoe.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Yeah, it's pretty hot. It's actually, it's very hot.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02It is one of the hottest chillies in the world.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04They have a scale, haven't they, for chillies?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- It's called the Scoville heat unit. - Scoville...- Yeah.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- Zero is sweet pepper. - No heat at all.- OK.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Jalapenos, maybe 5,000 or 6,000.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14The Dorset naga that we grow gets up to about a million.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17CREEPY MUSIC
0:09:17 > 0:09:19'I'm beginning to get the feeling that Mike
0:09:19 > 0:09:22'might want us to eat one of these burning beauties.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24'So I'm going to try and keep him talking.'
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Why did you bring this thing over to persecute the British?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I actually didn't. I found it in an Asian shop in Bournemouth.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33THEY LAUGH
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Yeah, basically it's a Bangladeshi chilli. I went in there,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38bought some fruit, brought it home, took the seeds, grew the plants out
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and we noticed there was a bit of a variable population,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43every plant looked different from another.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45So we started to make selections.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46We chose the best plants,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50and then, after four or five years, we had a nice, uniform population.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So, even though it started off as the Bangladeshi naga,
0:09:53 > 0:09:54it ended up as the Dorset naga,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- so it's been selected here... - Mm-hm.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59So we thought, well, let's...
0:09:59 > 0:10:02cater to our vanity and call it Dorset naga.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08It was a valiant effort, but as Mike brings us to a bubbling pot,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12I sense my taste buds may never recover from what's about to happen.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- Ooh.- Helen Choudhury.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- Hi, Helen. - This is my good friend, Helen...
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- Helen...- ..from Taj Mahal in Bridport.- Nice to meet you...
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Helen, nice to meet you.- Yeah. Now, what have you got here?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I have got a Dorset Blast, I call my curry.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27The top of your head comes off?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- Yes, it makes your tongue tingle... - Mm-hm.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32..and it touches the brain, they say. Shakes the brain.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- I'll be all right, then.- Yeah. - No brain here.- Yeah.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- It will be searching. - MASON LAUGHS
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Who orders it most? Men or women?
0:10:40 > 0:10:41It's mostly men.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- You said that.- Mm, I know.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45- It's a kind of macho of thing, then. - Yes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Do people sort of leave, foaming at the mouth, or breathing fire?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- No! - THEY LAUGH
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It's not that bad, we soon give them some yoghurt,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56if they say they're feeling a bit, you know...
0:10:56 > 0:11:01- Is that the best cure for a hot curry, yeah?- Yes, yoghurt.- Yeah?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03'The hottest chilli in the world
0:11:03 > 0:11:06'and here we are, about to put the thing into our mouths!
0:11:09 > 0:11:11'This could all end quite badly.'
0:11:17 > 0:11:19If you can do it, I can do it.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Oh.- Wow.- Ah...
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- Very tasty, Helen.- Tasty.- But...
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- Hot.- Oh, that's alight.- Mm.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- Are you guys OK? - If you'll hold this,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- I'm just going to lie down in a darkened room.- All right, aye, sir. - HELEN LAUGHS
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Are you all right, Terry? - Just had a hiccup.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- Oh, there you go. - LAUGHTER
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.- Yeah.- Gunga Din!
0:11:51 > 0:11:53That's all right, Tel.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Oh, that's a killer.
0:11:58 > 0:11:59I can't speak.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00TERRY PANTS
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- I'll just lean on you for a moment...- Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04LAUGHTER
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- I think me and Terry have done well. - Very well.- You have.- Do you know,
0:12:09 > 0:12:10I've got used to it. Yes.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12LAUGHTER
0:12:13 > 0:12:15'I can truly say
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'that the best part of eating the world's hottest chilli
0:12:17 > 0:12:19'is never having to do it again.'
0:12:25 > 0:12:26With our tongues a-tingle,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30we're drawn back to the tranquillity of Weymouth's seafront.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33It says here,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35"very little of Dorset is ultramodern,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38"including its hotels,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42"where the Romans once bathed on the yellow sands."
0:12:42 > 0:12:44I don't believe that for a minute.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46They would've found it too cold, the Romans.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49They're not going to bathe on the yellow sands.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52"The remainder of the coastline's very beautiful, lofty chalk cliffs
0:12:52 > 0:12:55"slowly, but constantly succumbing to the pounding of the sea."
0:12:55 > 0:12:58He's gone, oh, I'll just think again, Chamberlain.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Yeah, he does wander with that book, Tel, doesn't he?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03He needs to watch his step.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Chamberlain was not the first man to be inspired by this landscape.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It has been inspiring artists for generations,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18including Weymouth lad and third-generation sand sculptor,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Mark Anderson.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23How long has sand sculpting been going on?
0:13:23 > 0:13:28My grandfather started back in about 1920-something
0:13:28 > 0:13:32and he carved for about 70 years, up until 1995.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35There was a man before him called Swift Vincent,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39who used to do fantastic scenes, back in about 1902, I think.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- So, yes, 100-odd years now.- Wow.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45I'm cynical enough to think that maybe a bit of ready mix in there.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Unfortunately not.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49We've got the best beach sand in the world, probably,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Weymouth beach sand, it's tiny grains
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and somehow it bonds together, and when it's compacted,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59it keeps its form and retains it for many, many months.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I'm pretty good with the bucket. I can do a mean castle.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03TERRY LAUGHS Honestly, honestly.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07And these chaps don't seem to mind a little sand in their food,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09but, as for Mason and I,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12we have an appetite for something a little more regal.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Where better to discover more about Weymouth's past
0:14:16 > 0:14:19than on the town's most ancient feature?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Its beach.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24This is the old cat's pyjamas, isn't it?
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Sitting here on the beach,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30reminds me of the days of my youth in Sandymount.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- Sandymount beach in Dublin Bay. - Wow.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Did you take a lot of these kind of holidays?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38I loved the British seaside and especially Dorset Riviera,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- it don't get no better than this, Tel.- It doesn't.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Alan, how come you can share a deckchair with the likes of us?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I have the misfortune to have a terrible job
0:14:48 > 0:14:51working for Historic England, I spend my time studying the seaside.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54God, that's rough. Are there any openings at all?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Well, I'm sure we can find a little vacancy for you somewhere.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Deckchair testers.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02But not only that, we could have a boarding house, free use of cruet.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04MASON LAUGHS
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Weymouth is now one town, but it used to be two towns.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09We're actually not in Weymouth, historically.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11This is what you call Melcombe Regis.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And it was famous in the 14th century,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16cos this is supposed to be where the Black Death
0:15:16 > 0:15:19first arrived in England, killing a third of the population.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21So a cheerful claim to fame for Melcombe Regis.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Yeah, was it the rats of Melcombe Regis?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Well, the fleas on the backs of the rats in the ships...
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- Ah.- ..of Melcombe Regis.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30So, it was the ships coming into Weymouth.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Yeah, cos it was a big port.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I think it's a bit unfair on Weymouth to blame the Black Death...
0:15:34 > 0:15:37That's why they changed the name, I think.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38I actually know a Malcolm Regis.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43'After the Black Death,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46'it took a while for Weymouth's reputation to recover.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48'In fact, it was 400 years later.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52'When George III came to stay, the town became a tourist hotspot.'
0:15:54 > 0:15:56And so, when the people came down here,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59what did they find in Weymouth? I mean, was it health giving?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Was it good for the soul?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Glorious sea air, beautiful sunshine,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07but the key thing was the water, to bathe in the sea.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09But also, some people used to drink the seawater,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13just with a little bit of red wine, just to take the edge off it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Loosened them up nicely, it did.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16I'll bet it did!
0:16:20 > 0:16:22On the trail of George III,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25we venture to his old holiday home.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Chamberlain references this building as the Gloucester Hotel,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and extols its virtues as a luxurious venue.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Today, the grandeur has faded a little.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Just to think, George III was in here, running about...
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Running about?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47LAUGHTER As you do, with his quill.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50He was the king! He didn't run about.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52He walked gently.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Go on, show me.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58That's...is that walking?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00LAUGHTER
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Don't be walking along the beach like that, will you, with me?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The basement of the Gloucester Hotel is still welcoming guests,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10but, I'm glad to say, they no longer insist
0:17:10 > 0:17:12on their visitors gargling seawater.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Now, I've got something here that will tickle your palate.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18A cup of tea, yeah?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21No, it's a lobster bisque.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So, I'm drinking lobster soup from a teacup?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29No crusty bread?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31You don't have crusty bread.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34You're not talking about a mulligatawny here,
0:17:34 > 0:17:35or a Brown Windsor.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37You're talking about a lobster bisque.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Ever taken a cruise, Mason?
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Woolwich Ferry.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55You're steeped in the lore of the sea, aren't you?
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Aye-aye, skipper.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59There's only one colour flag for the likes of me and you,
0:17:59 > 0:18:00and it's as black as our heart!
0:18:00 > 0:18:02- Ar-harr!- Ar-harr!
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Thems that die will be the lucky ones!
0:18:07 > 0:18:10To get a real taste for what George III would have been eating
0:18:10 > 0:18:12while relaxing on Weymouth's beach,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15today you have to head inland.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Here, in the hills behind Weymouth,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23where you'll find some of the sheep of what was a famous breed -
0:18:23 > 0:18:25the sturdy Portland.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- Plump, that's what they're supposed to be.- Plump Portland sheep.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31According to Chamberlain, plump.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Chamberlain describes Portland mutton
0:18:34 > 0:18:37as a favourite in British shops.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40But today, there are very few breeding animals left.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Come on. Come on, then.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- HE CHUCKLES - What is this strange power you have
0:18:46 > 0:18:47- over sheep, Steve?- I don't...
0:18:49 > 0:18:51'Steve Gould is one of the few farmers
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'to still keep this rare breed...'
0:18:53 > 0:18:54Come on.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Oh, there they go.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59'..and believes they're part of the reason why George III
0:18:59 > 0:19:01'enjoyed his visits to Weymouth so much.'
0:19:03 > 0:19:06He didn't come apparently for the bathing. You have another theory?
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Absolutely. He actually came to Portland for the mutton.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11The Portland mutton,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and also the Portland mutton ham,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16which is absolutely famous.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18You don't hear a lot about mutton ham.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19You don't, Terry, you're right.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22The reason why it is absolutely fabulous
0:19:22 > 0:19:26is that the Portland sheep themselves
0:19:26 > 0:19:28carry very little fat.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32They are completely different to any commercial sheep.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35They're just like a lawnmower, really, the commercial sheep.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37They need to have so much food, they just get into the field
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and just absolutely motor on and eat everything.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- A bit like us?- Yeah.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Well, we've become like that, doing this series, yeah.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47But the Portlands are browsers.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- They're selective eaters, are they? - Very much.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50They're a gourmet sheep?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Absolutely right. - SHEEP BAAS
0:19:54 > 0:19:58While Steve doesn't have any mutton ham for us to try,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02local chef Tess Evans has whipped up a little meaty snack,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04to quieten our rumbling stomachs.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- Now, what have we got here?- Just what we need in barbecue weather.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Irish stew...- Irish stew. - ..and soda bread.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- Ah, soda bread.- And soda bread.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Yeah, that's a great Irish thing as well, soda bread.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16I have to try a bit of that.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19It's quite simple, really, simple food.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20Hand it over, then.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22LAUGHTER
0:20:22 > 0:20:26'A hearty meal indeed for weary sheep farmers.'
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Proper Dorset food.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30That is delicious.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32George III made a few mistakes in his life,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34but as far as mutton was concerned,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- he knew what he was talking about. - He certainly did.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Do you know much about Chesil Beach?
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Nothing at all, but it looks beautiful.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50But it has ancient cadences, hasn't it?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52It's where people find
0:20:52 > 0:20:54old bones...
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- ..and relics. - They find old relics down there?
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Well, just keep moving, right?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03"Don't settle down in Chesil Beach, Terry."
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Don't you be sitting on a deck chair, right?
0:21:06 > 0:21:10A palaeontologist will take you away to the British Museum.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12I won't let 'em take you away, Tel, don't worry.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20'Chesil Beach is the gateway to Dorset's Jurassic Coast.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24'But the unique geology doesn't just attract palaeontologists.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28'For centuries, this was a hub for Dorset smugglers.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Who's this character?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31I don't like the look of him.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33What's your game? Eh?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- Hello, sir.- I'm thinking of taking you into custody.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Well, perhaps we could talk about that, sir? I have a deal for you.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Ah, you're talking our language.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45This is genuine block tea, all the way from China.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- Look at that, Mase.- We do have Indian, if you'd prefer?
0:21:47 > 0:21:49So, tell me this now, because, of course,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52you're not really a smuggler, but it all came like that?
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- It came in big blocks?- Great big tea chests full of that stuff.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And what was great about smuggling tea?
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Um, the profit.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02If it's 130% tax, we buy it in at cost,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05we then sell it at maybe 50% mark-up.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07We're undercutting the Government by 80%.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08We're still making a pretty penny,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and it's a lot easier to bring ashore than a nine-gallon
0:22:11 > 0:22:13or four-and-a-half-gallon barrel of brandy.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- So, there was a great old smuggling business around here?- Yes.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Smuggling is best done on a very dark night.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Difficult to find out where you are.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22On Chesil, if you are local,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25you simply reach down and the size of the pebble that you find
0:22:25 > 0:22:28will tell you exactly where you are on the beach,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30because they're all very small at that end
0:22:30 > 0:22:31and very big at this end.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34So this is the ideal place for smugglers?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It used to be, until the invention of the helicopter.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40The old helio-co-peter.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41It's a curse.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- I'll take this with me, if I may? - That will cost you, sir.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47No, at the moment, you'll find me financially embarrassed.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I'd take an IOU from a knight of the realm, sir.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52You're a good man. You may never see me again.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53I'll give you mine back.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00200 years ago, the Fleet Lagoon would have been filled with contraband.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05But today it's filled with something a little more appetising.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09David Scott farms oysters in the lagoon
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and supplies a number of local restaurants.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Look at these.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17I love oysters.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21How long are they in the water for before you can harvest them?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23These oysters you're looking at are about three,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25three-and-a-half years old.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'His main customer is The Crab House Cafe,
0:23:28 > 0:23:29'and head chef Nigel Bloxham.'
0:23:31 > 0:23:33So, Nigel, what oysters are these?
0:23:33 > 0:23:34These are the Pacific gigas,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36or rock oyster, as you know them.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40But they were brought in in the late '50s, early '60s,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44to replace our loss of our native oyster in certain area.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Of course, the native oyster was the fodder of the poor,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48200 or 300 years ago.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- Poor people, the working class, used to eat the oysters?- Yes.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53They grow like that, they shoot,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and then the flat shell comes up to meet it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And then it fills with meat. Then it'll shoot again.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01They can get this big, but that would be sort of 10 or 12 years.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03We don't want them that big to eat,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06so we put them in these baskets, so when the rough weather comes along,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09it turns them over and it knocks that frill off.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12It says, "I can't get any bigger, I'm going to have to get fatter."
0:24:12 > 0:24:15A nice fat oyster, nice plump meat, is exactly what we want
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- when we open it to feed you. - That is fascinating.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Are they an aphrodisiac?
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- The oyster? Yeah?- Oh, yeah. - Yeah.- Oh, yeah.- Oh, yeah!
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Every day.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And then. If you have a dozen a day, how many of those will work?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28At least three.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Three's enough for me.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Is that a week or a day?
0:24:31 > 0:24:32About a year.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34LAUGHTER
0:24:37 > 0:24:39'With that said, it's time to stop talking oysters
0:24:39 > 0:24:41'and start eating them.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45'Nigel shows us how to expertly open an oyster
0:24:45 > 0:24:47'and then gives the knife to Mason.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50'Watch out, Weymouth, he's armed!'
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Now, let's hope you end up with all your fingers.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Round to the side, twist.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55Hold it open.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Pull that off, yeah?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59No, slide down the flat shell.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01That's good for a first timer.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Yeah, but he's an adept...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04He can do lots of things.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06He can shuck an oyster.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- It's ready to go...?- This one's naked. Nothing on it.- Naked?
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Nothing on it, no lemon...
0:25:11 > 0:25:13For heaven's sake, Mason, eat the bloody thing.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Mm.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Seaside.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Lovely, plump oysters.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Fantastic.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'While Nigel is busy in the kitchen preparing our final Weymouth meal,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33'I have an appointment with an old Weymouth friend.'
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- Crabs.- Love 'em.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Caroline Drever
0:25:38 > 0:25:40comes from Weymouth,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and is Queen,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Queen of the dressed crab.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46OK, the way we do it,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48snapping the legs off...
0:25:49 > 0:25:50..and the claws.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56These were caught about six to eight miles
0:25:56 > 0:25:58off Portland Bill yesterday.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01So when you're in a restaurant...
0:26:02 > 0:26:05..it's very hard to crack them open with any kind of dignity,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08without getting bits of shell flying all over the place,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09and you looking like an eejit.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- So, that's why... - A bit of a messy process.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- ..I like me crab and me lobster dressed.- Yes.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18This lovely Portland crab meat.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Just checking.- Go on.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Quality control.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- Yeah?- Hm!- OK.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28So, here, opening up the crab...
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Ooh, lovely.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32This is what they call the dead man's fingers.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33These are the gills.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- So we don't eat those.- No.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37I'll get rid of that, in there.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- That's the crab's brains? - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42They were stupid enough to get in our crab pot, though.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44That's what we say.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Well, they've never been known for their intellectual strength.- No.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50If I may, I'm going to do the highly skilled bit...
0:26:50 > 0:26:52SHE CHUCKLES
0:26:52 > 0:26:54..and squeeze a little lemon on it.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Looks fantastic.- Lovely.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58- Thank you, Caroline. - You're very welcome.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'With the food prepped and the sun shining,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'it's time to tuck in.'
0:27:05 > 0:27:07- Cheers.- Thank you for everything. - Cheers, everybody.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09- Here's to us.- Cheers.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10I can't wait to dive in here.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12We've got the Dover sole.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14That was a fiver at Chamberlain's, Tel, wasn't it?
0:27:14 > 0:27:16- He loved the Dover sole. - Why wouldn't he?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18We've got some seaweed.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Excellent.- Gut weed that grows on the bottom of boats.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Don't call it gut weed, you'll put me off.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26We've deep-fried it. It is the original crispy seaweed.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30'This seafood spread is a delicious testament
0:27:30 > 0:27:32'to Weymouth's local produce
0:27:32 > 0:27:36'and the skills of the people that put it together.'
0:27:36 > 0:27:37That crab...
0:27:38 > 0:27:39..full of flavour.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41This is delicious.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- Can I come back again tomorrow? - Please do.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52The old sun going down over Chesil Beach.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53It's fantastic.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- I love it down here, do you? - Absolutely.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57With the sun shining on the water.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00And we've had a lovely day.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01It's been brilliant.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Where are we going to next?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I don't know, but I'm getting hungry again.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Wherever we go,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10it's not going to be a lot better than this.