0:00:03 > 0:00:07You know the old myth, a swan would break your arm, a man's arm,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09with one swipe of its wing?
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Yes.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Nobody has ever met anybody who's had their arm broken
0:00:14 > 0:00:16by a swan's wing.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20I know a fellow who fell over after he stepped on one!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It's taken 50 years in broadcasting, but I've finally cracked it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32A chance to meander around the country, see the sights,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36meet the people and yes, eat and drink.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Is melted in the mouth A suitable phrase?
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I've hailed a cab with one of London's finest cabbies,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Mason McQueen, to steer me around Britain's highways and byways.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I am looking forward to a decent meal. Are you?
0:00:50 > 0:00:52I'm starving. I can't wait.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Our route has been mapped out by an adventurous gourmand,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Samuel Chamberlain, in his book 'British Bouquet'.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Almost 60 years later, we are following in his footsteps...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I'll do all the work, Tel.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07..to seek out weird and wonderful regional British cuisine
0:01:07 > 0:01:11and discover how our tastes have changed over the years.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Do it right, son.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- This one?- And then pinch. - Pinch?- Yes, and twist.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21- It's all about size, Tel. - Size has never mattered to me!
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Wells, the lovely little city in Somerset, beckons us.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48A tiny mediaeval gem with a population of just 11,000 people,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50but who knows how many gastronomic delights
0:01:50 > 0:01:52just waiting to be discovered?
0:01:54 > 0:01:58So we are coming into the smallest city in the country, Mason.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02- It's a city?- Yes. It's a city because it has got a cathedral.- Oh, right.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And this cathedral, according to our Mr Chamberlain,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07was a bit of a disappointment to him
0:02:07 > 0:02:09because he thought it was a bit stubby.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12He was expecting a spire and he didn't get it.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Chamberlain may have spotted a couple of shortcomings
0:02:18 > 0:02:21in this magnificent building but he did concede that the facade
0:02:21 > 0:02:24was simply unique in the Gothic world.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Who am I to argue?
0:02:33 > 0:02:38A little early in the day for sightseeing. Breakfast beckons.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Rumour has it we'll find a good one next door
0:02:41 > 0:02:43in the 13th century Bishop's Palace.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- Now this is what you call mediaeval, isn't it?- Yes. Look at this.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52I am getting, this is like your house in south-west France. Is it?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56- Is this like the driveway? - It could be a bit bigger, maybe.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59What with the crenulations and the battlements and all the rest
0:02:59 > 0:03:02where I hurl things down upon the unfortunate natives.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04- Your croissants!- Yes!
0:03:06 > 0:03:10So bypassing the noble buildings of this wonderfully preserved
0:03:10 > 0:03:14mediaeval complex, we make a beeline for the modern cafe,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18named after a famous bishop of Wells who has become a sort of
0:03:18 > 0:03:22patron saint of good food and good company in this city.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- A cow creamer.- There you are.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26You don't see many of those outside a PG Wodehouse novel!
0:03:29 > 0:03:33So we're privileged to be sharing the bishop's table with you.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37That's right. It is named after a very kindly bishop
0:03:37 > 0:03:40who was here in the late 17th century
0:03:40 > 0:03:42called Bishop Ken, Bishop Thomas Ken.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47They decided to name the cafe after him because he used to, on a Sunday,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52invite 12 of the local poor men to come and share his lunch with him.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56And I think rumour has it they ended up with the 17th century
0:03:56 > 0:03:59equivalent of a doggy bag as well to take home to their families.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Bishops of course, being Catholic, would be celibate...
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- Well, officially, yes. - Yes, all right.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11We won't go into that. Have some more jam!
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- I think we should drink a toast to the good Bishop Ken.- Yes.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- Who gave foods to the poor. - To Bishop Ken.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30What do you think of Wells, of the little bit we've seen so far?
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Yes, really nice. Very quaint, very quiet.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I'm going to keep an eye out for cider
0:04:36 > 0:04:38because, of course, Somerset cider.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Oh, yes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44And then cheddar because we are not one million miles from Cheddar Gorge.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Stand at ease, can't beat a bit of cheese!
0:04:53 > 0:04:58One thing this series has taught me is that if you want to track down the best local produce,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00you head straight to the marketplace,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03which luckily is where I find myself now.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- Hello.- Look at this. Do you make these yourself?- Yes.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12In 2014, Wells was crowned best market
0:05:12 > 0:05:14in the whole of the south-west.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Not hard to see why.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19There's butchers, bakers.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I haven't found a candlestick maker yet but we'll keep searching.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Are you all right for a bag?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28If it's handmade sausages you are after, Wells doesn't disappoint.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- Morning to you.- Good morning.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33That's the Six Nations special. Beef and Guinness.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- I have to have that then. Up Ireland!- That's right.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- Good man. Where are you from? - County Down.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42See? Northern Irishman. Put it there.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Nice to see you.- And yourself.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I am just taking a chance here
0:05:51 > 0:05:54but I think this might be the cheese counter!
0:05:54 > 0:05:57It is, indeed. This is our traditional farmhouse cheddar cheese.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00So what makes cheddar so special then?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02The milk has got to come from the four counties.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Either Somerset, Dorset, Devon or Cornwall.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09There's got to be no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
0:06:09 > 0:06:14added and the cheese has got to have matured for at least nine months.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- So they don't make it easy for you, do they?!- No.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- There are a lot of regulations. - There is indeed.- But it's worth it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- I will start here.- So that one is matured for about 12 months.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27OK. It's OK, stick with me.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- And this is the extra tasty. - Extra tasty.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33This has been matured for 18 months.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- So it will have a stronger flavour. - That's very good.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Mind you, I'm sure it's all good.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Tasty Cheddar.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44That's what I'm here for.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Cheese tasted. Now time to seek out the cider.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52They say that when the Romans first arrived in Britain
0:06:52 > 0:06:56they found the locals happily tiddling away on the stuff.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And we still boast the highest consumption per capita in the world.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03My very first alcoholic drink was a cider.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I remember it well. So what kind of apples do you use?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10In this part of the world we tend to get a lot
0:07:10 > 0:07:13of what are known as bittersweet varieties
0:07:13 > 0:07:15which means they've got a lot of tannin in them,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17they've got a low level of acidity
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and they've got quite a lot of sugar so they make a strong cider.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Neil and Helen make nine different ciders,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28including this sparkling little number.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32This variety here, which is called Special Reserve.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36This is made in the same way that the Normandy
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and the Brittany cider makers operate.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- You know the way in Normandy. They make the spirit.- Calvados.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Do you do Calvados?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I would love to but the licensing over here
0:07:47 > 0:07:50is slightly more complicated than it is in northern France!
0:07:51 > 0:07:54That will be enough. Very little does me, you know.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56I'm not a drinking man!
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- It's very good, isn't it?- That is really lovely.- Yes, special.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- Worth every penny.- Thank you.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Wells market and all its bounty have detained me long enough.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11If only I could remember where I left my old mucker, Mason.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Mason? What are you doing, son?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Somehow I knew I would find you by the hot pasty stand.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Have you been drinking?
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Cider?
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- Have you been drinking cider? - I might have had a few.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31A brisk walk along Wells High Street will do us both the power of good.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Speed us on our way to our next food destination.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- Hello.- Can I have a photograph with you?- Of course, my friend. Are sure about this?- Yes.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Are you sure you don't want me to take it, mate?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- You do look good.- Thank you. You look good too.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53I don't know why people have a problem with selfies. I can't get enough of them myself.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Nice to meet you.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- So where are you taking me now? - We are off to the vintage tearoom.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10- Yes, it is very...- Vintage. - Is that the word I'm looking for?
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Pink was the word I was looking for.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18The 1950s and afternoon tea seem to go together
0:09:18 > 0:09:21in the popular imagination.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24The last few years have seen an explosion of these temples
0:09:24 > 0:09:27to tea, cakes and nostalgia right across the country.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30In this one, you can even buy the outfit
0:09:30 > 0:09:32so you can look the part as well.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35You're bringing me to this rather exclusive
0:09:35 > 0:09:37and slightly strange place.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- This is the vintage shop. - Hello.- Hello.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- Vanessa?- Yes.- Mason.- Hello. Alison. - Alison, nice to meet you.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Now, I remember the '50s the first time round.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49My Teddy Boy days are definitely over
0:09:49 > 0:09:52but Mason is a bit more willing to experiment.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57OK, look up. Yes. That is much more in keeping.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02POSH ACCENT: Hello. Excuse me madam while I take this call.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03Hello, 558, Wells.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I am loving this vintage place.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09That's it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11IMPERSONATES NORMAN WISDOM: Mr Grimsdale!
0:10:14 > 0:10:19You come here, promising me a cup of tea and a slice of cake
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and you end up with the hats and the Norman Wisdom impersonations.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28I will be brutally frank with you, ladies.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I am not big on high tea because I think it will ruin my dinner.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36But you see, the reason high tea came about was almost
0:10:36 > 0:10:38the opposite of that, actually.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Anna, Duchess of Bedford back in the 1800s, she was actually
0:10:42 > 0:10:44one of Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and they used to have a big breakfast in the morning
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and then a very light lunch and a big dinner much later on at night.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52And poor woman,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56she would find herself just wilting from lack of food.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So she ordered in some little sandwiches and some little cakes
0:10:59 > 0:11:03just to keep her going until dinnertime and that's how it came about.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06And it spread throughout all the high class houses of the area
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and it soon became the thing to do.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The cake they sell most of here is the ever popular carrot cake.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17To make me feel at home,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21the girls have thoughtfully cooked up something a bit more full-bodied.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Here you have a chocolate Guinness cake, which is delicious.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29And this is the topping which is made out of cream cheese
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and double cream and icing sugar
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and you have to spread it all over the top and whip it a bit
0:11:34 > 0:11:38so it looks and resembles the head of a pint of Guinness.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- It's like a cake version of an Irish coffee.- It is. It is, absolutely.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46- It takes a good one to get past me! - Without the whiskey though.- Yes.- Oh.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- Look at that. You've got a lovely touch!- Thank you, Terry.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- You are a natural.- Do you eat a lot of cakes, girls?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- Oh yes.- We really do. - Every day?- Every day.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I would say that you two eat a lot of fruit cake!
0:12:00 > 0:12:03At least you didn't say we were two old tarts!
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Oh, we wouldn't say that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Thanks to his travels around Britain in the '60s,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26old Sam Chamberlain became a great aficionado of our mediaeval
0:12:26 > 0:12:29towns and cities and he found Wells particularly rewarding.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And one of the most notable sites is the Vicars' Close,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39said to be the oldest intact residential street in Europe.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49This is perhaps the most remarkable avenue of houses
0:12:49 > 0:12:52along which I've walked.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Extraordinary.
0:12:53 > 0:13:00They tell me these are the houses of vicars attached to the cathedral.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Beautiful.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07But it's not the ancient stones that have drawn me here,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10but what lurks in the crevices between them.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14The Mendip Wallfish, named after the hills that surround this city,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18is, I discover, the local name for one of my favourite delicacies.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Adrian. Hello, how are you?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Very well, thank you. - Good to see you.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Now, I know you are a famous forager but tell me what we've got here.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31What we have here are garden snails,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33otherwise known as Mendip Wallfish.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35That, if I may say so,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38is a fairly devious Somerset way to describe an ordinary snail.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Will you pick a wild one for me?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Absolutely. I'll pick this one here. There we go.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45So this is the common garden snail.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49You can see it's got the lovely mottled effect, the browns and the blacks there.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53What you would do is you would collect these
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and basically you have to purge their stomachs of their contents.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00To do that you would need to collect them, put them in a container with air holes
0:14:00 > 0:14:04and basically feed them on lettuce or carrots or cabbage
0:14:04 > 0:14:06or something of that nature
0:14:06 > 0:14:09so that their stomach contents come out.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13These guys can eat poisonous mushrooms, plants, toxic waste.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14It doesn't affect them.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Their metabolism means that they can cope with this.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Unfortunately, if you or I subsequently eat that it wouldn't be so good for us.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- We would be brown bread!- Yes. Quite.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Be warned, my children,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32it takes about 12 days to purge a snail to make it safe for eating.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36After that, you boil them up and prise them out of their shells.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Now, they may not look particularly appetising at this point
0:14:40 > 0:14:42but it gets a lot better from here on in.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- How are we going to cook them? - How are we going to cook them?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49We are going to cook them in a bit of butter and a selection of herbs.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53There is no garlic. Unlike the French, we do not have any garlic.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57They have been cooking and eating snails in this part of the West Country
0:14:57 > 0:14:59for just as long as the French.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01And they have their own very particular recipe,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04involving lots of fresh garden herbs and melted butter
0:15:04 > 0:15:09and finally the magic ingredient - Somerset's secret sauce.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13A little dash of cider in there.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- You'll have to tell me when. - Yes, keep going.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Perfect.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- It smells incredible. - It does smell beautiful.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24After just a few minutes they are ready.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Wallfish a la Wells.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- You've got to eat them as well. - Absolutely, yes. Here we go. - Both of us.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37That is stunning.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42It's remarkable. I would never have thought of eating snails like this.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43My compliments.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- Thank you. - Thank you, Adrian.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00The next phase of our gastronomic voyage of discovery sees us
0:16:00 > 0:16:03leave the safety of the city behind to take our chances
0:16:03 > 0:16:06out in the wilds of rural Somerset.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Here we go through the winding country roads, Mason.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Absolutely stunning, Terry. I've got to tell you. Beautiful.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Is it a bit of a strain for a city black cab driver to find
0:16:18 > 0:16:21himself on the little windy roads here?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23It's different.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Just different obstacles coming towards me.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Cows, little humpback bridges!
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- Yes.- SOMERSET ACCENT: Angry farmers.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- I am not going in there for a start. - Oh, you are.- No. No.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46You'll be up to your armpits in mud in that.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Fresh air, Tel. Get that down you.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51I can also smell food.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- Never far away.- No.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57We never go anywhere unless there's an excuse to eat. Come on.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03It turns out that this most English of settings is home to
0:17:03 > 0:17:07an exciting new culinary venture that draws on the tastes
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and traditions of the continent.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Somerset Charcuterie is the county's largest producer
0:17:13 > 0:17:16of cured and air-dried meats.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19So not your average sausage, then.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- Hello.- Who are these two manly fellows?- Nice to meet you. Sorry.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Andy. How are you doing?- Andy. You must be James.- Absolutely.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30- Good.- Hi, James. Mason.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Charcuterie comes from the French, meaning cooked meats
0:17:36 > 0:17:40and was originally developed as a way of stopping meat from going off.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43But over 2,000 years it has gone from being a necessary
0:17:43 > 0:17:45practice to a culinary art,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49celebrated for the intense flavours created in the preserving process.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55It was a big European tradition and has been for many, many years.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57But not a British tradition.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02We had salted meats, which were pretty awful by comparison.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04So when the fridge and freezer came along
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and the industrialisation of meat processing, I think
0:18:07 > 0:18:10we were happy to say goodbye to those salty meats
0:18:10 > 0:18:13that weren't much good and replace them with what we've got.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18We haven't got the climate here to be able to produce the kind of things they were producing in Spain.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Our climate may not have improved much
0:18:21 > 0:18:24but modern technology in the form of these temperature
0:18:24 > 0:18:28and humidity controlled rooms has allowed James and Andy to recreate
0:18:28 > 0:18:33the warm, drying breezes of southern Europe in rainy old Somerset.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37You got the idea of doing this how many years ago?
0:18:38 > 0:18:41We have both been doing it for our own consumption
0:18:41 > 0:18:43for four or five years.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46I'm a butcher by trade. James has some of his own pigs.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51So we have been making air-dried hams and chorizo for family.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55But we've been doing this together in the last couple of years.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Risking their hard-won reputation, the boys have
0:18:58 > 0:19:02asked for our help in making one of their signature sausages.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07A classic Spanish chorizo with a few extra local ingredients.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10This cheese is made not more than about two miles
0:19:10 > 0:19:13away from where we're standing now on a neighbouring farm.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- What do you reckon? - Yes. It's absolutely local.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19We are mixing it with this fantastic Spanish smoked paprika.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Have a smell of that.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- Mmm.- And cider. - And cider. Not forgetting the cider.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Does everything have to go with cider in Somerset?!
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Pretty much!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33The ground-up pork is mixed with the salts and spices,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37fresh garlic and our assembled tastes of Somerset.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And then the fun starts.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42LAUGHTER
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- See that? What are you laughing at? - You're a natural.- Look.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47I was born for this.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Well done. Not a bad effort. - That is not a bad effort.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- For the first few, though, Terry, you have done all right.- Yes.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I just panicked. To be quite frank.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Once this is done, what is the next process?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05They go into a hot room, a fermentation room.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08They'll come out of the fermentation room after 24 hours
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and then they'll go into the hanging room for about 10 days.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- If you don't mind me saying, a well hung sausage.- That's right, Terry.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- You had to go there, didn't you? - Sorry. I couldn't resist it.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The chorizo comes in all shapes and sizes but these little chaps
0:20:25 > 0:20:29are perfect to nibble on when you are enjoying a Somerset sundowner.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35- Thanks very much.- Hope you enjoy it. - Really tasty.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38In this series, Mason and I are eating our way through Britain.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43But this little sausage will remain a high spot for me.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Astounding good health. What do they say in Somerset when they want to say cheers?
0:20:51 > 0:20:52SOMERSET ACCENT: Cheers!
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I thought so. SOMERSET ACCENT: Cheers!
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Look at this. Bar Italia.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I never think of Wells as being very cosmopolitan
0:21:16 > 0:21:19but as a matter of fact, old Chamberlain says,
0:21:19 > 0:21:24"Most of the waiters in the sunlit dining room
0:21:24 > 0:21:26"in which we ate were Italians.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30"And we suspect the chef was from the Mediterranean also."
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Bar Italia I know in Soho.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Are there any Italians in the Bar Italia in Soho?
0:21:35 > 0:21:37There's loads of them.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- Because, you know the way Irish pubs are all over Europe?- Yes.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43You never find an Irishman in them!
0:21:48 > 0:21:52The next phase of this epic food journey sees us
0:21:52 > 0:21:55back in the centre of town trying to fill in the final piece
0:21:55 > 0:21:57of our Wells culinary jigsaw.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02The cultural phenomenon that old Sam remarked on all those years ago
0:22:02 > 0:22:05is still evident today in the surprising number
0:22:05 > 0:22:08of Italian businesses to be seen on the high street.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And the reason for it lies in the Second World War.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16At that time, there were several prisoner of war camps near Wells
0:22:16 > 0:22:20where Italian soldiers captured during the fighting in Europe
0:22:20 > 0:22:21and Africa were interred.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25And when it was all over, many of them decided to stay on
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and make their lives here.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Da Luciano. Come in.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Pizzas. Are pizzas big in Wells in Somerset?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39They are certainly in Wells.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41We started the family business 25 years ago
0:22:41 > 0:22:43and we've never looked back.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47We introduced the pizzas in Wells High Street for the first time,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50the first original pizza shop.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Presumably, the tastes, the Somerset tastes at that time
0:22:54 > 0:22:56would not have gone towards those pizzas, would they?
0:22:56 > 0:23:00To be honest, when my parents were first here it was very difficult for them
0:23:00 > 0:23:04because people around here had not even heard of spaghetti and lasagne was still foreign.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05Of course.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09It just wasn't one of the foods we find nowadays which is common.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Where was the family originally from?- Calabria.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16- Which is right on the toe. The very end...- Of the boot of Italy.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17That's right, yes.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22With our story, it's because my father came over here because of his
0:23:22 > 0:23:26brother who was a prisoner of war and he was in the camp here.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30After the war, my uncle stayed because he liked the area,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34found himself a good job and he persuaded my dad to come over
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and since my dad was over here, he loved it.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Under the watchful eyes of Luciano's family, including his mother
0:23:41 > 0:23:46and father, we now set about the serious business of pizza making.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Like a flannel, look.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53- Just slowly rotate it and then comes the spin.- I will stand well back.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Yes.- This could go anywhere. - You spin it in the air.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02- And that is now ready. - Ready to be laid upon.- Yes.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06Fresh tomato sauce.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- So this tomato...- You don't put too much on it, do you?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Maybe later, I will open another pizza restaurant down the road!
0:24:18 > 0:24:21We can have a bit of competition!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I would call mine Pizza Terreria!
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Formaggio!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Here we have some salsiccia.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30This is fun. This is good.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Asparagus or...
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Let's try a little local asparagus.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Let's put this pizza in the oven.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- I've got it. I got it. - OK. Nice and steady.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Pizza Terry.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59I am bound to say it's not a bad effort, even if I say so myself.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Good man.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05With the pizza safely stowed,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09I head off to share the fruits of my labour with my partner in crime.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11The Bonnie to my Clyde.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Mason McQueen.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- You want me to try this, do you? - Tell me you don't like this.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Beware of an Irishman bearing gifts.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I put a bit of asparagus in it for you.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- I've got to say, it's not bad. - That is good, Tel.- It's not bad.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Calabrian pizza eaten off the front of a London cab
0:25:32 > 0:25:35in sight of the great cathedral.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Truly, Wells fare at its finest.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42But we haven't finished yet.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47As a grand finale to our Wells food adventure, we're heading back to the Bishop's Palace,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51where we have invited all our new friends to join us
0:25:51 > 0:25:54for a celebration of the tastes and flavours
0:25:54 > 0:25:57that it's been our good fortune to discover in this fine city.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Don't blow this. This is a big catering contract!
0:26:02 > 0:26:03My nerves are in bits now.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Myself and my compatriot here, Mr Mason McQueen,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18are very pleased to serve such a distinguished crowd.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20And you as well!
0:26:20 > 0:26:22LAUGHTER
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Amazingly, I discover that some of our guests had yet to taste
0:26:26 > 0:26:29the famous Mendip Wallfish.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Is that your first snail?- Yes. - It is your first snail.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36But don't say you can't eat something if you haven't tasted it first.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- You see, the cider in that makes a difference, doesn't it?- That's nice.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41It is, you see. A convert.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Isn't that good?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53OK. We will leave you with that expression on your face!
0:26:56 > 0:26:59OK, so we have changed it a bit. The bishop used to feed them.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Now you've got an Irishman and a Cockney.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03The party is going with a swing,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07but now it's time for us to get back on the road.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Ladies and gentlemen.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14It's been a great honour and a privilege for Mason and I to serve you
0:27:14 > 0:27:17this special bishop's feast in this palace.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Thank you for the welcome in Wells. We've had a wonderful time.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23ALL: CHEERS!
0:27:29 > 0:27:32So as the sun goes down over Wells and reflects
0:27:32 > 0:27:36on the old Bishop's Palace here, it's been a good day, hasn't it?
0:27:36 > 0:27:39- It's been a great day. What a place. - Did you enjoy the feast?- Yes, I did.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43- Really nice.- Did you enjoy the snails?- Yes.- Snails and cider.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Slowly but surely, they were all right.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- They have wormed their way into your affections.- They have, mate.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- And tomorrow is another day.- It is.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Let's go.