Marlow Terry and Mason's Great Food Trip

-Hiya, mate.

-Hello.

-Sporty chap.

-Good.

-Where is your bike?

-Right over there.

-Oh, is it?

Goodness sake, you don't think he came here without a bike, do you?

I don't know. He just got off the bus.

It's taken 50 years in broadcasting, but I finally cracked it.

HE LAUGHS

A chance to meander around the country, see the sights,

meet the people.

And, oh, yes - eat and drink.

Is melt in the mouth a suitable phrase?

I've hailed a cab with one of London's fineness cabbies,

Mason McQueen,

to steer me around Britain's highways and byways.

I'm looking forward to a decent meal, are you?

Oh, I'm starving. I can't wait, Tel.

Our route has been mapped out by an adventurist gourmand,

Samuel Chamberlain, in his book, British Bouquet.

Almost 60 years later, we're following in his footsteps...

I'll do all the work, Tel.

..to seek out weird and wonderful regional British cuisine

and discover how our tastes have changed over the years.

Do it right, son.

-Whoo!

-THEY LAUGH

-Abbey Road, in Marlow.

-Abbey Road, Marlow.

Just like them. Just like them, wasn't it?

If only there'd been four of us.

Our unselfish exploration of British cuisine has brought us to the

heart of the Thames Valley and the ancient town of Marlow,

in Buckinghamshire.

This region is home to mouthwatering produce,

fine dining restaurants and myself.

Would you fancy living out this neck of the woods, Mason?

Tel, they won't let me into this county. I'd love to live out here.

-It is absolutely stunning.

-Hang on.

If they let a common Irishman in, they'll let you in.

Our dear old friend Chamberlain says,

"Abundant good news for the gourmet of this populous county.

"Some of the best rural dining places in England,

"most of them on the banks of the Thames.

"The river forms the northern boundary of Berkshire."

Perched on the border of Bucks and Berks,

Marlow is divided by the River Thames.

The town has always been an important place to cross the river.

It has an imposing bridge to prove it.

OK, Mason, take me

over this extraordinary suspension bridge at Marlow.

Most towns are twinned with towns in Europe.

This is a bridge that is twinned with the bridge that crosses

the Danube, between Buda and Pest.

-Ah!

-Budapest.

-You are a bowl knowledge, you are.

-In Hungary.

You did mention Hungary... I'm starving.

Shall we stop for something, Tel?

No, no, no! A thousand times no.

Ignoring my protestations, Mason parks the cab.

We take to the streets to see what we can sink our teeth into.

Here we are, Tel, lavish Marlow.

Well, I wouldn't call lavish, but it is certainly very smart.

What are you doing in Marlow?

What are we doing in Marlow? We are looking...

We are seeing if we can find a pretty little dog

that we could take away with us.

My mum would be over the moon if she knew I met you today.

It's usually people's grannies, but I am delighted to see you.

Tel, my estimations of Marlow have rocketed. They have got a Wimpy!

I thought Wimpy's had been wiped out with the dinosaur.

Yes! Wimpy bar.

-Oh!

-Get in there!

-No!

When it comes to the burger bars of Marlow, there is

one that might not sell what you expect.

Despite the sign,

there are no quarter pounders with cheese in here.

You'll be Bernard Burger.

Bernard Burger of the shop that most people call Burgers.

Burgers, yes. They think we sell burgers. It is a very confusing.

My parents started it.

And then I worked with my brother for 40-odd years.

And now I work with my eldest daughter, Rachel.

Excellent.

Bernard's parents arrived from Switzerland in 1936

and began serving Marlow sweet Continental treats in 1942.

70 years later on, our visitors caused a bit of a stir.

We don't normally have celebrities visiting us, so it is... You now...

Thank you for the celebrity, because we just met one of your customers

who looked at me and said, "They had to tell me who you were, you know."

And then she turned to him and said, "And who are you?"

"Are you anybody?"

-We are all somebody, right?

-Exactly. Well, I hope so.

-Anyway.

All the cakes made on the premises?

You are a well-known gentleman who won Mastermind, aren't you?

No. You definitely got that wrong.

Just another taxi driver.

Mason on Mastermind? Now there is a thought!

Specialised subject - stuffing your face.

-And Terry?

-Anything slimming for me?

-It is all non-fattening, sir.

Oh, excellent. I tell you what we'd like, the japonais.

Aah! The japonais.

This cosmopolitan confection is Bernard's best seller.

Heading into the kitchen, we meet Anne and Colin

to discover the magic behind Marlow's favourite sweet treat.

So, japonais, where...? Is it French, yeah?

Yes, it is a Continental...

-Cake.

-Treat, yeah.

-Continental treat.

-Where does Japan come into it?

I have no idea.

Wherever the name came from, you can

make the japonais by squeezing out some meringue mixed with hazelnuts.

It's like using a mastic gun.

-When did you last use a mastic gun?

-A while ago.

Look at that. The boy is a natural.

Superb.

Oh, look at that one!

-Not bad.

-Consistency, Terry.

-By that he means mediocrity.

-Yeah.

Once cooked, they're covered in buttercream.

What a good plasterer. You would be a good plasterer.

It is like rendering, isn't it?

Have you done much plastering, Anne?

Cos I have got a bedroom indoors, it needs... The ceiling's gone.

Plastering over, Marlow's favourite treat is snapped in two

and covered in crumbs.

Colin, I've got to say, that looks like a Thai fishcake.

THEY LAUGH

Well, I like Thai fishcakes. It's OK, Mas.

Don't knock yourself.

A final chocolate flourish and the japonais are ready.

-What do you reckon?

-Yeah.

-Passable?

-Yeah.

-So Anne and Colin, do you eat of these as you go?

-No.

-I don't eat any.

-No, I don't eat those. They're a bit too...

I don't eat them, no.

Well, that is a recommendation, isn't it?

They do look a little more sumo than geisha,

but that has never stopped us before.

Well, Doctor?

I think I've just had a sugar rush.

LAUGHS: Yeah!

Fantastic.

-It is a colourful place, isn't it?

-Yeah. Yeah, nice with the bunting.

The bunting that stretches across this high street here.

Of course, it is

supposed to be reflective of the fact that the Henry Royal Regatta

is celebrated in this town, and they participate in it quite a lot.

But also, of course, they leave the bunting up for Christmas as well.

That saves them getting the step ladders out, doesn't it?

Put a little bit of sparkly stuff on the bunting

and you've got Christmas decorations.

MASON LAUGHS

Looking at the gleaming, sophisticated streets of Marlow,

it is easy to believe that there were ever thus, but not so.

Before the bankers and the brokers,

Marlow had its reputation elsewhere.

I get a great personal satisfaction from seeing other people

working, don't you?

-Yeah.

-Lace making, by hand?

I didn't think anybody made lace by hand any more.

Lace was made by hand

as a means of livelihood in Marlow

from the mid-1500s.

I think you know it is coming.

Time to see if we can get crafty with the bobbins.

What I have got here is a swan.

What about you having a go at the swan, Terry?

All you have to do is this.

Two over three, and you do those two back.

-Putting two over three.

-Over three, that's right.

-And...

-That one over there.

-That one over there.

-No. That one and this one.

No! I do apologise, Pamela.

But look, if I can teach eight year olds

and nine year olds on a Sunday afternoon, anybody can do it.

-No, I don't think so.

-What about you having a go?

Do you want to have a go on the snake?

-The snake would suit him better.

-Come on, we will do the snake.

The two... Those two come back.

-There?

-No.

-There?

-No.

-No, no, Mason!

-Hang on.

-Sorry!

-Novice. "No."

-There is no excuse.

-Am I irritating you, madam?

-Look, if an eight year old can do it...

-Excellent.

-I can see the pattern there now.

-You'll end up with a proper...

-It's muscle memory, isn't it?

-Yes.

So how long do you think you have been making lace?

60 years come September.

-And very pretty, too. Thank you, Pamela.

-Thank you.

As time went on, Marlow's lace was gracing its high-class eateries,

including one of Chamberlain's favourite

restaurants in the country.

We're coming up to Compleat Angler,

"an absolutely idyllic spot on the river bank.

"An understandable favourite for anglers who cherish their hobby

"as well as the good things of life."

The Compleat Angler.

The fact that they can't spell complete is beside the point.

They might have an archaic way of spelling it,

but the setting is sublime. Drinks on the lawn, anyone?

This was a favourite spot of our old friend Chamberlain here.

"The dining salon is an airy place facing the river.

"The service is attentive. The cuisine is French.

"Highly commendable."

HE SPEAKS FRENCH

Listen to this, "The minimum of 25 shillings for the prix fixe."

I think that is long gone! That is long gone.

So I am looking forward to it.

So we will be in there for the haute cuisine francaise, really.

So let's see, though, Tel. It has been a long time.

-'60s, long time ago.

-Places like this don't change, do they?

I think they do.

It seems Chamberlain's plat du jour is now a little more exotic.

This is a far cry from Chamberlain's haute cuisine francaise, isn't it?

Oh, yes.

Get off.

And the man in charge is Atoll Kochhar,

the first Indian chef to get a Michelin star.

This is a posh Ruby, this one, Tel, innit?

I am only drinking this water because of you, you know.

Very kind.

You can have a drink if you want to, I'm driving. You are all right.

Just don't be causing any trouble in the lobby.

Yeah, I don't want any ill feeling in the cab.

People shouting from the front,

"I can smell the drink off you, mate."

I don't want any more of that.

With our food arrives the man who cooked it.

And he kindly shares a table with us.

Our friend Samuel Chamberlain wrote in 1963 that this place

-was a haven of haute cuisine francaise...

-Wow.

..done in the British manner.

-Well, I guess I have changed it a lot.

-Don't worry, Atoll.

Don't worry at all.

Well, no, it is indicative of how things have

-changed on the food map of Britain, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

What is British cuisine is a big question in today's time.

And I think we all have become part of this strong culture,

strong cuisine.

The way we have been cooking in this country,

I think we have moved far away from the way it has been cooked in India.

In India, if I put that plate in front of anybody,

they would say, "Yeah, nice French dish."

-Albeit there are some spices in there.

-I have to say also...

-This fish is fantastic. What is your favourite dish?

-Oh.

-Come on.

-It is fish and chips.

-Fish and chips!

-I don't believe it.

-You only said that to keep us quiet.

-Not at all.

-It is a filler. It makes you happy. What else do you need?

-Exactly.

Here we are embracing Berkshire, anyway.

A rather grand part of the country.

And this is where the better class of turkey is reared, you know.

-Royal turkeys.

-Yeah.

We have got to see the finer points of a turkey.

Copas Farm is the name of the place.

We will probably hear the gobbling from way off.

This area has been associated with high-class birds for over 50 years.

And it seems that security is tight around this luxury produce.

-This... This is a turkey orchard.

-Yeah. I am slightly worried, Tel.

Look at the size of this gate.

Why do they need a cage to keep the turkeys in?

MENACING MUSIC

You go first.

-They always go for men in hats.

-OK.

I'll risk it all for you, Mason.

It might be like those things that were in Jurassic Park,

you know, running through the wheat fields.

Take your leg off.

I don't like it, Mason, it is too quiet.

-MASON WHISTLES, TERRY CLAPS

-Here, turkey, turkey, turkey!

Turkey... How do you attract a turkey?

MASON LAUGHS

"How do you attract a turkey..."

It's not Christmas, you're safe!

They're coming at us from all angles, Mason.

I hope you are enjoying the sunshine,

cos it doesn't end well here, you know that.

Amongst the poultry, we find Tom Copas and Steve Hellings,

the men who safeguard Christmas dinner for so many.

Time to talk turkey.

Tom Copas, the man of the turkey.

How many turkeys have we got here?

We've got 38,000 turkeys this season.

-And they all go for Christmas?

-All for Christmas.

Most important bird of the most important meal of the year.

The turkey doesn't have a predator, does it?

In the wild, it does.

And that is why you don't get any wild turkeys in this country.

Because the foxes predominate.

You have to go to New Zealand or, in fact, on some of the Scottish

islands there is no foxes and you get wild turkeys there.

-So it is a big problem for you, then, keeping out the fox.

-Yes.

-How you do that?

-Making sure the perimeter fences are secure.

-Oh!

Ah, the perimeter fence is to keep the fox...?

-To keep the turkeys in.

-That is what I thought.

-And keep the fox out.

Yeah, we thought the fences were a bit tall

-and we were a bit frightened when we came in.

-We didn't know.

We thought they might be three-foot turkeys with boxing gloves on.

And what do you both eat for Christmas?

-Definitely turkey.

-Of course, turkey.

-Of course, what else?

Turkey every week.

-Not just Christmas.

-Every Christmas.

Back at the turkey farm house, it is Christmas every day.

Over on the far side of the table there is the raw turkey,

which we start off with.

-Really?

-Yes.

-I'm not going to eat that.

But if you cook it upside down, all the fat that's on the back will

then percolate through the breast as it is cooking.

I bet you have done that a few times, Tom.

Would you come round to our house at Christmas and do it for us?

I'd love to, but probably no.

THEY LAUGH

-I can't wait for you guys, I am going to have to get stuck in.

-Go on.

Delicious.

Tasty and succulent.

I just feel, Tom, if there is one thing that is missing here...

..it's a funny hat.

-And a cracker.

-And my present. Where is my present, Terry?

-You see?

I wish it was Christmas.

Mason, we are going to the Hellfire Caves.

All sorts of racy doings went on in the Hellfire...

What they call the Hellfire Club.

Will your moral standards be all right?

You won't feel that you are being in any way offended by references

to Satanism and black masters and everything like that?

I am looking forward to finding out all about that. I really am.

That's what I was afraid of!

The notorious Hellfire Club dabbled in black magic

and general misbehaviour in these mysterious underground caves

just outside Marlow.

Look at this place.

Our interest piqued. we are meeting Jack Orr,

who can spill the beans on this Georgian nightclub.

-How do you do, sir?

-Nice to meet you.

-Good to see you.

So, Jack, can you tell us about these caves? Who actually built them?

So it was Lord Dashwood in the Georgian era, 1748,

who commissioned for these caves to be built.

Are you going to tell us all there is to know about Lord Dashwood

and his rascally friends?

I can't give away too many secrets.

I don't want... I don't want Mason upset.

-Oh!

-OK.

-Is he sensitive?

-Oh, yes.

-Slightly.

Well, he doesn't want to feel he missed anything, you know?

THEY LAUGH

Once built, Lord Dashwood used his labyrinth of tunnels

and rooms to hold wild parties.

Patrons included artists, doctors, politicians

and even an American founding father.

But it wasn't all lads.

Women were equal members of the club.

And in the 18th century, women are second-class citizens.

But down here, they were equals. But they...

They all came from a certain profession when they came down here.

Oh, yes. Legal.

Yes.

One of them old professions, yeah?

The oldest one in the world, yeah, exactly.

-But the men...

-So they were journalists, were they?

-Yes.

The men came dressed up as monks,

where they'd be robed just further up.

And the ladies of the night would come dressed as nuns.

And they would have what they called private devotion with one another.

Wow. They'd make a HABIT of it, eh?

Sorry.

The centrepiece of this hand-carved den of iniquity is

the feasting room.

It is 40 feet across. It is 50 feet high up.

So when they are in here laughing and feasting and drinking,

all their laughter and singing is just carrying, echoing.

Reverberating with debauchery.

You get a real feel for it, though, don't you?

Certainly, you could have up fantastic karaoke in here.

Hello!

Yes.

Bring me a mistress!

So, tell us, how long did it last?

They were going for a good couple of years.

-MYSTERIOUSLY:

-And there was one gentleman who liked to prank.

One day, he brought down to a meeting a big wooden chest.

They all fell silent for prayer, ignoring this chest.

And when they close their eyes, he opened up this chest...

-LOUDLY:

-And from within came a baboon!

Now you have to remember,

most people in the 18th century have never seen a baboon before.

So when this creature emerged and it was dressed in a devil costume,

all hell literally broke loose.

And it jumps onto the Earl of Sandwich's back.

And Sandwich, who had had enough, went back to the

Houses of Parliament and exposed Wilkes and other members.

-Gassed him out.

-And these men were broken up over a baboon.

-Still, it was fun while it lasted.

-Oh, yeah.

-Too rock and roll.

Cor, that was fascinating.

Wasn't that fascinating, Mason?

Mason!

Mason!

Terry!

SCREAMING

SCREAMING CONTINUES

Having been spared from human sacrifice, quite naturally our

thoughts turned to that cornerstone of British hospitality - the pub.

And our friend Chamberlain has an interesting take on these

establishments.

"Ladies are always welcome, apparently, in these public houses."

-LAUGHS:

-According to Chamberlain.

"And the atmosphere is invariably respectable."

-LAUGHS:

-Where...?

What is the matter with him? Has he ever been in a pub in his life?

"And the barmaid behind the counter is sometimes pert and pretty.

MASON LAUGHS

"But she often resembles a straight-laced schoolteacher,

"sensible self-service prevents..."

For heaven's sake!

Back in Marlow,

we have a reservation at the ultimate gastro pub -

the first pub to receive two coveted Michelin stars.

This is pub grub at its best.

Hand and Flowers, it is called.

-FRENCH ACCENTS:

-It has got rooms.

-Rooms?

-Would you like a room?

-I'd love a room.

-Or a Zimmer?

-Which would you prefer?

-Well, something to eat would be good.

-OK.

Oui, mons... I hope he does not have a dog.

-Tommy K's, eh? Let's go.

-Yeah.

Leaving Mason to prop up the bar,

I'm heading to the kitchen to meet the man behind this pub's success.

You may have heard of him - Tom Kerridge.

Gentlemen.

Nice to see you all.

Carry on with the work.

-Hello there, chief, how are you?

-Look at you.

-If I may say, not looking as proper lush as you used to.

-No, no.

-No, you are OK.

-Tom 2.0, a little bit smaller.

What is the secret, son?

Actually, becoming the most boring man on earth. No booze at all.

Knocked it on the head.

OK. Well, that is the end of our conversation.

HE LAUGHS

Come back!

Tom, this is a great success.

Everybody knows about your great success. Two Michelin stars.

-And it is a simple pub. It started as a pub.

-It still is.

That ethos. The whole point of pubs, and British pubs,

it is about people feeling comfortable in their environment.

And that is all we have supposed to have done here.

You'll be glad to know that Tom has offered to feed us

some old-fashioned pub grub,

but with a Michelin-starred twist.

So we put the chicken in a brine and poach it with some hops.

And because you are here, we will

grate some beautiful black truffle on the top of it.

It is a bit is appointing,

I was hoping it would be the white truffle, Tom.

Not in season. Sadly, not in season.

-White truffle...

-And also about twice the price.

Yeah, well, a bit more than twice the price, yeah.

You see, I always think truffle is a bit overrated.

-It is wonderful to smell.

-Yeah.

But sometimes I don't get its full value when it is in a dish.

We'll only put a little on your plate and double on Mason's, then.

You're a pal(!)

Leaving Tom to do what he does best, I join Mason at the bar.

I have talked to the chef and he said he is going to do you

-something simple in the way of a chicken.

-Right.

Here you go, gentlemen. This is my half a roast chicken.

And this is an oak infused gravy.

Some roasted cauliflower to go in the middle.

-Wow.

-Enjoy it.

-This is a very burly chicken.

-It is a burly chicken.

-Thanks, Tom.

-It is a pleasure.

-It is looking great.

-Enjoy it, gentlemen.

-Army and Navy for you?

-The old Army and Navy, yeah.

I'd say pub food has changed a hell of a lot since Chamberlain came

-through here, right, Tel?

-Oh, yeah.

When you think of the growth of the gastro pub

and how a place like this has become two Michelin-starred...

-Do you think the truffle makes a difference?

-I don't know.

-They don't really taste of much, do they?

-No. It is the smell.

Very good.

This is... This lives up to Tom's incredible reputation.

Eating well is not the only pastime for people of Marlow.

With their riverside setting, rowing is a big part of their lives.

-Have you ever been in a skiff?

-A skiff?

No, I've been in a dinghy with the girls when I was little in Spain.

That'll do.

They have got the best job, the cocks.

Sitting there, watching all the hard work. A bit like you in this series.

-The only problem...

-You've been like the cocks of this cab,

haven't you, really?

There is never any need for that language.

Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!

MASON LAUGHS

Marlow Rowing Club has produced Paralympian and Olympians,

including five times gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave.

Now Mason McQueen is ready to don the snug yet traditional

rower's leotard.

It takes a gentleman to dress like that.

And you haven't got away with it.

That is enough of that now.

-Do your best with this man. Look after him.

-We will.

-Thank you.

-Mason, before you get in the boat, any last words?

-Tel.

-Yeah.

It has been an honour working with you.

Resist the urge to walk the plank.

I don't want to hear, "Mason McQueen, buried at sea."

MASON LAUGHS

# Jolly boating weather... #

Go on, Mason, son.

Can he swim?

Gone.

Gone.

And never called me mother.

While Mason works up an appetite,

I'm heading to the kitchen to help fix up a feast for his return.

Nicola Nuttall, and you are cooking something special.

It's a bucket and bacon badger.

It is a traditional suet dish which was made for the people

who work on the land.

Is there real badger in it?

No. No badger.

Nicola starts her badger with bacon.

Some people put rashers of bacon on it, but it is not quite right.

-You like it rough.

-HESITANTLY:

-Yeah.

-It's...

-Rough-cut bacon.

My nan would either use bacon like this or she would use,

like a lump of boiling bacon.

-So you are following a family tradition in doing this?

-Yeah, yeah.

Literally, you do just pile everything onto it.

You are making a big sausage roll, basically.

You are not being pretentious about it, anyway, I'll say that for you.

-No, no.

-This is not fine dining.

-This is not fine dining, no.

Once stuffed, the badger is rolled.

This is the moment of truth.

Look at that. Perfectamundo.

How long will that take to cook?

-About three hours in the oven.

-Three hours.

But luckily for you and me, in the great old Blue Peter tradition,

-there is a couple you made earlier, isn't there?

-There is.

-There is.

Nicola hasn't stopped with boiling badger.

In the oven, she has another local delicacy with a totally

inappropriate name - puppy pie.

Apparently, this is traditional fare for sweaty rowers.

-And look at these puppy pies.

-Oh, puppy pie!

-You like a puppy pie?

-It's not that one we seen earlier, is it?

-What would you prefer?

-What, badger or dog?

-Yeah.

Oh, I think I'll go for the badger, please.

Those pies are great.

-So what is the actual ingredient?

-Traditionally, it is a rabbit pie.

-Oh, lovely.

-And it is delicious.

-We hopped to it and we've done well, ladies, didn't we?

-We did.

-Are you sure, ladies?

-Yeah.

-He is a good man.

-Good teamwork.

-Yeah.

Just like me and you, mate. Good teamwork.

Put it there.

Mason McQueen,

sculler extraordinaire.

To Marlow, eh?

And I've called him worse than that.

MASON LAUGHS

It has been a treat, Marlow.

But we must head on.

Our journey doesn't end here.

Take me to my next destination, will you?

-As if you knew where it was.

-OK.