0:00:02 > 0:00:07- Some of the best British produce is under threat.- It's at the mercy of market forces.- And food fashion.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12- Produce that has been around for centuries... - Could die out within a generation.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- So together we're on a mission... - To save it.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19We'll give you tips on how to find it, grow it and cook it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24- And crucially, how to put sensational British produce... - Back on the food map.
0:00:56 > 0:01:02I'm Ainsley Harriott. I'll be championing a great British product that is under grave threat.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05It's been prized since Roman times,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09yet it could slip away from right under our noses - British honey.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13'Bees have been producing honey for around 150 million years
0:01:13 > 0:01:17'and honey has been a vital part of the British diet for centuries.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23'We buy 30,000 tonnes of honey every year, but shockingly, 90% of that is imported,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25'mainly from China and Argentina.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30'In my campaign to revive British honey, I'll don my white suit and head to the front line
0:01:30 > 0:01:34'to meet the hard-working keepers of the amber nectar.'
0:01:34 > 0:01:40There's a great demand for English honey. The big problem is producing it in our current climate.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43'I'll be showing you how you can play your part.'
0:01:43 > 0:01:47This could be your honey, guys. You too could be an urban beekeeper.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52'And in the Revival Kitchen, I'll wow you with three fabulous recipes
0:01:52 > 0:01:55'to show off the delights honey can bring to your dinner plates,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'including my mouth-watering honey duck breast.'
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Honey is just not honey. There are so many varieties and flavours.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Hmm!
0:02:17 > 0:02:20It really takes me back, this.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26When I was growing up, South London boy as I am, we had a beekeeper that lived at the top of the road.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30He looked like a Martian when he had all his gear on. We were petrified of him.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33We were intrigued. What is he doing?
0:02:33 > 0:02:37My dad, it's something he introduced to us, he brought it home,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40massive tins, almost as big as paint pots.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46But it just meant that we could slap it on our bread or put it on our cereals or into our drinks.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48And the taste has stayed with me.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57'Honey is one of nature's wonder foods. It's 100% natural and incredibly versatile.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01'But we can't have honey without the honeybee and in recent years,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04'our British buzzers have taken a battering.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08'In the harsh winter of 2008 alone, their population fell by 30%.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13'In a bid to revive the fortunes of the British honeybee, I've come to Sussex University
0:03:13 > 0:03:17'to meet the UK's only Professor of Apiculture
0:03:17 > 0:03:19'to get to the heart of the problem.'
0:03:19 > 0:03:24I want to know what's going wrong with the British honeybee.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27The British honeybee has declined from a million hives
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- 100 years ago to a quarter of a million hives now.- That's dramatic.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Three-quarters of the honeybee population has just disappeared.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40The biggest reason is there's less flowers in the countryside for bees to forage on
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and we've got certain new honeybee diseases.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48'So the professor and his team have established the British Bee and Honey Restoration Project.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54'Their mission is to reverse the spiralling decline of the British honey industry.'
0:03:54 > 0:03:58If you look to the right, you'll see a real beehive, an observation hive.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Here we're filming them and here we can see bees which are dancing.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06So these are the forager bees who have been visiting flowers
0:04:06 > 0:04:11and they've been collecting nectar and now they're telling their nest mates.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17I know that this bee, because we've just been decoding some of their dances, has been foraging on ivy
0:04:17 > 0:04:21which is blooming one or two kilometres to the north of here.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26By analysing these dances the bees make, we'll be able to say the bees are telling us
0:04:26 > 0:04:32this is where they make their honey from, so to help honeybees, this is what we need more of.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36'Here they're also trying to breed more disease-resistant honeybees,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39'such as the British black bee.'
0:04:39 > 0:04:43There is so much more to the bee than just making honey, isn't there?
0:04:43 > 0:04:49Yeah, if the honeybee didn't make honey, people would still study it as it's such a fascinating animal.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55Nowadays, the pollination that the honeybee does for crops like apples and so on
0:04:55 > 0:04:58is worth a lot more to us than the honey that's produced.
0:04:58 > 0:05:05'That's true, but these tireless workers are responsible for producing their amazing product
0:05:05 > 0:05:08'that I for one can't live or cook without.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:15I'm going to be doing three recipes for you today. The first of them, I'll use Professor Ratnieks' honey.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17It's like a floral honey.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Each honey has an individuality and a special flavour about it
0:05:21 > 0:05:27and that's what I'm going to try and get across today, incorporating it into my recipes.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37And for the salad base, I've got some pre-washed watercress.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42I like to do watercress in a spinner because it kind of dries it out.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46There's nothing worse than wet lettuce or watercress leaves.
0:05:47 > 0:05:54I've chosen to use Comice pears in this salad which work so well with watercress.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57I cut these into quite sort of thin strips here.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01They don't all have to be perfect, of course,
0:06:01 > 0:06:07because that kind of adds to the different style and texture of the food.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Season, add a squeeze of lemon juice...
0:06:11 > 0:06:16..followed by a drizzle of olive oil, and work it through the salad.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20I like the idea of using a combination of seedless grapes.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25They're a bit on the large side, so I'll just cut these in half.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I'll just lay them like that, get that knife into the middle
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and then just slice all the way through like that, carefully.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36You've got all your grapes sliced.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39In we go, into our saucepan.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44And now for the star ingredient, the honey.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50I'm putting in a good, liberal dose which equates to about four tablespoons.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54As soon as that starts bubbling, take it off the heat.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59That allows the grapes to slightly bleed, open up, release some of their juices
0:06:59 > 0:07:03and that creates the perfect dressing to complement the honey.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Next up, the goat's cheese. They're easier to cook by keeping their rinds on.
0:07:08 > 0:07:14I'll pop that into my oven now at 200 degrees Centigrade, 400 Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 6.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18That is only going in there for two or three minutes, no more than that.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26OK, let's have a look at those grapes now.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31That's lovely. If you can see that,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35the colour of the grapes has just changed ever so slightly there,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38blending itself in with that lovely floral honey.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42It will give it that lovely balance to go along with the goat's cheese.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Speaking of which, let's get that out.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Lovely.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Now I'm just glazing the top of my goat's cheese here
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and that gives it a lovely crust.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04And when the honey hits that, it just gives it a real kind of... Hmm!
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It's just so exciting on the palate.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I'll just pop that on the top there like that.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18And just sprinkle those round there.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24There you have it - my warm goat's cheese salad with seedless grapes and wild honey dressing.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Oh, it's so good. First you get the goat's cheese,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37then you get the slight pepperiness of the watercress,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40followed by that lovely, floral honey taste.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Just a combination that works perfectly.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51'I'm on a mission to revive British honey.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55'What's apparent is buying British isn't always top of our agenda.'
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Where my honey comes from, I wouldn't have a clue.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02I buy a branded label. I'm not sure where it's from. Maybe England.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I don't think I've ever checked to find out where it's from.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09'I think our apathy towards buying British honey is alarming,
0:09:09 > 0:09:14'but that's just one of the many challenges facing the honey industry.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17'David Bondi runs the UK's largest honey manufacturer.
0:09:17 > 0:09:23'His company bottles over a third of all the honey sold in our shops.'
0:09:23 > 0:09:27The total British honey production is only about 10% of everything
0:09:27 > 0:09:29that we consume in this country,
0:09:29 > 0:09:36so clearly we have to import lots of honey. We buy all the British honey we can. We'd love to buy more.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Our difficulty has been the limited supply,
0:09:39 > 0:09:44but we work with our beekeeper colleagues to encourage them to produce as much as they can.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'They're obviously struggling to keep up with the demand,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53'so I've come to Buckinghamshire to meet a leading UK commercial beekeeper to find out why.'
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- Hello, Ged.- Hi, Ainsley.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I'm looking forward to meeting your bees.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02'Ged has 200 hives spread across the farm
0:10:02 > 0:10:06'and in a good year, he can produce up to 15 tonnes of honey.'
0:10:06 > 0:10:09What's it like being a commercial farmer, Ged?
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Well, it's changed radically from when I started 20 years ago.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17We've got so much more to contend with these days.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21We've got a lot of problems with disease, bee losses over winter.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26We've also got a lot of the good agricultural crops that were grown,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31that were very helpful for beekeepers, have been stopped or greatly reduced.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37So it's more difficult to find good sites where the bees can get a good crop of honey in the summer.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39What about producing honey for you?
0:10:39 > 0:10:43How long would it take for a bee to make a jar of honey?
0:10:43 > 0:10:49For one bee to make a jar of honey, it would travel the equivalent of one and a half times round the world.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53That's why you need something like 50,000 to keep a hive active?
0:10:53 > 0:10:58Yes, the idea is you get an awful lot of bees and they don't have to travel as far.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02They're just going over there to the flower meadows.
0:11:02 > 0:11:08- That's a mixture of clover and bramble. Would you like to try some? - Oh, yeah.- Dig in.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Yeah, I know. I'm right in there.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Go on, they'll all be after me now, all the bees.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I'm in there. Yeah.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26Oh, yeah. You can taste the wildness coming though that. That's definitely there.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Hmm! Gorgeous.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- And a bit of wax too! - LAUGHTER
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'So what can we do to help our bee farmers?
0:11:37 > 0:11:43'Planting more bee-friendly flowers would be a start, but we can take it further than that.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:47The thing that the British public can do is simply to buy honey.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Let's make sure that British honey,
0:11:50 > 0:11:55when it's in the supermarkets, in the farmers' markets, that people buy it.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Very simple. We can all do that.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Wow! And I'm going to be using this, Ged's honey, for my second recipe.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17The sauce is fairly straightforward. Loads of different flavours going on, notably the honey.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It really works beautifully with this.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24So I'm talking about four tablespoons of honey.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30I know I just pour things in, but that's the real beauty of being a cook. You kind of measure by eye.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35That's followed by a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38balsamic vinegar and ketchup.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44And to that, add a couple of tablespoons of muscovado sugar and a few cloves.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50When that starts to boil down and that clove oil starts to be released into the honey and everything,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52it's got a real pungency.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And last but not least, some beef stock.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Let's get some heat under there now. There you go.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01All you want to do is bring that up to the boil.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Let's slice up that onion, shall we?
0:13:06 > 0:13:12You see this end here where the root is? Because I'm using sliced onions as opposed to just chopping them,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I want to cut a little wedge out of that either side.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23The idea of removing that root is the onions just separate beautifully.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28If I hadn't taken that out, they'd be all glued together.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Add some butter and oil to the pan, followed by the onions.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38While that's sorting itself out, we can get on with preparing the meat.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41This is what they'll go with - lovely duck breast.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45What we want to do is just score that skin.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Ducks are waterproof and their skin's like that,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52so you need to score the skin a bit to release some of that fat.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Let's get our pan on now. The pan's cold, as you can see.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03A lot of chefs will say, "Put it into a hot pan, so it sears straight away."
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I'm not sure if it really matters.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12I think you can put it straight into a cold pan and we'll let that render down to release some of that fat.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I think cabbage works wonderfully well with duck.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Cabbage in my house is a big thing.
0:14:17 > 0:14:24Sometimes I cook it down with carrots and bacon and ginger and chilli, one of my dad's favourites.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- SIZZLING - Hey! Can you hear that duck?
0:14:26 > 0:14:31That duck is just kind of starting to release its fats now.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Give the cabbage a quick wash
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and pop it in with your onions.
0:14:36 > 0:14:43You don't need to put a lid on it. There's a real attractiveness about watching your food cooking sometimes
0:14:43 > 0:14:49and just seeing it steam and starting to relax a bit. It's enjoyment. You do get hot though!
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I'll turn those duck over.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Just look at that. Crispy there.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I'm just going to pour off that excess fat.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04Carefully do this, guys. They do move around the pan there a little bit.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10That doesn't need to go to waste. It makes the most wonderful roast tatties or rostis.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I'll do a few of those later.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Duck fat is really good for that.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20Pop that into an oven, 200 degrees centigrade, 400 Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 6 again.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24For that thickness, no more than six to eight minutes.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26It'll just be beyond pink then.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30If you want it deadly pink, four, five minutes, no more than that.
0:15:30 > 0:15:36If you like it well-done, which is a shame because duck doesn't need to be eaten well-done...
0:15:36 > 0:15:41I won't even tell you how long you've got to cook it for. There you go.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46So back to the cabbage... I've lowered the heat, so it begins to cook down.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Ears are a fabulous thing when you're cooking. My mum always used to say, "Grab the steam."
0:15:51 > 0:15:56She'd grab the steam and smell. That will tell you a lot. But it's the sound of stuff.
0:15:56 > 0:16:03You can tell that something has reduced down, it's drying out, so we need a bit of water in there.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08That's it now, look. That's cooked down really, really lovely.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14So at this stage, in with my crispy bits of bacon.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Add a splash of cream and stir well.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I'm going to take my duck out now.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26For that final minute, all I'm going to do is take some of Ged's honey
0:16:26 > 0:16:31and just drizzle on top of that. Look at that.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36It's just going to give it that lovely sheen. Beautiful.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Pop that back in for another minute.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Now what we're going to do is just pass off our sauce.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52It smells of cloves, the honey, it's slightly caramelised.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56OK, let's take those beautiful honey ducks out.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00You can see I'm carving it.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It just presents so much better than just having that lump there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10It's not chicken. This is duck. It demands respect, as my old head chef Malcolm used to say.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- JAMAICAN ACCENT: - "Respect the duck." He wasn't from Jamaica!
0:17:19 > 0:17:23And there you have it, guys. Look at that.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Gorgeous. Honey-glazed duck...
0:17:25 > 0:17:30I should say Ged's honey-glazed duck with rosti potatoes and creamed cabbage and bacon.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34I've just got to try that.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Oh...
0:17:37 > 0:17:42Honey just works so well with savoury because it brings out the natural flavours.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46I can taste the duck beautifully. It's gone into the sauce
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and the cloves, so you get that spicy taste, followed by that honey.
0:17:50 > 0:17:57Ged's honey is wonderful. Honey is just not honey. There are so many different varieties and flavours.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02If you can find out what works with your cooking, you're in for a real treat.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11In this country, we're consuming far more honey than our bees and commercial farmers can produce.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So it's up to us Brits to step into the breach.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24One misconception is that you need wide open spaces in order to keep beehives.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30You can produce local honey without breaking the bank and you don't need a massive field to do it in.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36'In fact, within reason, you can set up a beehive anywhere, even on top of a roof,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40'which is what this amateur keeper in East London has done.
0:18:42 > 0:18:48'Mel took up this hobby six months ago and she along with 25,000 other amateurs up and down the country
0:18:48 > 0:18:52'are filling the honey void by producing their own.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:56It seems to be the perfect location to keep bees, isn't it?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Yeah, in the city not everybody has a garden.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I've only got a really small space.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07I was thinking about where I could keep my bees out of harm's way, but with access to plants and flowers.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12Did you expect it to be as exciting as this, being a beekeeper?
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I had no idea how great it was going to be, to be honest.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19There have been lots of surprises, some good, some bad,
0:19:19 > 0:19:25but it's really fascinating watching the bees, seeing how they work, then tasting the honey.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30So you can see, with the sun glistening, the uncapped stores,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35and the ones here are capped stores, so the honey is underneath that.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37That's what we'll take a sample of.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- We're going to scrape that off, are we?- Yes.- That's fantastic.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46You can see it oozing out and the bees are feeding on it.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Wow! Do you have this on your toast in the morning, Mel?
0:19:50 > 0:19:55- Yes, I'm a big fan of honey. - So am I. We love it in our house.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00- Great.- I'm going to pop this back. - Yeah. Look, this is just perfect.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05This could be your honey, guys. You too could be an urban beekeeper.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Come on, you go back, guys. Go on, back you go.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Go and join your friends. That's it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14'Keeping bees as a hobby requires dedication and training,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18'but it's becoming the backbone of the British honey industry.
0:20:18 > 0:20:24'In fact, it's estimated that 99% of known keepers are amateurs just like Mel.'
0:20:24 > 0:20:30- I can't wait to have a taste of this honey. You don't mind if I pop my finger in there?- No, go for it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Oh, yeah, that's good.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39- You like it?- It's the wildflowers. Probably all those flowers from Victoria Park.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- Well done, you.- Well done, the bees.- Well done, the bees.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50'Without hobbyist beekeepers, we could never buy locally produced honeys, especially urban ones,
0:20:50 > 0:20:55'but sadly, you'll never find them on your supermarket shelves.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'However, if you visit your local farmers' markets or honey shops,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'like this one in South London, you'll be in for a real treat.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Wow! I've never seen so many British honeys.
0:21:07 > 0:21:14I get frustrated in the supermarket because it's all imported stuff, but you've got a fabulous selection.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17There are 20-odd different British varieties.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21The most local that we have is Wandsworth honey. Try that.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28And is it easier to produce sort of urban honey than what it is like out in the wild?
0:21:28 > 0:21:35Yes, in the city, there is such an abundance of flowers in parks, cemeteries and people's back gardens.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40The bees don't have to fly very far and the diversity is fantastic.
0:21:40 > 0:21:47How much of your honey comes from local people? You're encouraging people to have their own beehives.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52A lot of these honeys will come in from hobbyist beekeepers all around the country.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They might come in with one bucket, 30 little jars of honey.
0:21:55 > 0:22:02We've got some West Sussex honey that we got from a chap. We've got some honey from the Hampstead Heath area.
0:22:02 > 0:22:08- Again not much of it, but we're supporting them and it's a nice way of...- Keeping urban honey alive.- Yes.
0:22:08 > 0:22:14It's encouraging people to take up beekeeping, it's helping to sponsor their hobby.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19It was a pleasure talking to you and it's nice to know people like you are supporting the locals,
0:22:19 > 0:22:25just to keep the buzz alive, metaphorically speaking, because that's what we've all got to do.
0:22:25 > 0:22:31We've been eating honey for thousands of years and I think you can almost call it a superfood.
0:22:31 > 0:22:37In its raw, unprocessed state, it's rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
0:22:37 > 0:22:42and many people swear by local honey as a natural antidote for hay fever.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47If you're feeling under the weather, there's nothing better than a home-made hot toddy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53I've got some grated ginger, some cloves and lemon which I've sliced and also squeezed into some water.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57I'll strain some of that off. Don't worry about bits of ginger in there.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00That really helps to clear your "nozzies".
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And then a spoonful of honey.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07That will take the old...
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Take? Clears everything, I should say. Absolutely delicious.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17When it comes to cooking with honey, there are many wonderful flavours,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21but I've selected this wildflower variety for my final recipe.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Figs are one of my favourite fruits.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34I like this recipe because of the idea of nestling them inside a beautiful sweet pastry tart
0:23:34 > 0:23:41with a base of ground almonds and a wonderful reduction of wildflower honey spread on to the figs.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45All that hard work the bees have done hasn't gone to waste.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47First, we'll prepare the pastry.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I'll get that butter...
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Add plain flour, icing sugar and butter to a blender.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02I prefer to pulse it instead of just leaving my machine running. Let me show you.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07Be careful. It's got a very sharp blade. Look at that. It's like fine breadcrumbs.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10To bind the mixture, add beaten egg.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16And then blitz again until the mixture starts to stick together
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and can be rolled into a ball.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24After chilling for 15 minutes, roll out onto a floured surface.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32There really is something about making a tart. It's so satisfying. It's almost like making bread.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36You know how much I love bread with honey, so the idea of making a tart,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40the combination of the two, just for me is perfect.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47200 degrees Centigrade, 400 Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 6 if you've got an old style gas oven.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And after baking for 15 minutes, glaze the pastry cases
0:24:51 > 0:24:56with the leftover beaten egg and cook again for a further ten minutes.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Meanwhile, I can get on with my orange and honey glaze.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03This is a really, really good little tip.
0:25:03 > 0:25:10That's my tablespoon there, my measuring tablespoon, and if you put a little bit of oil on that...
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Just a touch of oil.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18..what that will do is protect your spoon, so your honey won't stick to it.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Three tablespoons of honey.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Look at that, just flies off the spoon.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35To the honey, add a few knobs of butter and some freshly-squeezed orange juice.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40If you've got loads of mates coming round for a bit of an adult supper,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44then why not use just a little bit of orange juice...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and a little bit of orange liqueur?
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Perfect.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55So whilst that's heating up, I can prepare my figs.
0:25:55 > 0:26:01I've just cut the top off there and I want to cut these into six, but don't cut all the way through.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06So a little bit of control here. Turn that around and one half of it, cut into three.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Follow the knife almost all the way down,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14then you can just open that up like a little flower. Can you see that?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17I wish you were here now.
0:26:17 > 0:26:23I can just smell that honey. It's coming alive now. It's beginning to release its lovely aromas.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Next, line the pastry cases with some ground almonds.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33I'm just using the back of a spoon to push it into the corners, so it soaks up all that lovely juice.
0:26:33 > 0:26:39Then it doesn't seep through into your pastry. You don't want soggy pastry. Soggy pastry is awful.
0:26:39 > 0:26:46We're just going to pick that up now and just sit that inside our pastry case.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49That's quite syrupy now.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52There you go. Just spoon that around like that.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58You've got the ground almonds on the base there to soak up any of these juices,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01but try and get most of that on top of your figs.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07It's interesting that in this country we don't tend to eat that many figs, do we?
0:27:07 > 0:27:09But it's such a gorgeous fruit.
0:27:09 > 0:27:15If I wanted to use something alternative, I might use something like a damson or a bit of peach.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And pop those back into the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Now...
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Look at that, the juice has just started to come out and...
0:27:29 > 0:27:34The honey just kind of rises up into your nostrils. Just gorgeous.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39And for the finishing touches, I'm adding a dollop of creme fraiche,
0:27:39 > 0:27:45a touch of orange zest and finally, a drizzle of my scrumptious honey glaze. Hmm!
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Just a few more drops around there.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55There you have it - my caramelised fig and wild honey tart.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Oh!
0:28:06 > 0:28:12This is great. I can taste the wildflower honey really coming through in the figs.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16When you add something that has got that lovely floral kind of taste,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20it just heightens the whole thing. It really, really is stunning.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23It's been stunning, my journey.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28I have been so excited about meeting these people who care passionately about honey
0:28:28 > 0:28:30and the revival of British honey.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36Unless we do something about it collectively, guys, it will just disappear,
0:28:36 > 0:28:41so let's all of us get behind the Great British Honey Revival.
0:28:41 > 0:28:47Now it's time for someone else who is as passionate about reviving British produce as I am.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59One carpaccio, one duck, one lamb.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00Oui.
0:29:00 > 0:29:07'I'm Glynn Purnell, head chef at my own award-winning restaurant in Birmingham.'
0:29:07 > 0:29:09One duck, one lamb.
0:29:09 > 0:29:15'If there's one ingredient I believe is in need of revival, then it's British cheese.'
0:29:15 > 0:29:18We forget how much we use cheese in cooking.
0:29:18 > 0:29:25We do a goat's cheese emulsion with things, we gratinate things. And you can't beat cheese on toast.
0:29:25 > 0:29:31I'm sort of concerned that we're not giving cheesemakers enough credit for what they do.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It's frightening that we've neglected them.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40Over half the cheese we buy each year in the UK is imported,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44so our own cheeses face stiff competition on the shelves.
0:29:44 > 0:29:50Copycats, imitations, misleading labelling. We need to bring it back, we need to revive it.
0:29:50 > 0:29:56'I want to see British cheeses in your basket, so I'm doing the hard work for you
0:29:56 > 0:30:00'by tracking down some of the country's best cheeses.'
0:30:00 > 0:30:03You get that dimple of sweat.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07'By finding out how we're fooled into buying the foreign stuff.'
0:30:07 > 0:30:1353% of the cheddar sold is pre-packed own label. We don't even know who made it.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18'And in the Revival kitchen I'll be sharing three fantastic recipes to help you
0:30:18 > 0:30:21'show off our great British cheese.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:25We've got that fantastic wibble wobble.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32'I've always loved using British cheeses in my recipes.'
0:30:32 > 0:30:39One of my first experiences of cooking with cheese, when I was 10, with a little brother and sister,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44we used to grate the cheese over hot beans for cheesy beans on toast
0:30:44 > 0:30:49and the other one was when we'd grate the cheese into the bowl and pour hot soup over it.
0:30:49 > 0:30:55Let it stand for a second then create fantastic, sort of elastic-y cheese string.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59They thought I was a genius. Still do.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03'Now there's no denying that we Brits love our cheese.
0:31:03 > 0:31:09'We eat around 600,000 tonnes of the stuff a year. But do we know enough about the great British cheeses
0:31:09 > 0:31:11'that are out there?'
0:31:12 > 0:31:17I could name five British cheeses. I think so. Cheddar...
0:31:17 > 0:31:19No, sorry!
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Stilton, Wensleydale, Cheddar, obviously.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Cheddar, um...
0:31:25 > 0:31:29- Cheddar, Wensleydale... - Obviously, Cheddar.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Red Leicester?
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Hmm, it's not so easy, actually.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43'Clearly, for my revival to succeed, we all need to become more aware
0:31:43 > 0:31:47'of the variety of British cheeses available.'
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Nigel, what's happened to British cheese?
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Well, in WWII, our cheese production virtually came to a standstill
0:31:55 > 0:32:00and any cheese that was made was made to a national recipe,
0:32:00 > 0:32:06which was essentially a Cheddar style in the rationing system. So we lost a lot of skills in that period.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10Cheesemaking didn't start in earnest until the early 1950s.
0:32:10 > 0:32:16'So that explains our obsession with Cheddar, but we're talking half a century ago.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20'Surely our British cheese industry has moved on.'
0:32:20 > 0:32:24We're now making over 700 named cheeses in this country,
0:32:24 > 0:32:30many of which are similar to imported cheeses we've had for some time.
0:32:30 > 0:32:36Things like our Cornish and Somerset Brie and Camembert are a match for any cheese in the world.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39The idea of having an English Camembert is fantastic.
0:32:42 > 0:32:49Just looking round this shop, it's amazing, really. There's so many varieties of British cheeses.
0:32:49 > 0:32:55I'm surprised how many there is. As a nation, are we not trying enough different British cheeses?
0:32:55 > 0:33:01Probably. I think part of the reason is that Cheddar is the nation's favourite. More than half the cheese
0:33:01 > 0:33:07- we eat is Cheddar in one form or another.- It's being brave and having a go.- It is.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11And you don't have to buy a lot. I try a different cheese every week.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16I only buy 100 grams to get a taste of the flavour.
0:33:16 > 0:33:22Cheddar plus one is the little motto we've got. Cheddar plus one and see how you get on.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26- Have you tried all 700? - Not yet, but I'm well on the way.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31100 grams at a time, working your way round all 700 of them!
0:33:33 > 0:33:40'It turns out we're making lots of different types of cheese, but not yet buying enough of them.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46'So I'm going to show you how easy it is to substitute British cheeses for your foreign favourites.
0:33:46 > 0:33:52'And what better place to start than the most famous of all cheese recipes, a cheesecake?'
0:33:53 > 0:33:59Normally I would use a typical soft foreign cheese, but today I've got a fantastic West Yorkshire,
0:33:59 > 0:34:04British cheese, which is pretty unusual. I'm excited making this.
0:34:04 > 0:34:10This will be a perfect recipe to showcase how fantastic and brilliant British cheese is.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14'The first step is the biscuit base.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:20I normally use digestive biscuits. If you've got broken biscuits, throw them in. The odd ginger,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23the odd cookie that's lost its way.
0:34:23 > 0:34:30'Blitz together the biscuits with melted butter. I use salted butter to cut through the sweetness
0:34:30 > 0:34:33'of that real cheesy topping.
0:34:35 > 0:34:41'Tip it into a loose-bottom tin, press it down firmly and whack it in the fridge to set.
0:34:43 > 0:34:49'Stage two is the fruit topping.' Get the blackberries in with some sugar.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And crush as much of the juice out as possible.
0:34:52 > 0:34:59Some people call it coulis, but I just call it a juice. Coulis is a bit too posh!
0:34:59 > 0:35:05And we'll pass that off and get rid of all the little bits that get stuck in your teeth.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10I've got some now, actually. It should make an absolutely stunning pudding.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17'Leave it to cool and get on with the main event -
0:35:17 > 0:35:19'the sweet cheese filling.'
0:35:20 > 0:35:26We've got this lovely West Yorkshire British cream cheese, which people probably haven't seen.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31It's fantastic. It's got a slight acidic smell, which is really nice.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36And we've got a really nice vanilla pod, which we're going to split.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38It'll flavour our cheesecake.
0:35:38 > 0:35:46'And here's a top tip - before you split it, run your knife over it to loosen up those little black seeds.'
0:35:47 > 0:35:51I just want to scrape... as much of that out as possible.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58You can also save these and use them in your sugar.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02'Next, get the cream cheese in a mixer with those vanilla seeds.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10'Then, add three eggs and some cream that have been whisked together.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18'And finally, feed in some flour and sugar.'
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Once you've mixed it, you might have to run your paddle through it.
0:36:23 > 0:36:29If you over-beat it, it'll be too thin and take too long to cook. Don't ask me why. It just doesn't.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33'Simply pour the cheesy mixture onto the biscuit base.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41'And drizzle on the cooled blackberry juice.'
0:36:41 > 0:36:46I'm making a feathered effect. It's a little bit retro,
0:36:46 > 0:36:52but it's a classical recipe, so it's quite nice to keep that sort of theme, really.
0:36:54 > 0:37:01I'm going to pop this in the oven for around 45 minutes, but not too hot. Don't overcook it.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06You want it to cook really gently all the way through.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09In the middle, we want a little wibble wobble.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12'I'm serving it with zingy blackberries and honeycomb,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15'dusted with black pepper.'
0:37:15 > 0:37:16Just give it a...
0:37:18 > 0:37:22'Smash it into shards of peppery sugariness.'
0:37:24 > 0:37:29I'm going to cut up some of the blackberries, leave some whole.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32And you always have to nick one.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Whack a bit of that in there, give it a little stir up.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46'And after 45 minutes, it's done.'
0:37:46 > 0:37:48It's exactly what we're looking for.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52We've got that fantastic wibble wobble.
0:37:52 > 0:37:58'Now for the hardest part - leaving it to cool before diving in.'
0:37:58 > 0:38:02So, this is the moment of truth to see whether it's set.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06We need to run a knife round the outside.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10You can hear the crunchiness of the biscuits on the bottom.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15And there we go.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20I'm going to serve it with the blackberries and honeycomb,
0:38:20 > 0:38:26and that should give the dish even more texture, and a little bit of spice with the black pepper.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32So there we have it. My baked blackberry cheesecake.
0:38:46 > 0:38:52In Britain, we love our cheese. We buy it in supermarkets, delis, farmhouses, markets.
0:38:52 > 0:38:5760% of that is Cheddar, but a third of it isn't even from the UK.
0:38:57 > 0:39:04'Originally made in its namesake village in Somerset, Cheddar is now produced all over the world.'
0:39:04 > 0:39:06If you go back into the 1860s,
0:39:06 > 0:39:11there's a guy called Harding who lived in Somerset
0:39:11 > 0:39:16who sent his recipe to America. And because of him, Cheddar went global.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22It can be made anywhere, in any sort of factory, and imported here.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26People are confused. They think they're buying home-produced Cheddar.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30In fact, they're buying cheese that could come from anywhere.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32And that is a great problem.
0:39:32 > 0:39:38'Buying your cheese from a farmer's market is always a good way to know where it comes from.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43'What about the cheese you buy in shops and supermarkets?'
0:39:44 > 0:39:49This is a block of mature Cheddar.
0:39:49 > 0:39:55Right? 53% of the Cheddar sold in this country is in pre-packed own label,
0:39:55 > 0:40:02- so we don't even know who made it. It's a supermarket.- So, supermarket Cheddar, which most people get,
0:40:02 > 0:40:07- thinking they're having British Cheddar.- Right.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08- I turn that over...- OK.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12..and it just tells me not even that it's packed in the UK,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16it just names the retailer. No clue where it comes from.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Where could it come from?
0:40:18 > 0:40:25- An awful lot comes, believe it or not, from Australia and New Zealand and Canada.- Australia?- Absolutely.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30- A long way away.- It is. Considering you're thinking you're buying Cheddar.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35'And for the cheesemakers, this is the critical issue.'
0:40:35 > 0:40:40We do need desperately to clarify the labelling laws
0:40:40 > 0:40:45so if you do want to buy English Cheddar, you can buy it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50'Some supermarkets are starting to clarify their labelling.
0:40:50 > 0:40:56'One good way of guaranteeing your cheese is made in Britain is the red tractor,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00'an independent mark of British farming quality.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03'But there's another label.'
0:41:03 > 0:41:08What can we do to make people more aware of what they're buying?
0:41:08 > 0:41:15We have about nine or ten Protected Designation of Origin cheeses. They are protected across Europe.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19- The most famous is Stilton. - Stilton.- We always had that one.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23And around about eight or nine years ago, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar,
0:41:23 > 0:41:29that was accredited with a PDO, so it has to be made in Dorset, Devon, Cornwall or Somerset.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33On the farm, using the farmer's own milk.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38- And there, you see the logo there? - Yes.- Even the supermarkets
0:41:38 > 0:41:45- have to put that on their packs now, which is great.- So we know exactly what's going on.- You've got it.
0:41:45 > 0:41:51'And there's a very important reason why now is the time for us to revive our cheese industry.'
0:41:51 > 0:41:58We've got a critical situation. We've lost half our dairy farmers in 15 years.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03- The average age of a dairy farmer now is 59.- Which is ridiculous.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08So we need to start buying more British cheese. There's plenty.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12The best thing people can do is to shop more carefully.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19What a fantastic story it's turned out to be.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Cheddar seems to have lost its way, so we're here in Somerset
0:42:23 > 0:42:28to meet a guy who wants to bring Cheddar back to its home county.
0:42:28 > 0:42:34'The Montgomeries have been making their award-winning Cheddar on their farm near Yeovil
0:42:34 > 0:42:36'for the last 100 years.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43'Unlike most supermarket Cheddars, they use unpasteurised milk,
0:42:43 > 0:42:47'which gives every batch of their cheese a unique flavour.'
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Because it's unpasteurised,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53we're trying much harder to get more flavour
0:42:53 > 0:42:59to come from that milk. You can make Cheddar with a lot of acidity, and a lot of people like that,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03something that'll blow their head off. But we're not about that.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07Because it's unpasteurised, we can supply that flavour to the market.
0:43:07 > 0:43:14'James makes cheese every day of the year, with each truckle left to mature for at least 12 months.'
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Oh, fantastic smell.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27It is really complex.
0:43:27 > 0:43:33You put it in your mouth and it's changing all the time, which is fantastic.
0:43:33 > 0:43:38That's the best feature, the really progressive feature of unpasteurised cheese.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42With a little hint of sweetness, but it's a spicy sweetness.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48It's not sickly. That's what you get from unpasteurised cheese.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52The complexity. When you pasteurise the milk, you kill all the flavour.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56- Then you put a starter in to give you the flavour.- OK.
0:43:56 > 0:44:02That means the flavour you get is very defined, exactly what you want it to be.
0:44:02 > 0:44:08- For supermarkets, that's fantastic. It's always exactly the same. - Is that too good to cook with? Or...
0:44:08 > 0:44:15What you can do is you can get all that flavour into a dish only using a little bit of cheese.
0:44:15 > 0:44:21That's right, yeah. I'm sure at a nice room temperature with a glass of cider, it'd do the job.
0:44:21 > 0:44:26Well, that's king. That's everything from the farm.
0:44:26 > 0:44:32I want to have a go at cooking with it. I've got the ideal dish to bring out the best of your cheese.
0:44:39 > 0:44:46So for my next dish, what I want to do is emphasise how great British Cheddar is.
0:44:52 > 0:44:57First, we need to get the custard going, so cream and grated Cheddar.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01'All right, custards are normally sweet, but this one's savoury.
0:45:01 > 0:45:07'It's a bit like a quiche without the pastry. It starts with double cream - quite a lot, in fact.'
0:45:07 > 0:45:12Now I need to grate some of that delicious, sharp mature Cheddar.
0:45:15 > 0:45:21I want to grate some rind into it, because the rind has still got the smell of the farm
0:45:21 > 0:45:26and the orchards over the back. So if we grate it down...
0:45:26 > 0:45:31'Once you've got a big enough handful, chuck it in with the cream
0:45:31 > 0:45:37'and give it a good stir to encourage it to melt.
0:45:37 > 0:45:44'Now it's time for some bold, punchy flavours, starting with a pinch of ginger.'
0:45:44 > 0:45:51And then a tiny bit of English mustard, just to help bring that flavour of the Cheddar out.
0:45:51 > 0:45:56Not too much. So what I've got now is a fantastic consistency,
0:45:56 > 0:46:01almost like a cheese sauce consistency. What we need to do is add the eggs.
0:46:01 > 0:46:06This will be our setting agent to give a fantastic consistency
0:46:06 > 0:46:08and let the Cheddar sing out.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11'Once the eggs are whisked in,
0:46:11 > 0:46:15'pass the mixture through a sieve to make sure there's no lumps.
0:46:21 > 0:46:28'Then, pour boiling water into a baking tray around an oven-proof dish and tip the custard in.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32'This will make sure it cooks slowly and evenly.'
0:46:32 > 0:46:38A little bit more grated cheese on top to almost get that cheese-on-toast taste.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41It colours and melts onto the custard.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44I'll cook that at 160 for 40 to 50 minutes.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Whilst that's cooking, we'll do the beetroot salad.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53'Beetroot is the perfect partner for cheese.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58'There's lots of varieties, like these colourful beauties.'
0:46:58 > 0:47:05When I was a kid, when you had a ploughman's, you'd have pickled beetroot or crunchy red cabbage,
0:47:05 > 0:47:10so this really is reliving that sort of flavour.
0:47:10 > 0:47:15We'll have a little splash of really reduced balsamic.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20So, you've got beetroot, the crunchy veg to go with the creamy, sharp Cheddar.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29We're just about ready for our Cheddar custard.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Got that cheese-on-toast smell.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36It's just started to colour, which is absolutely fantastic.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38I can't wait to taste that now.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41I just hope I've done that Cheddar justice.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45That, to me, sings.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Great British Cheddar.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58'If we're going to succeed in reviving British cheese,
0:47:58 > 0:48:04'we need to open our eyes to the different varieties that are as good as foreign equivalents.'
0:48:06 > 0:48:13We're off to Lancashire today to meet a cheesemaker making a more continental-style cheese.
0:48:13 > 0:48:19These guys are making cheese more like the French, so it'll hopefully knock them off the shelves.
0:48:19 > 0:48:25'Gillian Hall and her family have made Traditional Farmhouse Lancashire for three generations
0:48:25 > 0:48:28'at their dairy near Preston.'
0:48:30 > 0:48:34This is the original Lancashire recipe that my mum's made
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- for over 40 years. - And the blue one's six years old.
0:48:37 > 0:48:42- It's the new artisan modern recipe. - The future, is it?- Hopefully, yes.
0:48:42 > 0:48:47'It took two years of trial and error to produce a British soft blue.
0:48:47 > 0:48:54'They even built a separate dairy to keep the blue cheese mould away from their Traditional Lancashire.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57'This mould sets the cheeses apart.
0:48:57 > 0:49:03'That and the careful handling required to give it a soft, creamy texture.'
0:49:03 > 0:49:09- We've got to treat it very gently. - Gently.- With kid gloves.
0:49:09 > 0:49:14- What'll happen to this now? - We call it the Miss Muffet stage. - I like that.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18- It's got a bit more romance to it. - You're a romantic!- I am.
0:49:18 > 0:49:24You've got the whey and this curd. Actually, only 10% of the milk ends up as curd.
0:49:24 > 0:49:30So you can see from these 700 litres of milk, we'll get very little.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33- So it's a passion as well as a job for you.- It is.
0:49:33 > 0:49:39If you see how gentle this is. It really is hand-made with love.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43'It's this passion, shared by all our artisan cheesemakers,
0:49:43 > 0:49:51'that has seen Britain produce Camemberts, mozzarellas, ricottas, Bries, soft blues all of our own.'
0:49:51 > 0:49:54This is the beautiful blue cheese curd.
0:49:54 > 0:50:00- It looks like really overcooked scrambled egg.- And it tastes a bit like that at this stage.
0:50:00 > 0:50:06It's not until it's matured for about six weeks that you get the creamy texture and blue flavour.
0:50:06 > 0:50:13'Once separated from the whey, the curds are packed into circular moulds and left to drain.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19'Then the cheeses are pierced with needles to encourage blue mould.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23'After six months, they're ready for the table.'
0:50:25 > 0:50:30My L plates are not on. I love blue cheese.
0:50:32 > 0:50:40It's so subtle. I'd say it's as good as any Roquefort or Gorgonzola I've tasted.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45- Thank you.- And it's British.- That's right.- Let's give it to the French!
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Thank you.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55It was fantastic. The colour was great. There was a lot of blue,
0:50:55 > 0:50:59but it wasn't overpowering. It was subtle, smooth...
0:50:59 > 0:51:03It was starting to make the sides of my cheeks gently sweat.
0:51:03 > 0:51:09You know you're enjoying the cheese when you get that dimple of sweat. I'm really excited.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14'What better way to help put British cheese back on the food map
0:51:14 > 0:51:17'than by making it yourself?
0:51:17 > 0:51:21'You could start with the handful of courses for wannabe cheesemakers.'
0:51:21 > 0:51:26More and more people are interested in cheese and how it's made
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and they want to have a go.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32'You can even buy kits and try making it at home.'
0:51:32 > 0:51:37People get right into it, get really enthusiastic, excited,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40really proud of themselves.
0:51:40 > 0:51:46After dinner, how nice is it to bring out a cheese that you've made from scratch?
0:51:46 > 0:51:51'You definitely don't need a dairy when a bedroom's just as good.'
0:51:51 > 0:51:55That's better. The first cheese I made was a Camembert.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59I decided to jump in and make a ridiculously difficult cheese.
0:51:59 > 0:52:05I just progressed from there, thinking, "I want to make every type of cheese," and now I've settled
0:52:05 > 0:52:07on a goat-y blue cheese.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14It's really about just jumping in and trying it. It's not difficult.
0:52:14 > 0:52:19You just need lemon juice and some milk. Simple. ..Pretty good.
0:52:23 > 0:52:30For my last recipe, we're going to use some of Gillian's really rich blue cheese. British blue cheese.
0:52:30 > 0:52:37And in the past a lot of chefs like myself have used typical blue cheese like Roquefort to cook with,
0:52:37 > 0:52:43foreign blue cheeses. I'm so excited to cook this beef dish with a great, soft British blue cheese.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47We're going to cook slow-cooked fillet of beef
0:52:47 > 0:52:52with blue cheese bonbons, rocket and shallot puree.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57The first part is to get the beef on. This is a fantastic cut.
0:52:57 > 0:53:02British, of course. It should go fantastic with the cheese.
0:53:03 > 0:53:09What's great about this dish is it doesn't have to be an expensive piece like the fillet.
0:53:09 > 0:53:15You should get that for a good price. It's the end of the fillet. You could use rump steak
0:53:15 > 0:53:17or a big roasting joint. It'll work.
0:53:17 > 0:53:24I'll cook that in a quite hot oven for around about 15, 20 minutes, depending on how you like it.
0:53:25 > 0:53:32'But it's Gillian's blue cheese I can't wait to get my hands on. It's got a fantastic creamy texture,
0:53:32 > 0:53:37'perfect for my blue cheese bonbons, which are like potato croquettes.'
0:53:37 > 0:53:43We want to basically mix in the blue cheese so it all breaks down. If the worst comes to the worst,
0:53:43 > 0:53:47you have to roll your sleeves up and break it down.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Already you can see the potato is taking on the blue cheese colour.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57When you cut open the bonbon, it has a beautiful yellowy colour.
0:53:57 > 0:54:03What I'm going to do is make these into nice, round bonbons, like the sweets we used to buy.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06That sort of shape.
0:54:07 > 0:54:13They're all cooked the same and will all be encased in a little crispy coat.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15Roll my sleeves up.
0:54:15 > 0:54:22'And here's some Brummie advice. To get them really crispy, dip them in flour, then egg,
0:54:22 > 0:54:27'then breadcrumbs, not once, but twice.'
0:54:27 > 0:54:33Until the outside's golden brown, crispy with a lovely gooey sort of yellowy cheese centre.
0:54:33 > 0:54:39Now what I'm going to do is take the meat out. It's crying, "Get me out," so we will.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43We take that out and give that a good 5-10 minutes to rest.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47'So the meat relaxes, always a good idea.'
0:54:48 > 0:54:53There's a few juices left which I'll clean down with wine to make sauce.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57We don't want too much sauce. The bonbons give us all the flavour.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02'While that's reducing, you can get them in to fry.'
0:55:04 > 0:55:09What we're looking for is a nice, golden outside, soft in the middle.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11A nice bit of colour.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16There we go. Nice, crispy little jackets.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20Tip them out onto there.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Season them up. A bit of rock salt.
0:55:27 > 0:55:32The beef should have had plenty of time to rest. Still relatively pink.
0:55:32 > 0:55:38'And that, with a dollop of creamy shallot puree, and two cheese bonbons and some peppery rocket
0:55:38 > 0:55:42'is what I call a taste of British heaven on a plate.'
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Glaze the plate with the red wine.
0:55:45 > 0:55:52And then we should have a finished dish - roast half fillet of beef with British blue cheese bonbons,
0:55:52 > 0:55:54shallot puree and rocket.
0:56:02 > 0:56:09'Criss-crossing the country, meeting truly passionate hard-working people
0:56:09 > 0:56:14'and tasting some of the amazing cheeses that are out there has made me realise
0:56:14 > 0:56:19'how important it is to keep our cheesemaking industry alive.'
0:56:19 > 0:56:25The farmers and cheesemakers are making the effort with bringing different varieties to the market,
0:56:25 > 0:56:31but when you go to the supermarket, pick up the cheese, look at it, read the label
0:56:31 > 0:56:36and we can put British cheese back on the map.