Famous chef and restaurateur, Rick Stein, travelled through Wales during an episode of his latest BBC series, Rick Stein's Food Stories. The 77-year-old tried vegan rhubarb pizza made by chef turned social media sensation Gaz Oakley in his Monmouthshire small holding, before meeting the farmer raising salt marsh lamb on the Gower Peninsula.
Rick also went coracle fishing at night on the River Tywi and visited Dylan Thomas' Boathouse in Laugharne. Opening the episode, Rick was seen driving through gorgeous rolling hills as he told viewers: "Coming from Cornwall, I've always felt a great affinity with the Celtic nations so it's a thrill to be here today in Wales."
He added: "If you want to find some ancient, time-honoured agriculture or fishing, it's probably here you are going to find it, but that's not to say it's not also really innovative in that it attracts people that want to do interesting things on the land. I think it's a nation that's constantly evolving."
READ MORE: Michael Sheen shares 'difficulty' of filming BBC drama in hometown of Port Talbot
LATEST: Channel 4 Alice & Jack start time, cast list, filming locations and how many episodes
Rick started in south Wales, visiting Gaz and his vegetables in Monmouthshire. Speaking about his 1.1 million social media followers, Gaz said he thought the interest was down to him showing "plant-based cooking in a new light." He explained: "I'm showing that it's not just salads and rabbit food, I'm trying to create something really unique with the vegetables that I have on hand and people are enjoying it."
Gaz and Rick picked some onion and rhubarb from the garden, which was surrounded by lush green rolling hills before the chef tucked into Gaz' Welsh Garden Rarebit Pizza. Giving it a thumbs up, Rick said: "There's no doubt, Gaz has found every possible way to harness flavour from his rich, Welsh soil."
Next, Rick headed to the Gower Penisula, where he met "another innovative food entrepreneur" who uses vast, nutrient-rich salt marshes to raise sheep. As the camera panned over another stunning landscape, Rick explained: "At high tide, this land is entirely covered by the sea," before he headed out to meet farmer Dan Pritchard.
"Gosh what it must be like with a wind like this, ice cold in the winter, but I often find that people who are doing sort of really quite rugged outdoor things are some of the happiest people I get to meet," Rick said before taking a rack of Gower Salt Marsh Lamb home to Padstow to cook up a storm. You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.
During his visit to Wales, Rick stopped at Dylan Thomas' Boathouse in Laugharne. Calling Dylan his literary hero, Rick said: "I couldn't come here at not visit the sanctuary where his great works were written." Taking in the scenery, he added: "It would have been quite hard I suspect for Dylan Thomas to write because of the view, looking out at the estuary, hearing the curlews, seeing the herons, it would have been a tremendous and wonderful distraction for him."
Moving seamlessly into his next segment, Rick said: "Dylan Thomas' depiction of Welsh life has a timeless quality, and just 10 miles away on the River Tywi survives a traditional way of fishing that's been around for thousands of years."
Rick explained that it's thought one-man coracles have been used to catch fish since pre-Roman times as he met fishermen from the Rees family for a bit of night fishing to catch sea trout. "It's such an unusual and atmospheric way to fish," Rick told the camera before explaining why the method is sustainable.
After showcasing Wales and its food scene in all its glory, Rick passionately summed up his trip. As aerial views of more coastlines and lush green land appeared, the much-loved chef said: "On the Gower Penisula is Weobley Castle built by the Normans to quell the Welsh spirit, but I can't help but feel that the Welsh spirit is as strong today as it ever was, especially with regards to food.
"People here fish and farm in ways that respect the traditional and yet they never sit still, always evolving and finding new ways to enjoy the bounties of this remarkable landscape." You can watch the entire series of Rick Stein's Food Stories on BBC iPlayer now.
