Radio Times

Review by:

David Butcher

There’s a lovely, elegiac feel to this series, and particularly this episode, as Giles Coren and friends explore Kent in the late-summer sunshine. It really does look idyllic – fields of lavender, orchards bursting with rich red cherries, rows of hops. After learning how hopped beer first came over from Europe in the 15th century, Coren watches a master brewer make what medieval Britons had drunk previously – the unhopped, murky ale whose main virtue was to make water drinkable. “A yeasty smelling, muddy puddle!” Coren scoffs. “But it’s not going to kill you,” the brewer points out.

After that, it’s a delightful tour of the county taking in cob-nut oil, lavender jelly and a very specific job called “huffling”.

About this programme

3/4. The team explores Kent's local food and discovers it has a distinctly continental flavour. Giles Coren finds out what British beer tasted like before hops arrived from Europe, Alys Fowler investigates the origin of English cherries, while Lucy Worsley heads to Whitstable in search of shellfish. They also learn about the lives of shepherds who watched their flocks on Romney Marsh.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

Giles Coren

Presenter

Alys Fowler

Presenter

Lucy Worsley

Presenter

Alex Langlands

Crew

Executive Producer

Lisa Ausden

Series Producer

Sarah Gibbs

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