RTÉ Media Centre

(New seven-part series, programme two)

Wednesday January 14th 2026, RTÉ One, 8.30pm

Neven Maguire starts the new year with a new seven-part series: Neven’s English Food Tour, on RTÉ One, which concentrates on the North East of England, including Newcastle, Northumberland and County Durham.

In each of the seven programmes Neven visits some of the sites and restaurants that make this relatively undiscovered part of England by Irish visitors such a worthwhile place to visit. As well as meeting some of the region’s most talented chefs and eating great food, Neven visits the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle, learns how kippers are smoked, and takes a vintage motorcycle side-car ride. 

Neven’s brand new series also sees him cooking venison in a thousand – year – old kitchen, learning to drive a diesel locomotive, hiking through breathtaking scenery in the North Pennines, and discovering the secret to making Stottie bread and pork pies.

‘Filming in the North East of England was a memorable experience”, says Neven.

“We got such a warm welcome everywhere, and the food, the people, and the places we visited were exceptional. I was delighted to discover the artisan local food culture, and try food I’ve never tasted before. I hope our viewers will be interested to see a beautiful part of England which deserves more recognition here, especially as it is only a short plane journey from Dublin. This is the first food and travel programme based entirely in the UK made for Irish television, but I am sure it won’t be the last”. 

Programme Two: Northumberland

Programme two of Neven’s English Food Tour takes Neven to Northumberland, the northernmost county in England, renowned for its wild expanse of countryside, and spectacular coastline. Northumberland was also a centre of Celtic Christianity, led by the Irish St. Aidan in the 7th century. 

Neven’s first stop is Bamburgh Castle, one of Northumberland’s most famous landmarks. Once the site of a 5th century Celtic fort, the present castle dates back to the 12th century and overlooks sweeping beaches and sand dunes. Neven takes a tour of the castle, including the Victorian King’s Hall, regarded as an architectural masterpiece for its intricate wooden ceiling made with teak from Thailand. 

Neven then calls in to the Potted Lobster restaurant in Bamburgh to meet chef Richard Sim whose passion for using Northumberland ingredients inspires his menu. Northumberland’s unspoiled coast makes for abundant, fresh seafood, particularly lobster and crab. The vast areas of countryside mean it’s also a region rich in game produce. The Potted Lobster serves up to 250 lobsters per week at peak times, and Neven tries Poached Lobster followed by Teal (a small duck) with Scallops. 

Neven’s next stop is the seaside village of Craster, home of the Craster Kipper. Historically, Craster was a major hub of kipper production, but as herring stocks dwindled, the local smokehouses went into decline. However, the last remaining kipper smokehouse in Craster is still thriving and operated by the Robson family. Neven meets owner Neil Robson whose smoke house dates back to 1856. Neil has preserved the traditional craft of smoking herrings by lighting fires made with oak shavings directly under the racks of fish to produce the famous kippers.

The Sidecar Guys offer motorcycle and sidecar tours of the Northumberland coastline, and Neven enjoys a scenic sidecar trip from Cresswell Beach to Warkworth, famous for its 13th century castle. The Sidecar Guys are Matt Bishop and Reece Gilkes who hold the Official Guinness World Record for the longest journey by scooter and sidecar, traveling 34,000 miles, through 35 countries and 5 continents. 

After a bracing sidecar journey, it’s time for some hot food and Neven ends this week’s episode at Bertram’s restaurant in Warkworth where he enjoys three seafood dishes: Grilled Sardines with Tomato Chutney and Sourdough, Lemon Sole with Crayfish, and delicious Craster Kippers from his visit to the smoke house earlier.

Neven’s English Food Tour is produced and directed by David Hare of InProductionTV and sponsored by Flogas   

Press enquiries: 

TVPR 

Pauline Cronin 00 353 872629967