The hairy bikers

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Ordered a couple of their books last night, after watching them regularly on the BBC over the last few months, very enjoyable viewing.

The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain and Mums Know Best: The Hairy Bikers’ Family Cookbook were the titles ordered.

The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain and Mums Know Best

Si and Dave undertake a nationwide search for Britain’s lost recipes – those forgotten gems or secret scribbles handed down through the generations – for a landmark TV series. The Bikers send out a call-to-arms for mums, daughters and their grandmothers to unlock their private recipe archives and share with, and learn from, other mums of all races and backgrounds. This is a heart-warming and down-to-earth recipe book that takes place against beautiful British backdrops throughout the summer. Here yummy mummies, Northern matriarchs, West Indian foster mums and ladies of the manor all come together with recipes to share, tips to swap and techniques to learn, in a book that contains 112 different recipes.

About the Author

Si King hails from north east England and is a big, blond, bearded biker with an infectious laugh. His love of food was established at a young age when his father bought exotic ingredients back from his Royal Navy voyages. Born and bred in Barrow-in-Furness, Dave Myers joined the BBC as a make-up artist, and while travelling the world with hit TV series he picked up recipes and Simon, Dave’s travelling companion and the other half of the hairy bikers. Si King hails from North East England and is a big, blond bearded biker with an infectious laugh. His love of food was established at a young age when his father bought exotic ingredients back from his Royal Navy voyages.

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The hairy bikers, Simon King & David Myers

The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain

With their irrepressible enthusiasm for great food, Si King and Dave Myers AKA the Hairy Bikers travel the length and breadth of Britain to discover our finest traditional foods. Touring the counties of Britain on their trusty triumphs, Si and Dave celebrate local recipes and chefs from the villages and towns they explore. Creating delicious meals from local produce they inspire with their bubbling enthusiasm. Find out where the best sausages are made, why Ludlow has become the foody Mecca of the Shires and discover the century-old recipe for gingerbread with a hint of rum and port. Si and Dave are self-confessed life-long foodies. They celebrate each ingredient and create delicious dishes while providing some laughs along the way. THE HAIRY BIKERS’ FOOD TOUR OF BRITAIN puts the passion back into cooking and inspires readers to eat the best of British.

About the Author

Born and bred in Barrow-in-Furness, Dave Myers joined the BBC as a make-up artist, and while travelling the world with hit TV series he picked up recipes with Si, Dave’s travelling companion and the other half of the hairy bikers. Si King hails from North East England and is a big, blond-bearded biker with an infectious laugh. His love of food was established at a young age when his father bought exotic ingredients back from his Royal Navy voyages. Born and bred in Barrow-in-Furness, Dave Myers joined the BBC as a make-up artist, and while travelling the world with hit TV series he picked up recipes and Simon, Dave’s travelling companion and the other half of the hairy bikers.

About the hairy bikers

David Myers (from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria) and Simon King (from Washington, Tyne and Wear), collectively known as The Hairy Bikers, are British television presenters who have fronted the series The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, The Hairy Bikers Ride Again, The Hairy Bakers and The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain for BBC Two.

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Dave Myers

Both Myers and King have a background in TV and film production. Myers is a professional make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics, while King has served as locations manager on numerous productions including the Harry Potter movies and Byker Grove. Both have a tattoo of Che Guevara on their right arm.

The duo appeared on BBCs The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook. The duo’s TV shows are a mixture of cookery and travelogue, using a similar format and style to that previously associated with Keith Floyd, including the habit of frequently referring to the cameraman and other crew. Most shows feature the pair riding motorcycles, including the BMW R1200GS, F650GS and Triumph Rocket III. The show also features elements of the Two Fat Ladies format, including regular banter between the two stars, use of various unusual cooking locations and the use of motorbikes.


The pair have appeared on several episodes of Saturday Kitchen on the BBC, as well as on Richard & Judy on Channel 4. They both appeared on a celebrity chefs special of The Weakest Link and in the première episode of James Martin’s Brittany with Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin.

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Simon King

As of Summer 2009 they have filmed a new 30-part daytime series for BBC Two, The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain, which is aired weekdays starting on 24 August 2009. The series sees them visit a different county each day and cook what they consider to be that county’s signature dish.

In October 2009 filming of a BBC Christmas show featuring the Hairy Bikers was halted after King was injured in an accident on Tyneside. King came off his bike when a car pulled out in front of him whilst riding through Gosforth during rush hour; his TV partner Dave Myers was riding some distance behind him. King was taken to Newcastle General Hospital for treatment to bruising to his right leg and ribs.[6]. The hour long Hairy Bikers’ Twelve Days of Christmas was shown on BBC2, 16 December 2009 at 9pm.

A new six part series titled ‘The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best’ commenced broadcast in early January 2010 on BBC2

From January to May 2010 The Hairy Bikers performed their “Big Night Out” show in theatres throughout the UK. Directed by Bob Mortimer, the show was a fun mixture of cooking and chat with a little song and dance thrown in. It explored their youth, how they met and their love of food.

Hairy bikers website…

One Response to “The hairy bikers”

  1. Sharp paw tailwagger Says:

    The Hairy Bikers @ King George’s Hall, Blackburn

    Monday 22nd February 2010

    BEFORE the show the main question was: could the genial duo pull it off?

    Larking about on bikes, being filmed riding round the country and cooking dishes in a downpour is one thing – but a two-hour live show?

    Have no fears, TV’s most unlikely double act pulled it off with the same cheery good humour as all their fans have come to expect.

    It’s difficult to exactly quantify the show. It’s part cookery demonstration, part history of the Hairy Bikers with many laughs along the way.

    On television Dave Myers and Simon King’s friendship is the glue that holds everything together.

    On stage you feel you’re sharing an evening with two mates just out to have a laugh and a good time.

    In a live setting they’re a little bit ruder, but only in an end of the pier way.

    Clips and out-takes from some of the TV experiences added to the evening’s enjoyment.

    Two lucky couples got the chance to sample some Hairy Biker cooking – and come in for a great deal of ribbing along the way.

    Certainly this is the best-smelling show ever to come to King George’s with the aromas of South Asian curry and Italian steak dishes wafting around the main hall.

    In different hands the show would never have worked but the Hairy Bikers are clearly as mystified by their success as anyone else and are just out to enjoy the ride taking as many of their new found friends along with them.

    A packed house of all age groups certainly proves they’ve got plenty of those.

    Saturday night with the Hairy Bikers, now that’s entertainment.

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