Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour to Showcase Ireland’s Culinary Delights on BBC Two

 

Image: Below The Radar

By Jon Donnis

Celebrity chef Anna Haugh is set to embark on a vibrant culinary journey across Ireland in her new 15-part series, Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour. Launching on Monday 5 May on BBC Two, the series will celebrate the diversity and richness of Irish cuisine, with a host of celebrity guests joining Anna along the way.

Travelling from Ballycastle in County Antrim to the streets of Cork city, Anna meets local food producers, samples regional ingredients, and prepares traditional and modern dishes. Each episode features a special guest, including Katherine Ryan, Dennis Taylor, Ed Byrne, Shayne Ward, Laura Whitmore, and Vanessa Feltz, who share their personal food memories and lend a hand in the kitchen.

Speaking about the series, Anna said, “Irish food is my passion and it’s a passion that took me from Dublin to London to pursue my dreams. Throughout this series, viewers can look forward to lots of delicious, inspiring food ingredients, wonderful recipes and great chats with my celebrity guests and food producers.”

The series opens with Anna welcoming Katherine Ryan to Cork, where they revisit Katherine’s less than fond memories of Irish cooking from her youth. Episode two sees snooker legend Dennis Taylor return to his roots in County Tyrone, culminating in a meal featuring the Lough Neagh eel, cooked outdoors with Anna’s guidance.

As the series continues, Anna meets familiar faces such as Eilish O'Carroll from Mrs Brown's Boys in Dublin’s vibrant markets, and Diarmuid Gavin on a farm in Ballycastle, where they join in the potato planting season. Their hard work is rewarded with a hearty goat hotpot prepared by Anna using the freshly harvested potatoes.

Highlights from the series include a visit to the rugged landscapes of County Mayo with Angela Scanlon, and a nostalgic trip to Portrush with actor Ian McElhinney, who recalls childhood seaside holidays and the local seaweed delicacy, dulse.

Other notable guests include Vanessa Feltz, Pauline McLynn, Liz Bonnin, rugby player Bundee Aki, and popstar Una Healy. The journey concludes in County Louth with Shayne Ward, where Anna helps him connect with his Irish Traveller roots through traditional crafts and local farming experiences.

Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour was commissioned by BBC Daytime and BBC Northern Ireland, developed under the Hot House Initiative with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Produced by Below The Radar TV, the series airs weekdays at 6.30pm on BBC Two from 5 May, with all episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer.