Catch up TV

Series 2: 5. Porthmadog

Chris ‘Flamebaster’ Roberts heads to Porthmadog, a town where rugged mountains meet the sea, and bold Welsh flavours meet global influence. \n\nHis journey begins on The Cob, the historic embankment that transformed marshland into a bustling port once famed for shipping Welsh slate around the world. Today, it’s Porthmadog’s vibrant food scene that draws attention, and Chris is here to taste, cook and uncover it all. \n\nHe starts at Nomi, the Indian-inspired restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Kartik and Nomi. Chris explores their inventive blend of local Welsh produce with classic Indian flavours before taking inspiration for a dish that celebrates a near-forgotten local ingredient: rabbit. Marinated in fragrant spices and grilled to juicy perfection, it nods to Welsh culinary heritage while bringing a bold Indian twist. \n\nNext, Chris ventures into the woods with his food hero Cynan, a master mushroom forager. Together they search for chanterelles, hedgehog fungus and other hidden woodland treasures. To thank Cynan, Chris cooks a forest-inspired dish over an open fire, finishing it with a rich, oozy egg yolk. \n\nThe journey continues at the iconic Portmeirion Hotel, where Chris meets head chef Mark Threadgill, a local who dreamed of leading this kitchen from the age of 14. Mark demonstrates how sustainable game, foraged ingredients and locally sourced produce shape the menu. Inspired, Chris prepares a signature venison dish: Welsh fallow deer backstrap seared over flames, enriched with molten bone marrow, glazed with a local ale sauce and served atop creamy polenta – a dish that perfectly fuses wild Welsh ingredients with Mediterranean technique. \n\nFrom fiery street flavours and foraged woodland ingredients to sustainable produce and fine dining, Chris celebrates Porthmadog’s extraordinary food community. This is a town where people, produce and fire combine to create dishes that are bold, soulful and unmistakably Welsh.

Source: BBC 1