Â鶹Éç

Native Welshman and globe-trotting fire chef Chris ‘Flamebaster’ Roberts heads to Swansea for his next stop – a city which, believe it or not, he has never set foot in before! It has the country’s largest indoor market, so it’s the perfect place for Chris to start his foodie journey of discovery. In the market he discovers the delicious joys of traditional faggots and meets the staff of family business, Abrahams, who have been selling faggots since 1921.

Next it’s a visit to top chef Jonathan Woolway, whose restaurant The Shed has regional produce in its seasonal prime at the heart of every dish. Chris gets a special lesson with his recipe for one of the best-sellers: deep-fried croquettes made with local cockles.

Just on the outskirts of Swansea, Chris gets a privileged peek into a beef ageing chamber run by producer Olly Woolnough. Olly’s cuts of beef sell out in minutes every morning. Inside the chamber, the beef is matured with special Himalayan salt blocks that intensifies the flavour and tenderises the meat.
Chris takes a huge slab of ribeye and heads to Oystermouth Castle, where he kicks out his barbecue and cooks a stunning steak with a rum-infused peppercorn sauce for rugby legend and now local rum producer Alun Wyn Jones.

There’s one final twist when it comes to cooking in Swansea – Gigi Gao’s is a Chinese restaurant that serves up food mostly from the Shanzi province, close to the northern Chinese border. Run by owner and chef Gigi, it’s a place where East meets Welsh. Chris samples a multitude of amazing dishes to get inspiration for his final cookout: Eastern-inspired faggots – a brand new dish that’s local, traditional and modern, all rolled into one.