Join celebrity chef and TV presenter Ainsley Harriott as he hosts a cooking competition using produce grown in three of the gardens we care for, in ITV's new series Ainsley’s National Trust Cook Off.
Ainsley Harriott heads to Blickling Estate in Norfolk, Tyntesfield in Somerset and Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire to host a light-hearted outdoor competition with well-known chefs, who create dishes using fresh produce from the gardens.
And who better to judge these freshly cooked plates than the people who’ve grown the produce? Our staff and volunteers taste and rank each dish, and Ainsley gets to know the people who look after the gardens all year round. From meeting Wimpole Estate's shire horses to trying topiary at Blickling Estate, you’ll see what it takes to care for gardens like these.
Ainsley’s National Trust Cook Off will run for 10 episodes, starting at 11.40am on 18 May 2024 on ITV1 and ITVX.
Visiting the three locations has made me realise how much diversity there is in the National Trust... I hope everyone can feel the energy and joy we experienced when they watch the series.
In the first episode of the series, Ainsley visits Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire. He's joined by Poppy O'Toole, who's known for her viral potato recipe videos on TikTok, and Sam Grainger, chef patron at Belzan in Liverpool and former contestant on the BBC's Great British Menu. The chefs source fresh ingredients from the garden to create their bespoke dishes, including cavalo nero kale, Charlotte potatoes and yellow courgettes.
Ainsley heads to Blickling Estate in Norfolk with Joseph Denison Carey, co-founder of The Bread and Butter Supper Club and guest chef on ITV's This Morning, and Georgina Hayden, cook, food writer and stylist. Ainsley uses fresh broad beans to create a Cromer crab and broad bean guacamole tostada, while Georgina uses yellow french beans to create a Cypriot dish and Joseph pays homage to his Italian culinary training.
In episode three, Ainsley is joined by celebrity chef and presenter Briony May Williams, who competed in the Great British Bake Off, and Gaz Oakley, cookbook author and YouTube chef, formerly known as 'the Avant-Garde Vegan'. This time, the chefs set up their kitchen at Tyntesfield in Somerset. Ainsley uses fresh chives to make potato and chive scones with eggs, bacon and blistered tomatoes, while Briony cooks on a wood-fired oven and Gaz explains the health benefits of using garden-fresh vegetables.
Ainsley visits Wimpole Estate with chef, restaurateur and BBC Great British Menu winner Tristan Welch, and Asian-inspired chef and author, Philli Armitage-Mattin, who was a finalist on BBC MasterChef. Ainsley picks fresh beetroot and makes beetroot and carrot patties with a vegan horseradish yoghurt. Meanwhile, Tristan shares his passion for zero-waste cooking and Philli creates a Japanese-inspired summer vegetable pancake.
In episode five, Ainsley heads back to Blickling Estate and is accompanied by Freddy Forster, who appeared on Channel 4's Beat the Chef, and Lerato Umah-Shaylor, food writer and presenter. Ainsley picks cucumbers from the greenhouse to make 'bash-bang' chicken and cucumber noodle salad. Freddy demonstrates his skills in French cuisine, while Lerato highlights her expertise in traditional African cooking.
Back at Tyntesfield, Ainsley is joined by Yvonne Cobb, deaf celebrity chef and founder of Yumma Food, and Dr Rupy Aujla, GP and creator of The Doctor's Kitchen. Ainsley creates brioche French toast with chargrilled greengages and cinnamon crème fraiche, while Yvonne experiments with strong flavours and Dr Rupy emphasises the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
Ainsley returns to Wimpole, this time with 2018 Great British Bake Off finalist, Ruby Bhogal and Michelin-starred French chef, Daniel Galmiche. Ainsley digs up Charlotte potatoes from the Walled Garden to make flatbread pizza with Charlotte potato, rosemary and chilli rings. Ruby celebrates her Indian heritage using one of her mother's recipes, while Daniel showcases his French influences.
In episode eight, Ainsley visits Tyntesfield accompanied by self-taught cook and author, Genevieve Taylor and Irish chef, Nico Reynolds. Ainsley chooses patty pan squash from the garden to add to his chargrilled summer squash recipe. Genevieve shows off her skills with the wood-fired and pizza ovens to make a pizza blanca, and Nico gets creative with Tyntesfield's home-grown onions.
Ainsley goes back to Blickling Estate with Ben Ebbrell, co-founder of Sorted Food, and Cyrus Todiwala, Indian celebrity chef and owner of Café Spice Namasté. Ainsley uses stripey tomatoes from the greenhouse for his pan-fried mackerel, while Ben creates a Latin-American-inspired dish and Cyrus pays homage to his Indian roots.
Ainsley visits Tyntesfield one final time with Serena Appleby, who's well-known for her appearance on BBC Three's Hungry For It, and Judy Joo, chef, author and restaurateur. Ainsley picks rare Ashmead Kernel apples for his maple-griddled apple, fennel and prosciutto salad. Serena uses her street-food style cooking to create a summer garden frittata, and Judy makes a salad dish inspired by her Korean heritage.
Blickling Estate
The Walled Garden was a source of food for people who worked on Blickling Estate for several centuries before it fell into disrepair during the 20th century. In 2014, we began work to restore the garden and you can now see an abundance of fruits, vegetables and herbs growing there. You can also eat produce from the garden in the onsite cafés or take some home from the donation point at the Estate Barn.
You can find out more about the series and watch the latest episodes on ITVX.
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