The Ellis family travel back in time to discover how changing food in the north of England reveals what life was like for working class families over the past 100 years.
In episode one the First World War has just ended and the North is on the cusp of great transformation. Presenter Sara Cox and social historian Polly Russell introduce the family to 1918 living: their spacious home has been halved to become a traditional two up two down, they’re wearing clogs to work and dining on bread and lard - or tripe if they’re lucky. Bradford-born Anita Rani introduces them to the pleasures of rambling, 1930s-style, and the family enjoy a rare bank holiday in Blackpool. But as the Ellis’s soon discover, just like the seaside town’s famous rollercoaster , life for working families was full of ups and downs.
The post-war years see the Ellis family on rations without a fridge, hot water or an electric cooker. Thrifty fodder includes the regional favourites cow heel pie and Yorkshire pudding made with dried eggs, and while the cost of food is low, family spirits are high. The insecurity of the hungry thirties has been replaced by the promise of a fairer society for working class families with government commitment to full employment and better housing and healthcare. Plus, two new family members - chickens Sara and Polly - treat them to fresh eggs. Sara Cox and Polly Russell present.
For the Ellis family, 1960 marks the start of a new era of prosperity and confidence in the north. We follow dad Jon as he puts in a shift down the local pit. The work is hard but full employment and a strong union means he is bringing home a decent pay packet, so gone are the days of offal and dripping. By 1964 they are tucking into steak and home-cooked chips with Lancashire chef Nigel Haworth. They can even afford a summer holiday in Filey - enjoying a full fry up in their authentic 60s caravan. The teen girls embrace new-found freedoms. At a 60s coffee bar they meet Bobby Elliot, from chart-topping Manchester band the Hollies, and find out about a generation of northern stars that changed pop music forever. They are delighted to try some new exotic flavours, heading out for a Chinese whilst Mum and Dad stop at home with sausage and mash.
For many northern families, the 70s saw a rise in living standards and the smallest gap in income ever recorded between rich and poor. Despite power cuts and strikes, this is a golden era for working-class families and the Ellises enjoy rare time together helped with the advent of their first ever record player and car! A visit from the pop man not to mention Brookside actress Claire Sweeney, bringing her family's speciality 'Scouse' round for tea, puts some sparkle into their kitchen, while mum Lesley tries her hand at being a dinner lady and the family get their heads round the new monetary system. They enjoy a family day trip on a canal boat and marvel as they cruise past mills similar to the one they worked in back in 1919. And wrestle with saveloy sausages whilst watching Big Daddy - all as part of their incredible journey back in time through the era 'that taste forgot'!
The Ellises's 80s home is a homage to chintz and magnolia with the exciting addition of some new technology: their first telephone, a chest freezer and that 80s kitchen essential - a toastie maker! Whilst traditional food still takes precedence at home, 1983 sees a revolution in eating out for the family who enjoy a feast with top chef Marcus Wareing at a chain which launched that year - Harvester. The continuing influence of food from across the Atlantic means the girls get a job flipping burgers at Wimpy, while the boys pick up tea at a drive-thru fish and chip shop. With Margaret Thatcher in power, the north experiences turbulent times. The family support dad Jon as he goes on strike from his job down the mine, and their bare kitchen cupboards are supplemented with a surprising Soviet food parcel. High unemployment across the region sees a widening of the north-south divide, although new government policies give enterprising northerners the chance to start their own business. Jon and Lesley get a jacket potato van and soon realise that owning your own business means working come rain or shine. But it's not all work work work. With an outing to the dog races, BMX riding and Bullseye on the telly, there's still plenty of time for fun. By the 90s, the north is back on the map as the Manchester music scene captures the nation and everyone wants a slice of northern cool. The girls dance the night away with Manchester's very own Sean Ryder and experience the boom of late-night kebab shops whilst indulging in a chip naan. To celebrate the end of their time-travel journey, the family gather their nearest and dearest for a millennium party. With a beer in hand, black peas in their bellies and a firework display, the Ellises are ready to party like it's 1999!
In this final episode of the series, the family reflects on their time-travel adventure, and explores how the legacy of 100 years of tumultuous history lives on in the northern diet today. Lesley and Sara visit a Liverpool bakery using the humble loaf to re-build a shattered community, and sisters Caitlin and Freya explore how recent changes on Manchester's Curry Mile show the evolving relationship with flavour. After seeing kids increasingly targeted by food manufacturers over the eras, Harvey and Sara find out just how far novelty foods have come with a modern game that requires a very strong stomach. Jon heads back to the mill to show Harvey how Yokshire's textile heritage has used its specialisms to survive the decline of the industry. They explore how the stereotype of the Yorkshireman in flat cap has been given a modern and hugely successful twist by local hat designer Rhian Kempadoo Millar. The girls travel to Blackburn to meet Zainab Bilal, a one-woman pie business who is combining the modern love of easy fast food with this age-old favourite. Caitlin and Freya help her make a batch of 'burger pies' to explore just what it is that has made the humble pie such a winner for working families throughout history. Finally, Sara and northern chef Rob Owen Brown prepare a celebration meal for the family using cuts of meat and nostalgic flavours the family might have turned their noses up at in the past. Sara then joins Polly and the family to raise a glass to the modern legacy of the north's culinary history.
