When Cornish chef James Strawbridge was offered the chance to film a new TV series in Northern Ireland, he jumped at the chance.
For one thing, it was opportunity to spend time with his family here, including his beloved grandmother in Co Antrim.
In a brand new series for BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer, James- son of chateau dwelling Dick - unearths terrific tales and hopes to cook up a storm as he travels the country on a tour of some of our most magnificent country houses and estates.
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His father Dick, best known for his Channel 4 series Escape to the Chateau, was born in Burma in 1959 but three years later, the family moved to Northern Ireland, first living in Bangor to be near grandparents in Newtownards, before later settling in Ballyclare.
"My granny and auntie have lived in Northern Ireland all this time while my father later moved away so I always go back to stay with them. I lived in Lisburn for a couple of years and went to primary school there so I had really good and fun times," James told Belfast Live.
"Every year we go down to Dublin for the rugby and before we go, granny always makes us a big Ulster fry to set us off on our way. So yeah we try to meet up regularly as a family in Northern Ireland to see granny and be looked after!
"Northern Ireland feels very much like home to me even though I'm now living in Cornwall. There's just something about the Irish coastline, the Giant's Causeway and the Guinness and whiskey of course, the place has all the things that I love!"
Each of the three half hour episodes of Strawbridge Over the Drawbridge sees professional chef James visit a different country house in Northern Ireland, learn their histories and cook up a feast to impress the people that know these houses better than anyone - the owners.
After meeting the people lucky enough to call these spectacular buildings home, James is taken on a tour of their sumptuous interiors while learning about the colourful past of not only the buildings but their previous inhabitants.
James, 38, also discovers what makes each estate tick today, but it’s not all play and no work! He then has to take everything he’s learned about each house’s history and character and create a meal which reflects that.
Each of the homes’ couples have a silver bell present at dinner, but James will only hear them ring if they’ve decided his meal is up to scratch.
James added: "I love the food in Northern Ireland too so being asked to make this programme was a no-brainer really. The great thing is that while it's about food, food is nothing without the people who produce it and do all the hard work.
"You've got these country houses, each with its own rich and varied history, while the people living in them today are trying to preserve that heritage while also embracing sustainability so it's a very modern insight into what it's like to run big estates.
"What struck me most during filming was the variety of exceptionally good cheeses, charcuterie and even mind-blowingly tasty seaweed on offer here. There's certainly a pride in local food which Northern Ireland has in spades. It is home to some of the best food in the UK by a long stretch."
In episode one James Strawbridge visits Ballywalter Park in Newtownards, home of Lord and Lady Dunleath (Brian and Vibse).
Arriving by air, James receives a warm Ballywalter welcome before hearing tales from the house’s rich past including a cricket team captained by a butler, an unusual collection of birds and a poignant scrapbook created by a mother to depict the tragic tale of her son.
Outdoors, James learns what makes the estate tick today – meeting the head gardener of the productive Georgian walled garden and the gamekeeper responsible for ensuring bird stocks are plentiful when the shooting season begins. Then it’s time for James to create his two course meal in a bid to impress his hosts.
Episode two takes James to Crom Castle in Co Fermanagh, home of Lord and Lady Erne. James learns the current Crom Castle is actually the third to exist and spots a natural wonder more than 10,000 years old.
He also discovers how Lord Erne’s family’s royal connections run much deeper than having a home designed by an architect who helped design Buckingham Palace.
On Upper Lough Erne James takes a trip on a unique type of boat – one that’s both ferried schoolchildren and smuggled pigs across the border.
Then, back on dry land, he takes a stroll under a pair of unique trees that were once home to lavish picnics and parties to inspire both the menu and the location for his meal.
In the final episode, James visits Bill and Daphne Montgomery’s home at Greyabbey House in Co Down, which boasts a packed history full of interesting tales.
Here James discovers how the Montgomery family ended up with land in Greyabbey is all down to a large cheese and hears how one unfortunate relative met a dastardly death at the hands of a pirate.
At the coast nearby, James uncovers how a slippery sea substance was once a major source of income for local workers and landowners, before getting a taste of the stuff harvested fresh from the water.
The new series is due to begin on Monday 5 September on BBC One Northern Ireland at 8pm.
All James’s recipes from the series will be available on the BBC Food website so viewers can enjoy in their own home.
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