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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Tony Naylor

‘It was ridiculous’: does food TV show fame still matter for chefs?

GBM Stosie Madi Tommy Banks Parkers Richard Bainbridge Daniel Clifford Simon Rimmer
The current Great British Menu judges (l-r): Ed Gamble, Nisha Katona, Andi Oliver and Tom Kerridge.
The current Great British Menu judges (l-r): Ed Gamble, Nisha Katona, Andi Oliver and Tom Kerridge. Photograph: Ashleigh Brown/BBC/Optomen Television

When the Hairy Bikers visited Lancashire’s Parkers Arms to film the owners, Kathy Smith and chef Stosie Madi, making their acclaimed pies, Smith and Madi expected the show to gently boost trade. “Oh my God. Oh. My. God,” says Madi, recalling the reaction when The Hairy Bikers Go North aired in September 2021. “Within seconds, there was a 75% bookings uplift. It was ridiculous. And it was like that for six months.”

Stosie Madi of Parkers Arms
Stosie Madi of Parkers Arms. Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian
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