Hairy bikers visit Restaurant Hjem in Wall for new BBC programme

Restaurant Hjem in the village of Wall, near Hexham in Northumberland, will be the focus of the series finale for The Hairy Bikers Go Local which sees the much-loved duo of Si King and Barrovian Dave Myers doing their best to bring local suppliers together with some of the UK’s top restaurants.

Restaurant Hjem was opened in May 2019 by Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and Northumberland-born Ally Thompson and since then has become a destination restaurant for lovers of fine dining thanks to its tasting menu which combines the best local and regional produce with Scandinavian values and cooking techniques.

In the eight part series, Si And Dave selected Hjem as the only North East restaurant to feature in the eight-part series. 

The popular duo spend time at Hjem with Ally and Alex where they are served dishes from Alex’s stunning tasting menu, before going off on a mission to find inspirational ingredients from local producers. 

Speaking about meeting the Hairy Bikers, Ally said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome Si and Dave to Hjem and serve them in our dining room. Although it was obviously a bit nerve wracking to have a film crew around, we had a lovely time.

“They were both so easy to get along with and they certainly know their food, so we were delighted to hear that they appreciated what we’re doing at Hjem.”

Later in the programme, Dave and Si return the favour – inviting Ally and Alex to nearby Healey Hall for a three-course meal to showcase the local suppliers they’ve found.

Alex said: “Using the very best local produce is at the heart of what we do in the kitchen at Hjem and we’re always looking for new ideas, so this series was a perfect match.

“It was a great to spend some time around a dining table with Dave and Si and we’re really looking forward to seeing the finished programme.”

The final episode of The Hairy Bikers Go Local airs on BBC2 at 8pm on Friday, January 13. The series will also be available on iPlayer.