WE are looking back at when the much-loved Si King and Barrovian Dave Myers duo visited a Hexham restaurant.

Restaurant Hjem in the village of Wall was the focus of The Hairy Bikers Go Local's series finale in 2023, in which the famous duo did 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.

Since then, it 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.

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

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

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.

At the time, 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.”