Rick Stein's Cornwall

Rick Stein takes a trip back in time to his early days running a nightclub in Padstow, before making the ultimate fish pie with some deliciously plump pollock.

Rick meets Springwatch presenter and biologist Gillian Burke, who takes Rick on a walk through a rare habitat called an Atlantic temperate rainforest on the banks of the Helford River.

Rick meets a man who is paid to eat 700 samples of cheese a week before heading to Newlyn, the unlikely setting of one of Britain's most revolutionary art movements.

Rick roams the dramatic north Cornish coast to tell the story of one of Britain's best loved writers, Thomas Hardy, and his little-known love affair with a Cornishwoman.

Cornwall has more than its fair share of folktales. Perhaps the most famous is found near Land's End, where Rick recounts the tale of the Mermaid of Zennor.

Cornish king crab is on the menu for Rick as he heads out of Newquay to catch and cook this tasty crustacean, before heading to Bodmin Moor to meet explorer Robin Hanbury.

Rick boards the ferry in Penzance to take him to the Isles of Scilly, where he learns about one of the Royal Navy's worst shipping disasters and meets a beekeeper trying to breed a native honeybee.

Rick meets a man who is paid to eat 700 samples of cheese a week. He then heads to Newlyn, the unlikely setting of one of Britain's most revolutionary art movements.

Rick is in Falmouth to learn how Cornwall was at the heart of the Empire's communication system. He also meets William Golding's daughter Judy to learn about the inspiration behind Lord of the Flies.

Rick goes on a tour around the beautiful Camel Estuary, visits his long-time fish supplier Matthew Stevens and examines the impact of second home ownership on Cornwall with actor Ed Rowe.

Rick joins a team diving for razor clams, makes a dish of grilled shangurro clams, visits Newlyn's ordnance datum and is shown beautiful copperwork at the Penlee Museum.

Rick discovers how Cornish landscape influenced the work of Turner, counts the daily catch with an auctioneer at Newlyn Fish Market, and learns about Caerhays Castle's link to Victorian plant hunters.

Rick visits a mausoleum with a macabre story on the River Tamar, meets chef Emily Scott to taste the meal she cooked for Joe Biden, and takes to the waves with a organisation offering surfing therapy.

Rick learns about a time when the Cornish were taken as slaves by North African pirates, joins one of the last fishing boats in St Mawes and meets with two mackeral-cooking entrepreneur chefs.

Rick visits the Rame Peninsula, far from the traditional tourist track and known for its beaches and cliffs, while also exploring the history of the Cornish pasty.