BBC Two Northern Ireland

Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels

Factual: Food & Drink

Factual: History

The Hairy Bikers front a campaign to save Meals on Wheels.

The Hairy Bikers front a campaign to save Meals on Wheels. In support, BBC Learning will encourage audiences to volunteer to help older people

BBC One Wales

Wales

BBC One

BBC One is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964. It replaced BBC Television.

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

BBC One London

London

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One North West

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

Si King

Dave Myers

Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels: Series 1: Episode 1

Episode 1

Series 1

BBC Two - Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels, Series 1, Episode 1

The Hairy Bikers visit Welwyn Garden City - the birthplace of Meals on Wheels.

The Hairy Bikers ride to the rescue of Meals on Wheels. They discover the three biggest problems facing Meals on Wheels - volunteer vacancies, the food and its moth-eaten image.

The Hairy Bikers made their name cooking real food for real people. Now they are riding to the rescue of one of our great national culinary treasures - Meals on Wheels.

At its height this iconic institution delivered more than 34 million meals to the elderly and infirm, but over the last eight years the number of Meals on Wheels delivered nationwide has plummeted by over a third. 

For Dave Myers and Si King saving Meals on Wheels is personal: from the age of eight Dave cooked for his poorly mum and Si rallied round to help feed his mother when she fell ill. It taught them the importance of good food in caring for people in need. Spurred on by these early experiences the Bikers' mission takes them on a journey across the country, all the way to royalty.

In the first episode, Dave and Si come face to face with the three biggest problems facing Meals on Wheels today - volunteer vacancies, the food and its out-dated, moth-eaten image. The Bikers soon discover that to have any chance of revitalising Meals on Wheels, providing fresh two-course lunches, it is going to take a shed load of passion, commitment and sheer hard graft. 

After a trip back in time to Welwyn Garden City - the birthplace of Meals on Wheels where it was started in 1943 to help older victims of the Blitz - the Bikers saddle up and head off to modern day Surrey to help a beleaguered council's ailing Meals on Wheels service.

Faced with tired menus, a tight budget and a falling number of volunteers prepared to deliver the meals, Dave and Si face the fight of their lives trying to reinvent the service and drag it into the 21st century.

Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels: Series 1

BBC Two

BBC Two is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964.

BBC 2

BBC2

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

The Hairy Bikers front a campaign to save the UK's Meals on Wheels provision.

The Hairy Bikers front a campaign to save Meals on Wheels. In support, BBC Learning will encourage audiences to volunteer to help older people.

BBC HD

BBC Two Scotland

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels

Series 1

Episode 1

Contributors

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC Two Northern Ireland

About BBC Two