Renowned Irish TV Chef shines a spotlight on North East England in upcoming TV series

North East England’s best culinary hotspots and heritage attractions are set to reach an international audience, as award-winning Irish chef Neven Maguire films a brand-new series of his popular television programme across the region. 

Neven and his crew were in the North East in September filming across the region for his show “Neven’s North East England Food Tour ”, meeting with local producers, top chefs, local tour guides and historians along the way.  

Neven Maguire is one of Ireland’s most recognisable and respected culinary figures. A celebrated TV chef, restaurateur, and author, he is best known for his long-running RTÉ series “Neven’s Irish Food Trails”, “Neven’s Spanish Food Trails”, and “Neven’s Greenway Food Trails”, which have introduced audiences to authentic food stories across Ireland, Spain, and beyond, with regular viewing figures of more than two million.  

With a loyal viewership across Ireland and the UK, Neven also commands a strong online presence, with over 140,000 followers across social media platforms. His shows regularly air on RTÉ One, BBC, and Amazon Prime, making him a household name for food lovers. 

This latest series, expected to air in early 2026, is Neven’s first-time filming in the UK, and is the first time an Irish food and travel show will be dedicated to the UK. It will focus on the rich food culture, dramatic landscapes, and local stories from the North East. The series will be made up of six episodes dedicated to the region. 

The filming was supported and coordinated by Destination North East England in partnership with Visit County Durham, Visit Northumberland and North East Screen.  

Neven’s journey began in Newcastle, where he visited top food spots including Kiln, Small Canteen, and Broad Chare. He also explored Newcastle Castle, Grey Street, the city’s iconic bridges, and cooked with Andy Hook at Blackfriars Cookery School, before heading underground to the Victoria Tunnel. 

He also met Andy Haddon at the social enterprise Big River Bakery and cooked alongside Head Chef at Six at the Baltic, Carlson Landles. He also made time to visit the Northumberland St branch of Greggs to taste the legendary sausage roll.  

Neven’s journey through Northumberland was equally rich in flavour and character capturing the wild beauty of the coastline and meeting unique food producers. 

Whilst in Northumberland Neven experienced the time-honoured craft of traditional kipper smoking at Robson’s Smokehouse in Craster as well as meeting up with the Sidecar Guys at the Drift Café in Cresswell where he met the team behind their innovative new adventure travel café concept. Located near the dunes and beaches of the Northumberland coast, the venue combines motorbike culture with coastal cuisine and community spirit. He also visited Bertram’s Restaurant, The Potted Lobster, Bamburgh Castle and The Tempus, giving him a true flavour of Northumberland’s coastline. 

A stop on Holy Island saw Neven meet with Dave Harris of Wild Experiences Northumberland where he learned of Lindisfarne’s monastic past and unique produce — including mead, preserves, and island-foraged ingredients - and a day out with Fells Kitchen allowed him to experience al-fresco fine dining in the Northumberland countryside. His visit to Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery introduced him to the unique heritage, ancient hospitality, and contemporary produce of Northumberland through the re-awakened the tradition for whisky distilling that has slept for over 200 years. 

Durham played host to the final few days of filming when Neven joined Jake Siddle at Michelin starred FARU in Durham City. Neven learned about their seasonal approach to fine dining and even stepped into the kitchen for a behind-the-scenes look at how their intricate dishes are created. 

The Irish celebrity was treated to a guided tour of the world-famous Durham Cathedral, which along with Durham Castle is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where he explored the deep connections between the region’s religious history and traditional food practices.  

The team also enjoyed a full day of filming at The Auckland Project as well as a visit to Knitsley Farm Shop, Raby Castle and the North Pennines National Landscape. 

Neven Maguire said: 

Filming in the North East was a wonderful experience.  It’s the first food and travel programme based entirely in the UK made for Irish television, but I am sure it will not be the last.  The food, the people and the places we visited were all exceptional, and even the weather was better than we could have expected. I know that the audience in Ireland will be interested to see a part of England which deserves to be much better known over here, and I’d like to thank everyone who helped to make filming the programmes such an enjoyable experience.

John Marshall, chair of Destination North East England, said:

This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the region’s thriving food and drink scene to a new audience, by working alongside one of Ireland’s most popular TV chefs and presenters. I am delighted that Neven had the chance to meet with so many of our foodie stars and get a real taste of the destination.  

We know that food and drink are a key driver for visitors when selecting a destination for their next trip and we will be using the show to target visitors from Ireland. It also comes at a great time with the region’s ambitions to become the first UK destination to be named European Region of Gastronomy.