North Wales TV chef aims to be big Down Under after recipes go viral

North Wales Live

2 days ago

A larger than life Cofi chef is aiming to be big Down Under after his recipes went viral. BAFTA Cymru winner and fire-chef Chris 'Flamebaster' Roberts' BBC Wales series, Chris Cooks Cymru, which was shown earlier this year, has been sold to broadcasters in Australia and Georgia.
In the meantime, Chris, from Caernarfon, has gone viral on social media, with his recipes for Welsh Rarebit and Conwy mussels getting more 5.5 million hits.
The six-part series sees Chris travel across the country, tasting what each region has to offer and cooking up tasty meals in different locations using a variety of cookery methods but specialising in the use of fiery charcoal.
Chris said: "It's amazing the reaction we've had to the series in which I've travelled to places in Wales I've never visited before and finding out about local traditions and foods and meeting some fantastic people.
'It's really next level stuff and the series being sold to SBS in Australia and the Georgian channel is the icing on the cake."
Made by Caernarfon-based production company Cwmni Da a second series of Chris Cooks Cymru has already been commissioned.
Planning is underway for the filming over the summer with the series due to be aired on BBC Wales early next year.
"I've been blown away by the response from people watching the series. The engagement from the viewing public has been awesome.
'I'm really chuffed that the series has gone down so well with viewers. It's cool to see my cooking getting such a great reaction."
News of the series being shown across the UK and farther afield comes at a busy time for Chris.
"I'm preparing for the second series which we'll film in the summer after a trip to Japan for a series that will be shown on S4C in the run-up to Christmas," he said.
Japan, added Chris, has been one of his "bucket-list" destinations for a long time.
"I've never been there before but I've been wanting to visit for as long as I can remember. The food there is fantastic and they're well known for their fish cookery but they're just as well-known for their cooking with fire and the Wagyu beef is out of this world.
"I'm looking forward to visiting, finding out more about their country and their traditions, eating sushi and yakitori and other regional speciality dishes. It's going to be an epic trip."
According to Chris, the trip will be done in two stages with one block of filming taking place in May and a second block in the autumn.
"We're trying to cover the country for as long as possible. It's said that Japan has 72 seasons in a year so there's a lot to see and a lot of food to eat," he said.
Cwmni Da producer Aneurin Thomas, who has worked with Chris for several years, said: "We started off quite simply making short films for the Hansh strand on S4C, featuring everything from cooking stunning steaks over fire to showcasing incredible local seafood.
'Hansh is a platform for young people in Wales to express themselves, and even back then, Chris' energy and talent were unmistakable.
'Since then, we've travelled together filming in Wales, New York, Scandinavia and Spain. It's a real pleasure working with him - he's not only a brilliant chef, but a great friend.
'What you see on screen is exactly what you get: a down to earth guy with a genuine passion for food and people."
Chris said: "I just love what I'm doing but it's more than just me. I'm celebrating the butchers, fishmongers, growers, producers, and farmers of Wales — they're my superheroes! I want to shine a light on the incredible work they do behind our phenomenal produce."
And on top of all this activity Chris found out that one of his other S4C shows, Siwrna Scandi Chris (Chris's Scandi Journey), has been shortlisted for an award in the Factual Entertainment category at the Celtic Media Festival which will be held in Newquay, Cornwall in early June.
In the series Chris embarked on an epic foodie adventure through Scandinavia as well as an emotional reunion with his Scandinavian relatives in Norway.
"Sadly I won't be able to attend the festival but it's a great event. We've been nominated many times and had the huge honour of winning at last year's festival in Cardiff," said Chris.
The first Chris Cooks Cymru series can be streamed on BBC iPlayer until the autumn of 2025. Siwrna Scandi Chris and Chris' programmes about his visit to Spain last year can be streamed on S4C/Clic.
Here is a recipe for Welsh Rarebit – 'Chris Cooks Cymru' Caerffili Style (good for 4 fully loaded rarebit slabs)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp plain flour
100g butter
1 can of Welsh stout (or Guinness)
Big fat slices of farmhouse white loaf
A long splash of Worcestershire sauce
A pinch of sea salt
Welsh mustard (amount depends on how fiery you like it!)
500g Gorwydd Caerphilly cheese
'Rarebit' is one of our national dishes and I'm really proud of it! It's quite a simple dish, but it's really worth getting the basics right!! Many think it's merely cheese on toast, but Welsh Rarebit is soooo much more! It's a gorgeous gooey oozy mix of cheese, mustard and Welsh stout - one of my ultimate comfort foods.
Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat - it's essential you cook out the flour for a couple of minutes 'til it smells toasty - if you don't cook out the flour it'll be grainy and there is nothing on earth more tragic than a grainy rarebit…
For a fiery Welsh kick, in with a good dollop of Welsh mustard (it's similar to English mustard - just better ha ha!) make it rain Worcestershire sauce on it and slowly add half a can of your stout (the other half is for the chef to drink as the mixture combines together) then in with the crumbly Caerphilly cheese. Gorwydd Caerphilly is my fave. Melt the cheese with love and care. Keep stirring until everything melts into a glorious, luscious, silky smooth mix. Leave to cool to room temp before adding it on the toast, or keep in the fridge 'til later. (Pro tip: Always make extra - it'll keep for a week or so and is ready to rock whenever the rarebit craving strikes!)
I always fully load my rarebit to the max on a toasted thick slab of white bread. Think single bed covered by a super king duvet - it's all about that rarebit hug! Pop it under a hot grill or pizza oven - and take it to the limit, until it's bubble-dancing golden and covered in charred leopard spots.