The New Hairy Bikers series, Hairy Bikers Go Local, starts on Wednesday 11 January. It’s at 8 p.m. on BBC Two.
Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers visit their top restaurant picks during the series, and play matchmaker with local suppliers.
Prashad, a vegetarian Indian restaurant owned by Bobby and Minal Patel (feature photo), was chosen to represent Yorkshire.
Bobby Patel: “We were so excited to be invited on to the show, and chosen to represent Yorkshire. Being able to share our Gujarati food with people is such a gift, and to have it recognised again, by two chefs we really admire, is a testament to the hard work of Minal and the team.”
Bobby’s wife Minal is Head Chef at Prashad, which began life as a deli in Bradford before moving to its current base in Drighlington. Prashad is renowned for using recipes handed down through generations of the family and using the best produce Yorkshire has to offer.
Minal Patel: “It was an honour to serve up my tasting menu for Si and Dave. You’ll have to watch the show to see their full verdict, but the whole team left with full tummies and huge smiles, which is the experience we want everyone to have at Prashad”.
The seven-course, vegetarian tasting menu features Prashad favourites, like the Masala Dosa, and twists on traditional dishes, with simple samosas transformed into crisp, cone-shaped ‘Sanku’.
The Hairy Bikers source mushrooms, rhubarbs and beetroots for Prashad, to make garlic mushroom pakoras, beetroot-stuffed paratha and rhubarb, rose and cardamom kulfi.
The BBC knows that Bobby and Minal have built a considerable customer base and have collected awards over the years, and that they have hopes of a Michelin star.
Minal: “Michelin Stars are the pinnacle of success for a chef. We’ve been featured in the Michelin Guide and awarded a Bib Gourmand every year since 2014, where Michelin inspectors recognise top quality food with great value for money (so you won’t find a hefty £££ price tag for our tasting menu at Prashad).
We’re one of only two restaurants in Yorkshire to be awarded a Bib Gourmand in 2023, and there are less than 100 restaurants in the UK that hold the prestigious title.
A star would be the next step up for us, and it’s something we’re always working towards, fusing the latest fine-dining techniques with our Gujarati heritage.”
What more fitting reward for 30 years of devotion to using local produce and refined skills to serve authentic dishes to discerning diners?
