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It’s my great pleasure to write the foreword for this guide. I still call the North East home – my friends and family still live here, as do I.

I’ve been around the world a few times now, filming the Hairy Bikers shows with Dave, but still come home to the familiarity of my favourite places in Northumberland. You can’t beat Bamburgh Beach and Craster; pop in and see the lads and Muriel at The Jolly Fisherman – she still does a ruddy good crab soup. Lindisfarne, the Holy Island, and its oyster beds are very special, and the fish quays peppered around our coastline still give us some of the best-quality produce around, rivalling that of anywhere in Europe. This area is in my bones; it’s where all my formative years played out and where my love of food was encouraged and nurtured.

Our region has been part of the renaissance in British food and drink. We can eat our way around the world in all the cities of the UK – nowhere more so than in the cities and towns of the North East. Fancy Thai, Chinese, Persian, classic French and Italian, Japanese, Iranian or vegetarian? You name it, we’ve got it. I’m very proud of that fact.

A point also worth remembering is that we have places that cater for different budgets. It’s important that great food isn’t elitist, and the North East in my view does very well with that challenge.

Great food requires great produce and talented chefs. Our region has both in abundance and we should be proud of that and shout about it at every opportunity – I know Taste North East are doing their bit, as are our artisan producers and high-quality commercial suppliers.

So don’t forget: There’s nowt better than top scran, ya favourite tipple and a good craic – it’s the life blood of our region and worth celebrating.

Buon appetito.