'Harvest 2015' Returns To BBC Two

BBC Two is to welcome a three-part series next month from the Natural History Unit.

The series, Harvet 2015, will celebrate British farming, and will be presented by Gregg Wallace, Philippa Forrester and James Manning.

The hosts will follow Britain's top producers as they bring in this year's harvest. Not only will they visit farms producing the crops, but they will also meet the farmers who work hard year-round as they wait to see if their efforts have resulted in a successful yield.

Witnessing the harvest as it happens, each episode will focus on three different locations in the UK, and show the impact that harvest can have on the food industry and consumers.

James Manning, who is also a dairy farmer, grew up on his family farm in North Herefordshire. Speaking ahead of his presenting role, the 28-year-old said: "For me, harvest is the time of year when all your hard work as a farmer pays off. All the ups and downs, the long nights and early mornings have all been working up to this moment. The best bit about filming for me has been meeting other farms, seeing the pride and pleasure they get at this time of year. It's been fantastic to see British farmers trying new things and innovating the way they work to farm smarter, bigger and better than the year before."

Gregg Wallace added: "Being a city boy and a former green grocer, getting out in the countryside watching vegetables being grown and harvested is an absolute joy. Some little boys never grow up – I'm one of them. Driving the harvesters has been a pure delight. What the country eats is a huge subject at harvest time, not just for farmers, but the whole food industry and us at home feeding our families. What amazes me is how tight the margins are and how one mistake could put generations of farming families out of business. You have to be big or go bust!"

Philippa Forrester commented: "As a mother of three I am always interested to see where the food I put on our plates comes from, which is what has inspired me to grow my own. I secretly always wanted to live on a farm when I was little, so spending time on a farm and watching the process of growing our nation's food is a dream come true. It never ceases to amaze me, the ingenuity and innovation that goes into farming across Britain."

Tim Martin, Executive Producer, said: "What makes the British Harvest so fascinating is how different it is every year. In this series, we focus on the crops Britain grows best, exploring the areas of British farming where we punch above our weight to deliver world-class produce. Right across the UK, we meet innovative farmers whose pioneering spirit is changing the farming industry and guaranteeing there's always food on our plates."

Harvest 2015 is a 3x60' series commissioned for BBC Two by Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning Natural History and Specialist Factual Formats, and Lucinda Axelsson, Commissioning Executive Specialist Factual Formats.

The series producer is Lucy Bowden. Tim Martin is the BBC Executive Producer.

Image courtesy of BBC Media Centre.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP)