A TOP chef of a Michelin-starred Lakes hotel features in an upcoming episode of The Hairy Bikers' latest series.

After years of riding abroad The Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers are back home in the North of England on their most personal journey yet.

This eight-episode series, the first episode of which airs today, sees the duo returning to their Northern roots, travelling from the west coast to the east, discovering the innovative producers who are revolutionising the British food scene.

Each week will see them in a different location, exploring the changing area through restaurants, recipes and inventive new food entrepreneurs.

On episode three of 'The Hairy Bikers Go North', which will air on October 7, the dynamic duo visit the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House in Windermere.

Gilpin is the pair's location of choice for Cumbria, where The Hairy Bikers spend time with Hrishikesh Desai, executive chef at the hotel who heads up the Michelin starred, four AA rosette HRiSHi restaurant, as well as the property’s more casual outlet with two AA rosettes, Gilpin Spice.

Mr Desai described his encounter with The Hairy Bikers as an 'incredible experience'.

He said: "To cook for Si King and Dave Myers aka The Hairy Bikers was an incredible experience.

"Their irresistible enthusiasm, down to earth personalities and absolute love for food is something I have always adored.

"It was so nice to welcome them back to Gilpin and share some of our dishes, stories about food and great northern produce - the day was a real pleasure for us all, with a lot of laughter and joy."

At the Gilpin's restaurant HRiSHi, Mr Desai combines great Lake District produce and classic methods to deliver unbelievable textures and flavours, drawing upon Cumbria’s fascinating history as a centre of the spice trade.

Cumbrian cuisine has a rich heritage, and local specialities have long included exotic spices with favourites such as Cumberland sausage, potted shrimps, Grasmere gingerbread, and of course, sticky toffee pudding.

In contrast, the laid-back Gilpin Spice has an open kitchen serving tapas-style pan-Asian dishes inspired by countries along the spice trail – spanning the Philippines, the Indian sub-continent, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and China.