Start your Sundays with Jimmy and Shivi

Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast, filmed at Jimmy Doherty’s Suffolk Farm, begins on ITV this Sunday morning. Here, they explain what they’ll be cooking up over the summer

Congratulations on this landmark morning show for ITV – what can we expect from Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast?

Shivi Ramoutar – ‘The show is exciting thank you, it’s going to kick start your Sunday. It’s going to be wholesome, family friendly, outdoorsy and real. I hope it will inspire some adventures and have you delving into some simple and delicious, exciting breakfasts and weekend feasts.’

Jimmy Doherty – ‘There is so much packed into the show it really has something for everyone. From mouth-watering recipes, great cocktails, fantastic guests and a whole host of things people can get involved with from beekeeping to planting your own veg garden, plus a whole host of animal characters that call our Farmer Wildlife Park home.’

This is your first time working together, what can viewers expect from the combination of presenting and cooking styles?

Jimmy – ‘This is the first time we’ve worked together and I’m so excited because Shivi is a dynamo when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. She’s full of fun, vibrancy and can also make a cocktail. We both get excited about great food and drink, and meeting amazing producers – this is what the show is all about.’

Shivi – ‘Jimmy is naturally outdoorsy with his farm and being out in the countryside. Whilst I have been raised on an island in the Caribbean, am I outdoorsey? I’d like to think so but I am a city girl, so I expect there’ll be a lot of interesting parallels.’

The weekend breakfast show is an iconic British television slot – does that add to the pressure?

Jimmy – ‘The weekend breakfast slot holds a special place in the viewing public’s hearts and it’s a real privilege to be able to host a show on a Sunday morning. It is a prestigious slot and it does make me slightly nervous, but I know that people are going to love this show. It’s full of fun sunshine and wholesomeness, what’s not to love?!’

Shivi – ‘It’s brilliant having the iconic slot of a weekend breakfast show. It’s the kind of thing I want to wake up and view. It’s really wholesome and full of fun. Family friendly, colourful, vibrant – not only the food, but the things we’re doing. And it feels natural to have made this show with Jimmy.’

What do you think makes a weekend breakfast show ‘work’? And how do you plan to give that to viewers?

Shivi – ‘For me a weekend breakfast show has to be something that relaxes you and kick-starts your day but in a really gentle way which inspires you and in this case, takes you outdoors. In our show, the viewer learns about different things happening in the country, they meet the people providing the food that we’re eating, learn how to make delicious simple recipes and hopefully get some fab DIY skills too! Ultimately the bottom line is about having fun and providing entertainment. So I really hope our lovely viewers enjoy it!’

Jimmy – ‘I think people want easy watching, something that’s going to make them smile or maybe spark ideas that they can possibly do after that show. That could be a great recipe or it could be building a smoker to make your own smoked salmon. I think folks are going to enjoy watching all the animal antics from Basil the Anteater having his breakfast or the fun we have with monkeys playing hide and seek.’

Jimmy – how does it feel to have your home and farm turned into a TV studio for the summer?

‘It’s a dream come true. I think filming the series on a working Farm and Wildlife Park really adds a new dynamic, and it’s something that you don’t really see in other breakfast shows. As well as having the backdrop of the Farm and all the wonderful animals, we also go beyond the farm gate to meet some amazing local producers, as well as having some fantastic guests and familiar faces drop into the studios.’

Jimmy – can we expect some involvement from your farm animals? Any funny stories or anecdotes you can share with us?

‘All the animals play a starring role in this new series. From the familiar favourites on the working farm like the pigs, cows, sheep and chickens to the more exotic inhabitants of our wildlife park, such as polar bears, ring tailed lemurs and capybara. However, working with animals doesn’t always go to plan and there’s one incident when we set up some cameras to film monkeys foraging for food that would be placed around their enclosure. However, the monkeys made a beeline for the cameras rather than the food, taking them out of the housing and pushing all the buttons and biting the lens. I’ve got to say that the cameras did get a bashing, although we did get some great monkey selfies as a result!’

Shivi – you’re based in London, are you enjoying the farming country life?

‘I’ve been in London for a really long time. I’m used to things happening immediately. I’m used to the smog and the dirt of London, the grittiness, jumping on the tube or the bus to get to places. Driving in-between the countryside or going for long walks has been absolutely gorgeous. Being put in the middle of woodlands or in certain situations has put me out of my comfort zone, but I love to relish these new exciting adventures and I’m learning so much about my capabilities and just a different way of life. Makes me think about moving out to the countryside… almost!’

Shivi, do you hope to bring your speciality of contemporary Caribbean cooking to the show? Will we see and get to experience some of your wonderful vibrant dishes?

‘Absolutely there’ll be some Caribbean food on the menu. I cannot step away from what is in my heart. So there’ll be a lot of little twists, some tropical elements and of course a lot of regular flavours that you know but may be provided in a slightly different way just to expand your horizons. Everything is really simple, you don’t need to go to any fancy shops to get ingredients. It’s real good world flavoured food that you can have quickly and simply, so expect a lot of lovely tropical twists.’

We understand you’ll be visiting local food and drink producers as part of the show, do you feel it is important to highlight the work of regional and family-run businesses?

Shivi – ‘This has been a real highlight of filming – visiting the local, regional, family run businesses and producers. I think knowing the provenance of food and knowing where the food we eat comes from really makes you appreciate what has gone into it. It ensures you really understand food, and the different methods of farming and processes – it pushes you to be waste free, sustainable and to try different things. It’s incredible – the passion and hard-work I’ve met from these producers and these regional family led businesses. I think it’s so important to keep supporting them because this is where our food should be coming from. We should be eating locally and seasonally as much as possible, and I’ve learnt so much about the struggles many of these family led regional businesses have had to go through… So more than ever it makes me want to support them. It’s important, especially for kids, to know where our food comes from.

Jimmy – ‘It’s so important highlighting our fantastic producers that we have in this country. Small businesses are so important to all communities and the more we support them, the better our countryside economy will be. Let’s celebrate our rich food culture and fantastic countryside.’

Is there anything else you’d like to share to get viewers excited for their new Sunday morning offering?

Shivi – ‘I mean it is really a jamboree of a Sunday morning show. We have the food, we’ve got the producers, we’ve got Jimmy with the animals, we’ve got the DIY builds and we also have some incredibly fun guests, and they are really far ranging from what you could imagine Sunday morning TV show guests are going to be. So expect surprises, expect to be entertained and learn to cook something new. I think Jimmy and I balance each other really nicely. It really is a special show and I’m so proud to be part of it.’

Jimmy – ‘I think this show is going to be fantastic family viewing no matter what your age is. A little bit of country sunshine on a Sunday morning with a cup of tea in your hand. What’s not to love?’ 

Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast begins on ITV on Sunday June 30 at 8.25am. Jimmy Doherty and Shivi Ramoutar are joined every week by a celebrity guest who entertains them whilst they whip up a tasty breakfast. Each week Jimmy will give viewers a behind the scenes glimpse into the lives of the animals at Jimmy’s wildlife park and Shivi will explore the local area to meet local producers.

Featured image of Jimmy Doherty and Shivi Ramoutar – supplied