Sweet Baby James — Season 1

Chef James Martin shares his love of puddings. Each week he visits places from his culinary past to show the sources of his best dessert recipes, before returning to his kitchen to cook up some fantastic sweets, helped by Will Torrent, his assistant chef. In this programme James returns to where he grew up and first started cooking, Castle Howard in Yorkshire.

James returns to his old catering college in Yorkshire, where he was spotted by Antony Worral Thompson, and themes his puds on the classic desserts he learnt to make there.
Along the way James also challenges his friend and fellow pupil, the Michelin starred chef Andrew Pern, to a cooking showdown and attends the British heats of the World Chocolate Masters to see the best chocalatiers in the country at work. The show climaxes with a return to Yorkshire to share his puds with his old tutor Ken Allanson, Andrew Pern and some other ex-pupils.

James returns to his old school in Yorkshire and themes his puds on childhood classics. Along the way he teaches cash-rich, time-poor city traders just how easy it it to make a crumble. James also meets up with Morfudd Richards, a pioneer in ice creams and sorbets, to try to concoct ice creams that will encourage children to eat more fruit and veg.

The theme is restaurant classics. James takes Will Torrent, his assistant chef, to the first restaurant he worked in, 190 Queen's Gate, which at the time was one of the hottest restaurants in the country. James also visits the Berkeley hotel in London which has re-invented the afternoon tea, and looks into the latest food fad, heritage fruit.

The theme is puds around special occasions. James returns to the restaurant where he made his name as a head chef, Hotel du Vin. He visits chocolatier William Curley, who shows him that Japanese cooking is currently what's hot in the desserts world. There's also a trip to Lucy's On A Plate, a restaurant which has a night where the only thing on the menu is sweets, sweets and more sweets.

James is at home sweet home, the source of so many people's favourite recipes. He shows us the simple skills needed for good old fashioned home baking, helped by the talents of Will Torrent, his assistant chef.