THE culinary connoisseurs behind Barry’s well-known waterfront restaurant Hang Fire Southern Kitchen have spoken about the making of their new BBC TV series, ahead of it’s release next month.

Owners Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn will be taking their unique adaptation of American barbecuing culture across Wales throughout April in ‘Sam and Shauna’s Big Cook-Out’.

The four-part series sees the pair visiting different community groups and celebrating their work with large scale ‘cook-out’ events, as well as showing viewers how to prepare the same meals on a smaller scale.

Episode one sees the pair staying close to their roots, enlisting the help of Barry Town United Football club to put on a huge feast for around 150 guests at their Jenner Park club house.

Ms Guinn said that they wanted to celebrate the club’s remarkable resurgence after being bought out by members of the community, following near oblivion just a few years ago.

“The natural first episode for us was Barry Town United,” she said.

“Gavin and Hannah Chesterfield – the Posh and Becks of Barry – were coming into the restaurant loads and they approached us because they needed some sponsorship for one of their teams.

“As much as we’ve been on an incredible journey over the past several years, so have they. From almost being withdrawn from the league to being promoted to the Welsh Premier League, the thing that really struck us was it’s all done by volunteers.

“That was a really good example of a community that was worth celebrating.”

In the episode, the pair stage one of their most audacious cook-outs of the series, barbecuing an entire pig – weighing around 80kg – in Jackson’s Bay over the course of 24 hours.

“That is not something you can practice,” said Ms Guinn.

“We had an unofficial hashtag, which was ‘#weveneverdonethisbefore’.

“There is always this nervous energy of ‘is this actually going to work’?”

Ms Evans added: “We wanted to show people how you can do this on a small scale, and then with the cook-outs, we wanted to blow people’s minds.”

The idea for the format of the new series was something that Ms Guinn and and Ms Evans came up with together, as they wanted to showcase the important work done by causes close to their hearts.

“They loved the idea of something which is dear to Shauna and I, which is bringing people together through food,” said Ms Evans.

“This focuses on communities of volunteers, and people who make a significant difference in their own communities. What better way to celebrate them than by putting on a big feast and teaching them how to cook cheaply, sustainably and with fresh ingredients outdoors?”

Sam and Shauna’s Big Cook-Out will air on BBC One Wales every Monday between April 9 and 30 at 7.30pm.