Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers remembered, the British chef who loved Arabic cuisine

Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers is being remembered for his love of Arab cuisine after passing away from cancer aged 66. 

The chef, alongside Si King, would visit countries across the world, including Arab countries.

For a BBC Two series, A Cook Abroad, Myers travelled to Egypt in search of the origins of some of his favorite dishes. He sampled street food in Cairo, a family feast in Aswan, and learned how to make cheese the "Egyptian way".

"I'm white British but my husband is Egyptian and so he introduced me to Egyptian food," said Amy, who loved the 'A Cook Abroad' episode when it first came out.

Amy mentioned on X how it was the first time they'd "seen proper Egyptian cuisine on TV".

"I didn't really know what it was because often you see Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian food, or then in North Africa only Moroccan or perhaps Tunisian," Amy said.

"I absolutely love Egyptian food and think it's totally underrated, so it was nice to see it being brought to UK TV!"

One X user mentioned how the show was not just a food program, but a show on "how to be respectful when visiting a different culture from your own".

Just watched @BBC A Cook Abroad: Dave Myers' Egypt - not just a foodie programme but a how to on being respectful when visiting a different culture from your own.

— Helen Cochrane (@HCochraneArtist) February 4, 2023

“The tragic loss of Dave Myers saddens all the food communities across the world,” Franco-Palestinian Chef Fadi Kattan told The New Arab.

“In his epic show in Egypt, the scene of him being in the fields of moloukhiya then enjoying it with a family marked me as a reflection of his sincere curiosity towards understanding every food culture he visited and shared with his audiences. His love for food and his very spontaneous interaction with people beyond linguistic and cultural boundaries, while remaining respectful of the cultures that hosted him," Kattan added. 

Another user also mentioned how the series was "a great introduction to Egypt".

To mark the end of his Egyptian travels, the chef was invited by a family of Nubians to celebrate the end of Eid al-Adha with a feast and helped prepare a traditional meal. 

Oh, this is sad. I absolutely loved watching Hairy Bikers - such a great duo. Dave did an episode in Egypt (Cook Abroad series), learning how to make molokhiya from scratch, fuul, ta'ameya, aish. First time I've really seen proper Egyptian cuisine on TV! https://t.co/qAuGZMvZPQ

— Amy ايمي 🧡 (@amyinswiss) February 29, 2024

Myers is one of many British chefs trying Arab cuisine. Others include Nigel Slater who explored the Middle East, cooking and eating with the people of Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran. Jason Atherton went to Dubai to find out more about traditional souk, joined by local chef Rahul Rana.