Discover Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy

Chef Tom Kerridge is back for the third series of his much-loved foodie travel show, every Thursday at 7.30pm on ITV and STV (or catch up on ITVX), starting on Thursday 16 July.

Having already traversed Britain and Spain, Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy sees Tom hop back in his bespoke vintage food truck to explore Italy, from Sicily and the deep south of Calabria to the Northern Dolomites and Emilia-Romagna, discovering the produce that makes each region tick.

Along the way, Tom explores centuries-old traditions to uncover secrets behind beloved M&S Food Italian ingredients, like pasta, Calabrian chillies, passata, truffles and chestnuts, cooking up some delicious recipes while he's at it.

"I’m super excited and chuffed to be on my food travels again. This time we’re heading to Italy, where I've discovered so many great producers, farmers, and suppliers with some of the most wonderful, simple but outstanding products. Italian food isn’t just a cuisine – it’s a religion”

- Tom Kerridge

To celebrate the launch of this series, we've teamed up with Tom to offer up an unmissable foodie prize. One lucky winner will be treated to dinner, bed and breakfast for two at Tom's iconic two-Michelin-starred restaurant, The Hand & Flowers, in Marlow. To be in with a chance, all you have to do is explore our Italian recipes and tell us which one you'd pair with one of Tom's dishes from the show.

What do you think makes Italy such a special place?

"It's driven by passion," says Tom. "And a lot of that revolves around food. The quality of ingredients is reflected in the simplicity of the dishes. Then there's each particular region or dish, that everyone feels very proud of."

What are your favourite Italian ingredients?

"As a chef, I absolutely love truffles. Spending the day wandering around these craggily, steep-sided hills while the dogs were sniffing out truffles was a dream come true. Olives and olive oil also have a beautiful flavour; the thought that some of those olive trees are over 400 years old is magic."

How realistic is it that viewers will be able to recreate some of the dishes featured?

"The recipes are super easy for people to recreate at home. Things like the truffle mac and cheese – yes, if you can get fresh truffles that's great, but we're using truffle paste which you can get from M&S. You don't have to travel to Italy to try some of these amazing ingredients."

Did you learn anything new while filming?

"I loved getting a proper understanding of things, like the chillies in Calabria, where they're used for everything and celebrated through tiles on the wall, on paintings and murals. "

What's your favourite recipe?

"I did a lovely fig and olive oil cake in Tuscany, where olive oil is king. So I used Tuscan olive oil in place of the butter to bring richness, which keeps the cake moist and adds delicious peppery undertones – it was just beautiful."

Fancy a taste of Italy in your own kitchen? All of the recipes featured on the show will be available online, using carefully sourced Italian ingredients from the Foodhall as seen on TV. Try Calabrian chillies in a fiery butterbean stew, juicy grapes served with tender pork, zingy lemons in an Italian twist on the classic Victoria sponge, and more. Look out for the recipes when the show airs on 16 July.

All of the ingredients Tom explores in this series are available in our Foodhall. Find out more about some of the incredible Italian products below, and tune in every Thursday at 7.30pm on ITV and STV to watch the stories behind them.