A TV presenter returned to his roots to cook a popular regional dish for a primetime BBC programme.

Matt Baker and the Countryfile team visited Easington Colliery, in County Durham, earlier this month to film a celebration of the North-East staple, Panaculty.

Last year, the town hosted The Pan Hag Project – the brainchild of London-based artist Gayle Chong Kwan – who wanted to look into a social history project focusing on Panaculty and Pan Haggerty.

The event was organised by East Durham Creates, which promotes arts in the East Durham area, with support from the Easington Colliery-based CAFE Together Project.

Ms Chong Kwan invited people from across the region to submit their family recipes for Panaculty and Pan Haggarty, and 48 entrants were whittled down to a final three, by former Masterchef contestant Bill Smithson, from the CAFÉ Together Project, which were judged at the World Panaculty Championships, in Easington Colliery, last October.

The Countryfile team found out about the project and visited the region to film those involved, with presenter Matt Baker – who is originally from County Durham and went to primary school in Easington Village – cooking panaculty with Mr Smithson.

The dish was cooked with vegetables from local allotments and meat from Easington-based farmer, Andrew Wilson.

The episode also features The Easington Ukulele Band, whose performance will air during the programme’s closing credits.

The episode of Countryfile will be shown on BBC1 on Sunday, at 7pm.