The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure, BBC2 - TV review: The lads made unappetising-looking food sound downright delicious

The most enjoyable segments were the ones where they learnt techniques from locals

The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure: A bit of a sausage fest (BBC)

The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure was a bit of a sausage fest, in both senses of the phrase. Despite being back for what feels like their 100th series – they've actually only been on TV for 10 years – the lads' enthusiasm for meaty offerings, combined with their blokey bonhomie, won me round in their latest cooking show/travelogue mash-up.

Perhaps it was the refreshing location that did it. Dave Myers and Si King were heading in the direction of the Baltic Sea, starting with Poland, a country that gets a lot less attention than the likes of, say, India. They also managed to make not-very appetising-looking food sound downright delicious. Pierogies (Polish dumplings) were "a pop-in-your-mouth parcel of loveliness", for example.

My feelings of goodwill might have been heightened by the fact that King was in the saddle again after a brain aneurysm last year. "To be back on my bike with my best mate is epic," said Myers, en route to master those speciality bangers.

The most enjoyable segments were the ones where they learnt the techniques from the locals, like the sausage making, where a whole family turned out to pass their recipe for kielbasas on to the hirsute pair. Their creations were declared a delicious and I was left hankering after a shot of bison grass vodka to toast their success.