Si King has admitted that putting together the latest Hairy Bikers cookbook without his best mate and co-star Dave Myers was a real challenge. Following Dave’s passing in February 2024 at the age of 66, Si was left with the difficult task of compiling The Best of the Hairy Bikers—a book that had to do justice to their decades-long partnership.
Speaking on The One Show on 12 March, Si opened up about the emotional process of deciding which recipes to include. “It was the most difficult process because we’ve got 30-odd books over 23 years of broadcasting and publishing,” he explained. “We started at 1200 and then we got stuck at 600 and then we got down to 400, then 250, and I just went to the publishers, ‘It’s got to be 250 pages.’ And they went, ‘No, you have got to get it down to 100.’”
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Eventually, they managed to whittle it down, but Si was determined to make sure the book truly represented Dave. “It needed to be representative of Dave so that was also difficult… what do you leave out?”
When The One Show presenter Alex Jones asked whether Dave would have approved of the final selection, Si had no doubts. He revealed that his late friend loved meatballs—so much so that the publishers even pushed back on how many he wanted to include. “Dave had a penchant for meatballs, so honestly, the publishers were going, ‘You can’t put another meatball…’ and I said, ‘I am putting it in, it’s Dave’s favourite, it’s going in!’”
Beyond the cookbook, the love and admiration for Dave has been felt far and wide. Thousands of bikers rode from London to Cumbria after his passing in a tribute event known as Dave Day—and the tradition will continue this year.
Si believes Dave would have been absolutely gobsmacked by the outpouring of love. “He wouldn’t have believed it, you know, he’d be upstairs going, ‘What on Earth is going on down there?’”
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Reflecting on the experience, Si described it as “a real expression of community and fellowship… such love and affection for Dave.”
It’s clear that the Hairy Bikers legacy lives on, not just through their books and TV shows but through the incredible bond they shared with their fans. And with this new cookbook, Si has made sure Dave’s passion for good food and great company is celebrated in the best way possible.
