The West

Harvest returns for a second series to celebrate British farming, and follow the fortunes of some of our top farmers as they battle to bring in the 2015 harvest. Gregg Wallace, Philippa Forrester and newcomer James Manning cross the country visiting farms that produce world-class crops and meeting innovative and pioneering farmers. We'll witness the harvest as it happens up and down the country. Each episode will focus on three different locations in the UK - North, East and West. The team will follow this critical time of year as the nation's farmers find out whether all their hard work has resulted in a successful yield, and show the impact that Britain's harvest can have on the food industry and everyday consumers.

In this episode, the team reports from the west, where three generations of the Thatcher family are about to begin harvesting their cider apples. The rolling countryside of the west of Britain gets more rainfall than the east, which is why these undulating hills and sweeping valleys are so lush - perfect for growing world-famous cider apples. The west is also a land of ingenuity and farming innovation. Gregg meets mushroom mogul Ronnie Monaghan at the largest mushroom farm in Europe where 30 tons are harvested every day. Philippa visits Gloucestershire farmer Jake Freestone's fields of blooming oilseed rape to witness the army of hungry insects he has to contend with. Finally James Manning heads to Shropshire, where Stephen Jones has been painting the countryside vivid yellow - this time with Quinoa, the latest super food to hit Britain.