Michael Portillo’s “Great British Railway Journeys” recently brought him to the lush landscapes of Kent, where he explored the Garden of England’s rich agricultural heritage and its connections to the railway’s past.
We are delighted to say that during Episode 2, while travelling along the Wealden railway line, Michael visited the farm and found out about our Kent Cobnuts.
During his visit, Portillo had the opportunity to speak with Giles and Tom Cannon, about farming cobnuts and also value added processing of the nuts. Michael helped to crack and roast the Kentish Cobnuts and also sampled some of the wonderful products that we offer such as cobnut granola and cobnut chocolate bars.
Adding a poignant touch to the segment was a heart-warming reference to the late John Cannon MBE. Who set up the Kentish Cobnuts Association and championed the heritage crop. Highlighting the deep-rooted family history associated with farming and this nutty delicacy.
Tom said “It was a delight to talk to Michael about, my grandfather, cobnuts, their history and to let him know about the Kentish Cobnuts Association.”
“He showed great interest in our local heritage crop and was fascinated to hear how we processed the cobnuts into Granola and other items. His fantastic attire stood out in the cobnut fields!”
The episode (Series 16 – 2 of 20) was on BBC 2 Tuesday 8th April 2025. You can at the time of writing watch the episode on iplayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0029stw
You can purchase online our Cobnut Granola and Cobnut Chocolate here on the online Shop