Goodbye To A Culinary Hero Of Mine

A motorcycle engine falls silent and a saucepan stands empty

Dave Myers was a hero of mine. One half of The Hairy Bikers, a staple of British TV and the cooking world for over 30 years; he and his best friend Si King’s joy in cooking was contagious, their global adventures on their trusty motorcycles were enthralling - especially for someone like myself, who loves motorcycles but will never be able to ride one.

The Hairy Bikers TV shows have been a favourite in the Cakes household for years, Si and Dave’s adventures have introduced us to cuisine and culture that we would have been unlikely to discover on our own, and have brought joy, colour, and flavour into our kitchen. Their championing of locally grown foods has inspired me to attempt to grow my own fruit, vegetables, and herbs.

In a world where truly great masculine role models are a relative rarity, especially as the toxic influence of certain personalities is spread by social media, Dave Myers was a refreshing breath of fresh air. His relationship with his best friend, Si, was a perfect example of the kind of relationships we should be encouraging our sons to develop - caring, supportive, joyful, enthusiastic, and most importantly, unashamedly emotional. It is absolutely possible to be a big, Hairy Biker and be passionate about cooking, enthusiastic about food production and being environmentally aware, a loving friend and a caring step-parent. This is the example we should be holding up for our young men.

When Dave announced the news of his cancer diagnosis two years ago my family wished him well and hoped he would get the best treatment and make a full recovery. Seeing him in the Hairy Biker’s Christmas series last year shocked us all, I think it was at that point that it dawned on me exactly how ill he was. I cried whilst watching him fight to be able to ride his motorbike again and I was delighted to see how much better he looked in The Hairy Biker’s last series, ‘The Hairy Bikers Go West’, which is currently airing on BBC One on Tuesday evenings. Hearing the news that he had passed away yesterday came as a huge shock. My thoughts are with Dave’s family, especially his wife and children, Si, everyone involved with the Hairy Bikers, and everyone who knew and loved Dave, or was inspired by him.

Sir Terry Pratchett always seems to have the best words, so I’ll leave it to him.

“No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence.”

―Terry Pratchett,Reaper Man

Dave Myers will live on through his influence on those he leaves behind. And lets all try to be just that little bit more enthusiastic, kind, and caring, just because we can.

Dave Myers (8th September 1957 - 28th February 2024) - Cook, Biker, Inspiration, Hero.