How many of these iconic food moments from Gavin & Stacey do you remember?
From Gwen’s many, many, many omelettes to Smithy’s Indian takeaway order, there have been countless food moments in Gavin & Stacey over the years. With the finale now available to watch, we look back at our favourites…
Disclaimer: This article references storylines in previous episodes of Gavin & Stacey. If you’re new to the series, beware, spoilers lie below…
The celebrated BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey returned to our screens for one last time on Christmas Day, and that got us in the mood to revisit the previous 21 episodes currently available to watch on iPlayer (alongside the finale), to pick out the most iconic food moments from the show since it launched in 2007.
So how many of these moments do you remember?
Gwen’s omelettes
Gwen loves making an omelette
“I never get tired of these omelettes Gwen” says Bryn to his sister-in-law, appreciatively.
“That’s good because sometimes I feel like it’s the only thing I ever cook!” replies Gwen. And she’s right. Throughout the series’, a running storyline is Gwen’s ability to whip up an omelette for every occasion. Going on a long drive? You’ll need an omelette. Just returned from a long trip? Omelette. Going out on a night out? Better start with an omelette. Going into labour? Well, you catch the drift…
The good news is you too can create Gwen’s omelette…
Gwen's cheese omelette
Tidy. Thanks Gwen.
‘Chicken bhuna, lamb bhuna, prawn bhuna, mushroom rice, a bag of chips, keema naan and nine poppadoms’
Ordering takeaway becomes a highly contentious moment in Gavin & Stacey
This quote quickly became famous. Smithy walks into the Shipman’s kitchen to find Mick getting ready to order an Indian takeaway, with Pam, Pete and Dawn stood around. When asked what he would like to add to the order, Smithy orders seven dishes only to become angry at the suggestion of everyone sharing them. When the episode aired the nation divided between two camps, Dawn and Pam’s ‘it’s nice to have a bit of everything,’ or Smithy’s ‘why should I be made to share the dishes I ordered for myself?’
Which camp do you fall into?
Bryn’s walky-talky Christmas dinner
Bryn does not cope with the pressure of making the Christmas dinner
Bryn was in charge of the Christmas dinner in the 2019 special and he was desperate for everything to run like clockwork. Which meant walkie-talkies for everyone involved. That still doesn’t stop chaos ensuing, though. Poor Bryn, he just wanted everything to be perfect.
Smithy’s view on fruit and veg
Eating together is when some of the key emotional moments play out
Some people opt for 5-a-day, others talk about the importance of reaching 30 plant points a week. But Smithy? When Pam makes him dinner and asks him if he’s sure he doesn’t want any veg on his plate, he responds “Nah, I had a banana earlier, so I’m alright.” As he sits down to eat dinner with Gavin, Pam and Mick, the trio realise Smithy hasn’t quite processed his own feelings on Nessa’s forthcoming nuptials to Dave.
Pam’s lie about being a vegetarian
It all starts when Pam’s meeting Stacey’s family for the first time, she panics and tells them she’s a vegetarian. She then needs to keep up the lie. She almost comes undone when Stacey catches her eating ham straight from the packet but insists she just had a moment of weakness.
When it comes to Christmas, she decides she can no longer keep up the façade. She explains to Mick: “I’ve decided there’s no way I’m doing Christmas without my Michael’s turkey. No way, blasé. So, I’m just gonna plate myself up, sit down and tuck in. And I’m having stuffing, pigs in blankets, the lot.
“And when the inevitable questions come, which they will Michael, I shall simply say, ‘I’m sorry, it’s Christmas, please let me eat my dinner in peace the way Jesus would have wanted me to, on his birthday.’”
Mick’s turkey conundrum
Following on from the above, in the same episode (series two, Christmas special), Mick has his own internal debate raging. Will the cooking method for his turkey stand-up? He’s opted for Nigella’s and it involves a bucket full of water and a handful of peppercorns, but what does a handful mean? Will 10 be enough?
Ice lollies and yoghurt for Christmas pudding
In the 2019 Christmas special, there’s panic when they realise there are no Christmas puddings. So after making a few calls, the guests coming to Barry for Christmas bring them with them. The only issue? They end up with nine. Unfortunately it's not until after they've eaten their Christmas dinner that they realise all nine and the brandy butter have been left in The Dolphin pub, where they danced the night away on Christmas Eve. So, it’s yoghurts and ice lollies for pudding.
Watch Gavin & Stacey: The Finale on BBC iPlayer
Originally published December 2024.
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