A Tribute To Dave Myers: The Hairy Bikers Interview About Their Amazing Friendship
In memory of Dave Myers who sadly passed away at the age of 66 after a long battle with cancer. This is an archived interview where we chat to The Hairy Bikers duo, Dave Myers and Si King, about their sibling-like rivalry, how food bonded them for so many years and their many side ventures.
More like brothers than friends
Si: Because of our similar interests – music, motorcycles and food – we just struck up a firm, firm friendship! And now Dave is more my brother than my best mate.
Straightforward cooking tips
Dave: 95% of good cooking is good shopping! If you’ve got good ingredients, you don’t have to do too much. We started the Bikers in 2004, so we’ve learned a few tricks since then.
Si: We’ve been four times round the world now, so it’s great to be able to share what we’ve learned. For example, we’ve been to cookery schools in Mexico because we want to pass on that great knowledge of traditional cuisine. We just go, ‘Look, you’ve got to give this a go and here’s a little trick!’
Their worst fight ever!
Dave: It was during our first big show together – The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, back in 2004 – and it was so pathetic. I got on my high horse about how to make mayonnaise, and he got on his. We nearly had a punch-up!
Si: I think we were only fighting because we were stressed out of our heads about it going well. We’re best mates and we get along famously. It’s never got any worse than that.
Are there any foods you hate?
Dave: I love to eat artichokes, but I really hate to prepare them because they are a real pain in the neck!
Did you know Si is in a band called Little Moscow?
Side quests!
Si: I’ve been in a band called Little Moscow since I was 17, but at this age we’re just doing it for fun.
Dave: They’re very good! We had a pop-up restaurant at Cornbury Festival one year, then Si took to the stage and completely aced it.
Si: It’s just lovely for me to see my best mate and my brother jumping up and down to the music!
Dave: And I love Strictly – I still watch it every week. I made friends on that series. I was out there busting shapes and the lads were so helpful, like Pasha and Aliaz.
Dave’s time of Strictly will always be memorable!
Before Bikers…
Did you know, prior to their professional partnership they worked in the film industry? Dave was a make-up and prosthetics artist, while Si was a locations director. The Hairy Bikers was a huge leap of faith!
“We felt a lot of apprehension. Working in film… that industry forgets you very quickly. But the chance of doing what we dreamed of doing – riding motorbikes, cooking and eating, and getting paid for it – was too good an opportunity to miss. It is a dream. Our mantra is, ‘Give it a go!’ It’s worth having those daft ideas because you never know where they can get you. We’re proof of that.”
