The Ayoubis vs The Herberts (heat five)
In heat five, the Ayoubi family from Essex take on the Herbert family from Gloucester
Published: 28 July 2017
In heat five, the Ayoubi family from Essex take on the Herbert family from Gloucester
The Ayoubi family
“Our traditional Syrian food is quite special to us because it always brings the wow factor.”
Mahmoud (53) and his two daughters Mirna (26) and Lydia (21) live in Essex. Mahmoud and his wife moved from Syria to the UK when Mirna was a one year old. He is a trained plumber and builder but now works as a taxi driver.
Mirna, the eldest of four siblings, recently married but still returns to the family home every Sunday to cook and hang out. She is a design manager working in construction and loves to crochet in her spare time.
Lydia is studying Animation at Nottingham University. She always proves popular among friends when they want to know how to cook something.
The Ayoubis say that food is life. They remember always being in the kitchen together as they were growing up, learning from their parents how to cook traditional Arabic food. Many of the recipes they cook have been passed down from their grandparents.
The Herbert family
“We’re from quite a big family, there’s 27 adults and kids and five dogs. I think in our family you’re judged for the quality of your food!”
Brothers Charlie (32) and Archie (23) grew up in a large household in Gloucestershire with four other siblings. Their family’s baking business has been running in the medieval market town of Chipping Sodbury since the 1920s.
Archie is the youngest Herbert and studied Business at Plymouth University. Archie loves nothing more than travelling and uses this as inspiration for his cooking. He considers himself to be the most daring cook in the family, always willing to take a risk.
Charlie based in Bristol works as a chiropractor. He has a one year-old son and is the go-to brother for restaurant recommendations. In the kitchen, Charlie is very particular about presentation and the importance of precision.
Anna (38), the boys’ sister in law, is a mother to four children and married to the oldest Herbert sibling Tom, who is one half of the Fabulous Baker Brothers. Anna loves cooking for her family and when Archie and Charlie join her in the kitchen everyone is hands-on and gets involved. When the family get together for large gatherings, food is always a main focus of the event.
