A Dinner of Herbs

As a boy, Roddy loses his father during a trip to a windswept Northumberland village, and the shock reverberates through everyone who knew Peter Greenbank. Peter's violent death leaves Roddy an orphan, and Kate Makepeace, a longtime friend, steps in to care for him. Kate raises Roddy alongside her own circle, and he forms a close bond with Hal and Mary Ellen, two siblings who share the same fragile sense of family. As they grow from teens into adults, the ties that once felt simple begin to strain under the weight of what each has kept secret. Hidden memories begin to surface, drawing their intertwined lives toward a shared, tragic destiny.

Directed by Alan Grint, the 2000 television drama brings together writers Catherine Cookson, Christopher Green, and Ray Marshall to adapt a moody Northumbrian tale for television audiences. The production leans on stark cinematography and restrained pacing, using the landscape as a character and letting intimate performances carry the emotional weight.

No major award nominations are listed for A Dinner of Herbs, suggesting it operated as a quiet entry in the television landscape rather than a ceremony darling. It sits alongside other Cookson based projects that earned modest attention rather than widespread accolades, appealing to committed drama fans more than award juries.

The show has a limited footprint in popular culture, with few widely cited scenes or catchphrases. Its appeal rests in the quiet atmosphere of the rural setting and the emotional complexity of a family shaped by loss and long buried memories, rather than flashy moments for devoted viewers anywhere anytime.

Critical reception appears sparse beyond niche audiences, but reviewers note core themes of family loyalty, the burden of secrets, and how a community negotiates trust after tragedy. The drama uses a restrained, realist style to show how past choices ripple through a village and alter ordinary lives.