I'm Rory Stewart and I grew up wanting to be a hero and I'm still fascinated by the ideas of heroism.

In my new series, I'm taking in the long sweep of history from Achilles to Zelensky and asking, what is a hero?

Simply doing your job, being a decent human being.

A true hero is someone who just kind of shines by

their own light and that light is to be recognised by others. The long history of heroism with me,

Rory Stewart. Listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, Radio, Podcasts.

Hello and welcome to the kitchen cabinet.

This week, thanks to the Lizzie Line, we've come to Brentwood in Essex, just a few miles to the east of central London, but woe betide anyone who assumes Brentwood is a suburb

of the capital.

Fiercely Essex, a few years ago this part of the world was put on the map, thanks to the

only way is Essex, an everyday tale of understated locals, which even had a food connection courtesy of the legendary Sugar Hut nightclub, RIP.

But even before then, it had an association with sugar.

Sir Alan Sugars' Amstrad had its headquarters here for many years, hoping not to find themselves fired

today are writers and cooks. Melissa Thompson, Malik Erdle, Jockey Petrie, Malika Basu.

Ladies and gentlemen, your kitchen cabinet panel.

Now near Brentwood is a little settlement called Pilgrims Hatch.

The name comes from 12th century pilgrimages to Canterbury through Brentwood,

a popular stopping place at the time before travelling on to Tilbury for the ferry.

Pilgrims from the Midlands would also pass through Pilgrim's Hatch en route to Brentwood.

These pilgrims must have been hungry, and if they were sensible, they would have packed some food. So, panel, what I want to know is what's in your packed lunch? Melissa Thompson, you go first. Back in the day, I used to be, like lunch for me was just a smaller dinner, and so my lunch would be pretty hefty. but then as I'm kind of reaching my older age, I love nothing more than a sandwich.

And my current obsession is just... and so my lunch would be pretty hefty. But then, like, as I'm kind of reaching my older age,

I love nothing more than a sandwich. And my current obsession is just, like, wafer thin ham,

...