River Cottage Summer Festival

River Cottage Festival, 25-26 August 2018

- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Prue Leith, Satish Kumar, Caroline Lucas -

Over the late August bank holiday, festival goers can immerse themselves in all the delights River Cottage has to offer at the annual summer Festival. This laid-back weekend on 25-26 August is jam-packed with events including food masterclasses, wellbeing and yoga tents, live music and family-friendly festival fun.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall will be in attendance and joined by Prue Leith, Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green Party and Satish Kumar, a former monk and long-term peace and environment activist. Also, on the line up are River Cottage regulars, foraging expert John Wright and River Cottage curing and smoking expert Steven Lamb, who will be hosting the Garden Stage over both days of the Festival.

The Festival Gig Nights will ensure the evenings at the River Cottage Festival are unforgettable with a brilliant line up of bands and musicians. On Saturday, folk rock and gypsy jazz band Mad Dog Mcrea will headline the main stage and get everyone up and dancing, while on Sunday, singer/songwriter Lauren Bannon, who takes influence from the likes of Sia and Norah Jones and was a finalist on BBC One’s The Voice, will perform.

Over the weekend there are masterclasses for adults and children. Kids can make their own pizza or summer fruit fool with cats’ tongue biscuits and crystallised flower petals, while the grownups can make gluten-free galettes or ferment seasonal produce into pickles and drinks with River Cottage resident nutrition guru Naomi Devlin.

The Fire Pit is a new cooking demo area at the Festival this year. Throughout the weekend, the chef’s demos will show why this ancient cooking technique has become such a roaring trend in the 21st century. Over the weekend cooks including James Whetlor from Cabrito Goat Meat, food and travel writer John Gregory Smith; BBC One Masterchef runner-up Billy Wright, chef and food writer Oliver Rowe, supper club host Kathy Slack who writes the award-winning blog Gluts and Gluttony; Aine Carlin, the bestselling author of The New Vegan; artist, author, cook and stylist Alexandra Dudley; and cookery teacher and author of Mountain Berries and Dessert Spice Sumayya Usmani will be showing why this back to basics cooking with fire delivers smokingly good food.

Festival goers can see behind the scenes at River Cottage HQ and enjoy a Farmhouse Feast, with a changing 2 course menu with dishes made with fresh, homegrown ingredients from the kitchen garden. River Cottage street food will join forces with local producers including Rebel Town Pizza, Louisiana Chilli Shack, Baboo Gelato and Marourde Mead. There is also a fully licensed bar serving local ciders, craft beers and organic wines or visit the Cocktails under Canvas tent and take part in a wild cocktail masterclass.

Kick back and enjoy an experience at the Festival by shaking out any stress with a restorative yoga session or enjoying a holistic massage, reiki or aromatherapy. Gaze at the stars under expert tuition, learn a new willow weaving craft, take a guided wildlife walk or go foraging with River Cottage’s John Wright.

This year the Festival is sponsored by Pukka who will be offering their expertise on herbal wellbeing.

With a friendly party atmosphere, the whole family is welcome to stay the weekend. The grounds are open to campers, either to bring their own tent or to enjoy a glamping experience by booking a stay in a luxury bell tent. Arrive on the Friday for an exclusive campers’ party with food, drink and live music to kick off the weekend.

Visitors can choose from a variety of tickets including Weekend, Day & Gig Night, Daytime, Gig Night or Luxury Camping, all available from the River Cottage website. Children under the age of 16 go free.

For more information and to book event and masterclass tickets, please visit the website.

-Ends-

For further press information, interviews or images, please contact:

Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

 Notes to Editors

The River Cottage Festival will be at HQ on the weekend of 25-26 August
River Cottage HQ, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster, Devon, EX13 8TB
Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th August 2018
10am-11pm.

Tickets:
£10 (gig night 6-11pm)
£17.50 (day ticket 10am-6pm)
£25 (day& gig night ticket 10am-11pm)
£95 weekend camping ticket Friday 4pm-Monday 11am
Under 16’s go free
Glamping tents from £495 for 2 person tent for the weekend includes festival entrance & on-site parking
Free park and ride

About River Cottage:

River Cottage has been a household name in Britain since 1998, when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall first brought his hands-on, ethical food ethos to our TV screens.  Since then, the River Cottage books, TV series and Hugh’s hard-hitting campaigns have changed the eating habits of the nation, as well as improving the welfare of our farm animals and the sustainability of our fish.

River Cottage HQ, situated on the Devon-Dorset border, is a thriving organic smallholding. It’s also home to a cookery school and chefs' school, and the base for unique dining experiences and events including weddings and private parties. There are River Cottage Kitchens in Axminster, Bristol and Winchester. These award-winning restaurants and delis manifest the River Cottage philosophy by using the very best seasonal ingredients from the surrounding area. Alongside fresh, seasonal fruit, veg and wild foods, the Kitchen menus showcase fish and shellfish from West Country day boats and organic meat and dairy products from local farms.

www.rivercottage.net

Mother's Ruin at the Garden Kitchen

Still on the Move 

Mother’s Ruin

Gin workshop | 7 June | 3.30-5.30pm
FREE event with a G&T and bites to share

Join the team at the Garden Kitchen to create a small batch craft gin made with botanicals foraged around The Beacon.

On 7 June, Cosmo Caddy, creator of Still on the Move, the UK’s first ever mobile gin distiller is hosting a gin workshop at The Beacon. Affectionately known as ‘Ginny’, the authentic copper still, on a vintage 1937 VW truck, tours the country, packed full of different spices and botanicals, spreading the joy of gin.

The Garden Lane G&T is a favourite at The Beacon so the chance to create our own small-batch premium gin is the best way to experiment with flavours and botanicals to create something totally unique. All gin must have a dominant flavour of juniper, but the team wanted to create not just a Kent gin, but something that has flavours and aromas specific to The Beacon in the 17 acres of woods, that surround the restaurant.

The Beacon's creation is Mother’s Ruin. On the palate, it is a strong, well-rounded and balanced gin with hints of citrus, green cardamom and coriander seed with earthy undertones complimented by garden botanicals foraged in the grounds including wild fennel and wood sorrel.

At the workshop, enjoy a Garden Lane G&T with platters of bites and nibbles and listen to Cosmo talk about the craft of distilling gin and show how to use fresh and dried botanicals. The house serve at The Beacon is with a slice of grapefruit, juniper berries and a few wood sorrel leaves, served over fresh ice and Fever Tree tonic water.

A bottle of Mother’s Ruin distilled on the day will be available to buy at the special price of £30 (normal price £35).

This is a FREE event. There are limited places available so please email david@illbemother.co.uk to register your place.

The Lost Gardens of Sevenoaks

Rare rhododendrons on site at Reuthe's

Reuthe’s in Seal Chart, Sevenoaks, is opening its doors this bank holiday weekend after months of renovation work to the historic gardens.

Reuthe’s are the Lost Gardens of Sevenoaks, an acclaimed plant nursery founded in 1902 by a German plant hunter, set in 11 acres of woodland, part of the horticultural miracle that is the Green Sand Ridge in the Weald of Kent.

The historic site has been bought by local plantsman Oliver Schneider who is restoring the gardens, including a new café by Birch's, to its former glory. In its heyday Reuthe’s won Gold 17 years’ in a row at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show.

Opening on Saturday 5 May at 8.30am, Reuthe’s will welcome back visitors to explore the woodland, jungle-like pathways and walks up through the Hidden Valley. Here they will find plants and trees so rare they are the only ones in this country and discover hidden pockets of wild mushrooms, wild garlic and blueberries. 

Reuthe’s is situated on a north-facing woodland on a gently sloping hill with acidic, sandy and free-draining soil, part of the Green Sand Ridge. The Lost Gardens offer ideal growing conditions for the 300 varieties of rhododendrons growing on site and other acid loving plants such as rare trees, shrubs, azaleas and camellias.

River Cottage launches creative courses

New creative courses launch at River Cottage with Devon based artists

Watercolour botanicals, modern calligraphy and willow weaving

There has never been a better time to get involved in the British craft industries, which continue to grow and flourish. Whether you're thinking about launching your own wedding stationery calligraphy business or you're looking to master a new skill or want to learn how to weave a willow animal in your free time, River Cottage’s new creative courses led by Devon based artists are the place to be inspired.

Watercolour Botanicals and Modern Calligraphy with Harriet de Winton
16 September, £145 per person
For more information about the course visit the River Cottage website here

Enjoy an introduction to watercolour botanicals and modern calligraphy taught by Devon based artist Harriet de Winton in the beautiful River Cottage gardens.

Finding inspiration in the flowers, herbs and vegetables in the River Cottage gardens and in the nature surrounding the farm, guests on this artist’s workshop will learn the fundamentals of watercolour as well as key steps to painting any plant or flower. During a busy morning of theory and practical guidance, they will paint a watercolour wreath choosing their favourite plants and flowers. Following a delicious River Cottage lunch, the afternoon will be spent with an introduction from Harriet to the modern calligraphy trend, learning basic techniques with a dip pen nib and ink. Once mastered, guests will try their hand copying a lower and upper-case alphabet, numbers and punctuation, progressing to joined up letters to make words and phrases. To finish, everyone will create a chosen phrase or quote in their own personal free style.

Harriet runs the de Winton Paper co, a hand painted stationery company. She has illustrated for numerous publications and teaches extensively. She is also a watercolour expert and teacher at Kirstie Allsopp’s Handmade Fairs. 

Willow Deer Workshop with Katherine Miles
9 October and 13 November, £145 per person
For more information about the course visit the River Cottage website here

Learn how to make a beautiful and eye-catching 3-foot willow deer for your home or garden with Devon-based willow artist, Katherine Miles.

Famed throughout the South West, Katharine’s life-sized willow animal sculptures are displayed in stately homes, private gardens and as interiors design pieces. Katharine will guide guests through the weaving process in this exiting and fun workshop.

The workshop is suitable for beginners with no prior knowledge of weaving. All materials will be supplied, including locally sourced willow, but it’s advised that guests bring along a pair of their favourite secateurs and to wear old and comfortable clothing.

Artisan Willow is run by Katherine Miles who lives in the moorland town of Moretonhampstead, Devon. She specialises in weaving willow animal sculptures and bee skeps for the home and garden. She is available for commissions and also sells her work on-line. 

The Day:

All courses at River Cottage start at the top of the hill where guests will be met and transported down to the farm by tractor and trailer. The morning starts with tea or coffee and freshly baked scones or pastries from the River Cottage kitchen, while saying hello to the course tutors and fellow pupils. The morning session starts and is focussed equally on theory and practical lessons. Food is always the focus at River Cottage, and a two-course lunch of local, seasonal fare including sourdough bread will reinvigorate before returning to class for the afternoon session. At the end of the day guests are taken back up the hill by the River Cottage tractor and trailer, along with the hard work from their class.

 About River Cottage:

All River Cottage courses take place in the award-winning Cookery School at River Cottage HQ. Set against the stunning rural backdrop of the Devon countryside, just a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast, HQ covers 65 acres of organic farmland and encompasses a thriving kitchen garden and smallholding. The cookery school is renowned for its approach to seasonality and sustainability while championing the best local producers: it’s a foodie hub where you can learn, cook, eat and be inspired.

Britain's Fat Fight

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new programme 'Britain's Fat Fight' starts on Wednesday 25th.

Britain's Fat Fight

BBC One’s new three-part series, Britain’s Fat Fight with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, will see Hugh confronting one of the UK’s biggest health crises, by examining and exposing how consumers are being misled by packaging and portion sizes, and bombarded by junk food advertising. Through a series of stunts he takes on the food industry giants to push them to be more transparent about what's in our food, and takes his findings all the way to Number 10. As well as battling big businesses, Hugh tries to see if he can change the eating habits of a whole city by challenging the people of Newcastle to lose 100,000lbs in weight in a year.

Hugh says, "It’s been over a year in the making, and during that time I’ve learned so much about the challenging, complicated and often genuinely scary problem of obesity. I know it’s going to be hard to make change. But I also know it’s definitely possible. Above all, I’m sure we can do so much more, if we do it together.”

Wealden Literary Festival

Illustration by Naomi Howarth

Food for thought, for the soul and the imagination

The full programme for Wealden Literary Festival is now open for booking.

Over the weekend of 30 June and 1 July the festival is a unique celebration of nature, place and creativity. A fascinating mix of authors, poets, artists and makers will weave their magic in the enchanting surroundings of Boldshaves Garden.

Coursing through the talks, workshops, art exhibitions, outdoor activities and craft displays, there is joyfulness and reflection in equal measure as the Festival delves into our relationship with the natural world. There is food for thought, for the soul and the imagination.

It has been crafted with all ages in mind; children can enjoy a host of readings, art workshops and hands-on outdoor activities for free. Once again, the festival is showcasing the best of local food, drink and crafts and, for the first time, family-friendly woodland camping is available.

Tickets for many of the events are limited in number, so do visit the box office now to save your place.

https://wealdenliteraryfestival.co.uk/info/tickets/

Cabrito x Craft

Crafty goats.

Cookbook Club at Craft London

Following the successful launch of Cookbook Club at Craft London earlier this year, Stevie Parle and the team are excited to welcome acclaimed goat meat supplier and former chef James Whetlor to help cook recipes from his new cookbook ‘Goat: Cooking and Eating’ on Thursday 26th April.

The popular series of collaborative feasts has seen Craft London partner with like-minded chefs and cookery writers to showcase ethical and sustainable produce.

For £35 per person, guests can expect a menu based on the goat meat recipes featured in James’ new cookbook. Guests will be welcomed with a cocktail and starters including Kibbeh Nayeh, Orange and Leek Sausages, Homemade Goats Curd and Greenwich Radishes along with a selection of homemade snacks from the Craft kitchen. The main course of Asado-Style Goat will be accompanied by salad and sauces including chimichurri and a yoghurt dressing, and a selection of side plates. Pudding is Goats Milk Ice Cream served with Craft London Honey and Lemon Cake and Lavender Granita. James and Stevie will be on hand throughout the evening to chat with guests, sign copies of ‘Goat’ as well discussing the use and benefits of goat meat.

Cookbook Club began life at Stevie Parle’s Dock Kitchen in Ladbroke Grove, inviting in some of the most talented cookery writers and chefs to cook from their books. In January 2018 it was announced that the series of collaborative feasts would move to Craft London, kicking off with the much-loved José Pizarro. This was then followed by a feast with seafood restaurant duo Prawn on the Lawn in March, and coming up this summer, the team will host the inimitable DJ BBQ on 21st June who will be showcasing his best dishes from ‘Fire Food’. 

Cookbook Club with James Whetlor and ‘Goat’ at Craft London will take place on Thursday 26th April. To reserve tickets book online here.

One Planet Plate

One Planet Plate

Cabrito Goat Meat is joining chefs including Raymond Blanc, Skye Gyngell and Angela Hartnett as well as high street restaurants like Jamie’s Italian, Carluccio’s, Zizzi and Wahaca by participating in the Sustainable Restaurant's Association's One Planet Plate campaign.

One Planet Plate is a restaurant campaign to put sustainability on the menu – a chance for chefs worldwide to demonstrate to diners in food form how they’re contributing to a better food future.serving a dish that highlights how they’re addressing the problems in the food system as part of the SRA's global campaign to help diners use the power of their appetites wisely.  #OnePlanetPlate launches on Saturday 24 March, coinciding with WWF's Earth Hour - the largest environmental event in the calendar and a perfect moment to grab diners’ attention.

The SRA is calling on diners to play their part by snapping a picture of a One Planet Plate when they eat out and sharing it on social media using #oneplanetplate.

How to Eat a Peach at Wealden Literary Festival

Diana Henry and Tara Westover lead author line up at Wealden Literary Festival, Boldshaves Garden, Kent

Wealden Literary Festival is an enchanting weekend of words and ideas - a celebration of nature, place and creativity through literature, the arts and food.  Tickets for the 2018 Festival on 30 June and 1 July go on sale from 16 March.

Set in the beautiful Boldshaves Garden near Tenterden in the Weald of Kent and the fields and wild woods that surround the gardens, Wealden Literary Festival brings together renowned authors, poets, artists and makers who look first and foremost to nature, wilderness and the spirit of place for inspiration. It has been endorsed by leading nature writers including Robert Macfarlane, Mark Cocker and Jay Griffiths.

A sense of place is a connecting thread linking authors speaking at the festival. On Saturday 30th June, award-winning food writer, journalist and broadcaster Diana Henry will talk about her new cookery book How to Eat a Peach, a collection of seasonal menus inspired by a memory, place or mood. Planning a menu is Diana’s favourite part of cooking, remembering an afternoon at the seaside in Brittany or a sultry evening eating mezze in Istanbul. ‘This is an extraordinary piece of food writing, pitch perfect in every way. I couldn't love anyone who didn't love this book.’ Nigella Lawson

A sense of place is not always a romantic and poetic one. Diana Henry will be joined by New York Times bestselling author Tara Westover discussing her debut book, Educated. This extraordinary memoir is Tara’s story of her isolated childhood growing up in rural Idaho with an un-hinged, paranoid Mormon ‘survivalist’ father who forced his family to live off-grid, while stock-piling guns, fuel and food in readiness for the end of the world. Tara's birth was unregistered, her birth date unclear and no vaccinations received. She received no formal education at all, no books to read and with no TV or radio, she grew up almost entirely unaware of the world beyond her family. Having no other frame of reference, Tara never knew that their way of life was not the norm.

Tara had never set foot in a classroom before the age of 17. And yet, by 27 she had earned a doctorate from Cambridge University. From her unique experience, Westover tells a universal story about the transformative power of an education, but also of the very personal price she had to pay for that privilege. In pitiless prose Tara charts her unbelievable journey from a violent childhood through traumatic and abusive teen years to heart-breaking choices in adulthood. ‘Marvellous. There is no feeling like discovering a young writer who is springing up fully armed with so much talent.’ Stephen Fry

Wealden Literary Festival is family-friendly and looks after the minds and interests of young readers setting out to explore the world. Yuval Zommer, the acclaimed children’s author will be in the festival tent, talking about his widely acclaimed illustrated book, The Street Beneath My Feet. This double-sided foldout book creates a visceral sense of a journey to the centre of the Earth as readers travel past storm drains, buried artefacts, a subway, and many layers of rock on their way to the planet’s inner core. Children are taken on a fascinating journey deep underground showing a hive of subterranean activity.

In addition to the programme of talks, the Festival offers all ages the opportunity to take part in a series of creative writing and art workshops as well as woodland-based activities and events such as bushcraft, foraging and wildlife spotting. It also showcases the best of local craftspeople and food producers through a pop-up market and plays host to art exhibitions and displays.

Andrew Willan, Festival Director comments, “We hope through the Festival to nurture the links between people (and in particular children) and nature. We believe that nowadays all too many people lack the means to engage in any meaningful way with the natural world. We also believe that with improved access to nature comes a desire to cherish and protect it. The natural world provides a wealth of opportunities for learning, creativity and discovery which the Festival embraces.

As the virtual world becomes increasingly dominant in our lives, time spent out of doors with opportunities to read, write, create and think has perhaps never before been so vital. By nurturing a love of the natural world, of literature and the arts, the Festival hopes to give not only individuals and communities, but also nature itself a real chance to flourish and to thrive.”

“It is a thrill to see Wealden Literary Festival taking root and flourishing. With its emphasis on the natural world, its commitment to children and to community, and its vision of getting people outdoors and hands-on with nature, as well as reading and talking about it, it strikes me as a hugely hopeful and valuable new event. Long may it grow!” Robert Macfarlane, author of The Old Ways and The Lost Words

For more information about Wealden Literary Festival, press accreditation or to interview the directors, please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room PR on T: 07730 039361 or E: hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

James knows an awful lot about goats...

"James knows an awful lot about goats" Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

GOAT: Cooking and Eating

We should all be eating more goat. It's sustainable, ethical, highly nutritious and low in fat and has been an integral part of European, African and Asian diets since 3300BC. Why, then, does it remain so underused and misunderstood? Thanks to the efforts of James Whetlor from Cabrito Goat Meat, goat is once again on British restaurant menus and in homes nationwide.

In GOAT: Cooking and Eating, James looks at the story of this versatile ingredient and offers 90 recipes from around the world that will answer the common question: ‘How do I cook goat?’ With dishes arranged by cooking technique James shows that goat can be cooked fast and lean, or slow-cooked in curries, stews, braises and roasts as well as make sausages, burgers, and kebabs. There is also a section for delicious seasonings, spice blends and marinades.

From Kid Shanks with Chickpeas and Chorizo to Goat Tacos, Steamed Dumplings to Schnitzel, GOAT will encourage people to broaden their cooking repertoire as well as use more goat meat in everyday meals. Plus, there are original recipes from renowned chefs including Yotam Ottolenghi, Neil Rankin, Olia Hercules, Gill Meller and Jeremy Lee.

Alongside advice on sourcing goat meat, James highlights issues within modern farming today, the involvement of artisan tanneries to ensure the use of the whole animal and Cabrito’s charitable work with Farm Africa. Fifty per cent of James’ author advance and royalties from GOAT: Cooking and Eating will go toward Farm Africa’s work to transform agriculture and help farmers in eastern Africa increase their harvests, protect the environment and sell their produce in thriving markets.

Goat is a genre-defining book and essential reading for anyone with even a passing interest in food and the way we eat today and is set to be the definitive guide on the subject for years to come.

Foraging at The Beacon with the Chef's Forum

Sunny, but muddy. Foraging in the 13 acres at The Beacon.

KENT CHEFS GO FORAGING WITH  I'LL BE MOTHER AT THE BEACON, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Foraging has been popular for some years now, and professional chefs’ enthusiasm for gathering food from wild and natural places is only increasing. On Monday 13th March, over sixty top chefs from Kent and surrounds flocked to a fascinating forage led by wild food expert David Harrison.

The Beacon’s impressive thirteen acres were slightly muddy from rainfall the day before, but that didn’t dampen chefs’ spirits as they braved the crisp Spring air to embark on a flora and fauna adventure. Harrison is Michelin-starred chef Simon Hulstone’s personal forager and sources wild ingredients exclusively for Simon and his small team of talented chefs at The Elephant, Torquay.

The event was hosted I’ll Be Mother's Executive Chef Scott Goss, who demonstrated a duck dish with crispy skin and duck soup. 

The Beacon, positioned on the brow of the hill overlooking the Happy Valley perfectly lent itself as the perfect venue for the cheffy wild food hunt. The impressive garden sits below the patio terrace, dropping away from the restaurant towards the valley with three refurbished lakes to be filled with trout next year.  .

Scott said, “I’m really lucky to have these beautiful grounds on my doorstep – I am spoilt for choice.  I thought the event today was brilliant and it’s great to be able to educate and enthuse fellow chefs on our philosophy on food: zero waste using the whole animal and use of as much kitchen waste as possible.  Foraging makes up a big part of my menu here at The Beacon– Most of our mornings are taken up with foraging and it’s great to learn of all the other species available here from David Harrison – We’ll definitely invite him back next season to show us more!”

The culinary experts went on a tour of The Beacon’s impressive grounds, learning to find and identify the abundance of edible plants, seeds, nuts, flowers and fungi that grow wild in the beautiful Kentish countryside. They learnt that provided you are furnished with a permission from the land owner, the only real cost of foraging is time, a valuable resource for chefs. Most foraged produce is perishable and requires picking for service daily or every other day. 

Forager David Harrison told chefs: “Once you pick something, it immediately starts to lose its peak flavour and texture. So we do not store for that reason; we forage every day.  It’s great to see so many chefs in attendance – I hope that foraging with the chefs today spikes and interest in foraging and encourages them to bring this old skill back into the kitchen” 

The event was a great chance for chefs to learn about foraging for their menus and the copious amount of amazing wild ingredients growing all around them.

The Chefs’ Forum launched in Kent in 2013 and has gone on to see many young chefs find work placements and apprenticeships in the best professional kitchens across the county and beyond.

River Cottage Food Fair

River Cottage Food Fair, a food lover's dream weekend

Tom Kerridge, Nadine Levy Redzepi and Anna Jones lead the line-up for the River Cottage Food Fair, 26-27 May 2018

Some of the country’s leading chefs, cooks, food pioneers and cookery writers are joining Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall for a weekend of fun on the farm and food for thought at the River Cottage Food Fair on the late May bank holiday weekend.

A food lover’s dream weekend, the Food Fair is taking place at the idyllic River Cottage HQ, a 65-acre organic farm in Axminster, on the Dorset and Devon border. This hugely popular annual event is a treat for all the family to learn new culinary skills, meet the animals and be immersed in a weekend of cooking, growing, relaxing and (most importantly) eating. Held on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May, the Food Fair is a must-visit for food-lovers and gardeners, to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of spring, surrounded by the rolling Devonshire hills, just a few miles from the Jurassic coast.

The Food Fair has a fantastic line-up of food talent, including Tom Kerridge, Anna Jones, Melissa Hemsley, Nadine Levy Redzepi, Alex Hely-Hutchinson, Guy and Geetie Singh-Watson and Gill Meller plus more names to be announced soon.

In the Food for Thought tent Hugh has curated a line-up of speakers, including writer and environmental activist George Monbiot, which promises to provide thought-provoking and possibly controversial, debate and discussion.

The Fair is packed full of activities from chef demos on the main stage and culinary masterclasses including wild cocktails and spicy suppers, cooking over fire with Gill Meller, artisan food stalls, craft workshops, talks and live music to garden and wild food tours with River Cottage foraging guru John Wright. There’s also a new BBQ area where chefs will be sharing their techniques for cooking meat, fish and vegetables over fire.

A team of River Cottage experts and friends will be on hand across the site to share culinary tips and gardening wisdom, throughout the weekend.

Children under the age of 16 go free and will be kept entertained with a huge choice of activities including pasta and pancake making masterclasses, giant bubbles, games, craft workshops, meet the animals’ area, face painting, skittles and hula hooping – to name but a few.

Tom Kerridge, chef patron of the 2 Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers in Marlow, will launch the Food Fair with a special feast on the Friday evening. Whilst at the Food Fair there will also be the chance to dine inside the iconic River Cottage farmhouse and enjoy a two-course menu for £20, featuring the very best seasonal and local ingredients. For those looking for food-on-the-go, there will be a range of street food stands as well as a fully licensed bar serving local ciders, beers, wines and seasonal cocktails under canvas.

Those keen to learn something new can book onto one of the popular masterclasses. Starting at £20 these include Bread & Butter from scratch in an hour, River Cottage Ravioli, Wild Cocktails and Outdoor Cookery, whilst children can learn new skills such as Fresh Pasta and Pancakes. 

For more information and to book event and masterclass tickets, please visit the website https://www.rivercottage.net/foodfair.

The River Cottage Festival will be at HQ on the weekend of 25-26 August and will feature a jam-packed programme of music, masterclass and festival fun. More information as the line-up is confirmed here.

-Ends-

For further press information, interviews or images, please contact Hannah Blake at
The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

Notes to Editors

River Cottage Food Fair
River Cottage HQ, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster, Devon, EX13 8TB
Saturday 26 May – Sunday 27 May 2018
10am-5pm 

Ticket prices:
- Adults: £12.50
- Children (under 16 years): FREE 

Parking:
- Free park and ride service included in the ticket price

About River Cottage:

River Cottage has been a household name in Britain since 1998, when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall first brought his hands-on, ethical food ethos to our TV screens.  Since then, the River Cottage books, TV series and Hugh’s hard-hitting campaigns have changed the eating habits of the nation, as well as improving the welfare of our farm animals and the sustainability of our fish.

River Cottage HQ, situated on the Devon-Dorset border, is a thriving organic smallholding. It’s also home to a cookery school and chefs' school, and the base for unique dining experiences and events including weddings and private parties. There are River Cottage Canteens in Axminster, Bristol and Winchester. These award-winning restaurants and delis manifest the River Cottage philosophy by using the very best seasonal ingredients from the surrounding area. Alongside fresh, seasonal fruit, veg and wild foods, the Canteen menus showcase fish and shellfish from West Country day boats and organic meat and dairy products from local farms.

www.rivercottage.net

Cabrito chef producer dinner at Corazón

Mexican inspired goat feast

Corazón host exclusive collaborative dinners with some of the most exciting producers the UK has to offer - launching with James Whetlor from the award winning, Cabrito.

Mexican inspired restaurant Corazón in Soho will launch the first of their one-off producer led dinners aimed at celebrating their love and appreciation for independent and innovative UK producers.

On Wednesday 31 January, chef and co-founder Paul Daniel will team up with James Whetlor of Cabrito, the award-winning kid goat supplier and specialist. As an ex-chef, James founded Cabrito in 2012, feeling he should do something about the waste of male billy goats by the dairy industry – he thought that there had to be a better solution than euthanizing them as a by-product at a few hours old. Calling on his 10 years’ of chef experience and contacts, James set up Cabrito Goat Meat and began working with goat dairies to supply some London’s most celebrated restaurants.

This ticketed event, priced at £35pp, will include an introduction to Cabrito by founder James, followed by a 3-course Mexican inspired menu designed to celebrate the meat’s unique and complex flavour profiles, from Corazón’s Paul Daniel.

Feast style menu for the evening:

‘Corazon’ Margarita or Michelada

 Cabrito Taco: BBQ Goat Leg, Avocado Leaves, Roasting Juices, Guacamole, Habanero Pepper Salsa

Goat Birria: Shoulder of Goat Stew spiced with Housemade Adobo, Guajillo, Pasilla & Ancho Chiles, Mexican Chocolate, Cumin. Served with Warm Tortillas, Chopped Onions & Tomatillo Salsa

Mexican Cinnamon Doughnuts and Cajeta (Goats Milk Caramel)

Chef and Co-founder Paul Daniel comments: "Our kitchen at Corazón is committed to experimentation and taking Mexican food a few steps forward  – always a little better, a little different.  We use the best quality ingredients, all in-house prepped, of course – and we also love to get the diner comfortably out of their comfort zone, with the odd authentically adventurous dish. Goat meat may not be seen as the norm in the UK, but in fact eating goat is very popular in Mexico and South Texas. The meat lends itself very well to the slow cooking we do so much of as it retains its moisture so beautifully.  We teamed up with Cabrito for this one-off collaboration to really showcase just how delicious eating goat can be – what a perfect way to start what we hope to be many partnerships with some of the UK’s most celebrated producers!"

Corazon
29 Poland Street
London
W1F 8QR

www.corazonlondon.co.uk

Tickets: https://billetto.co.uk/e/corazon-x-cabrito-dinner-tickets-251521

For more information about Cabrito contact hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk
and for Corazon Ula@ulamcarthy.com

A Curious dinner at Swan Chapel Down

The new Managing Director of Beer of Curious Brew, Gareth Bath, is hosting a curious dinner at 7pm on Thursday 22 February 2018 at Swan Chapel Down. The evening will include a tutored tasting of the range of Curious Brewery beers and cider followed by a Curious two course dinner.

The menu offers locally sourced cod in a Curious Brew batter with triple-cooked Morghew Estate chips, paired with Curious Brew lager and Curious IPA and for dessert, Curious Porter steamed pudding, paired with Curious Porter.

Dinner will finish with a glass of Lamberhurst Fine & Rare English Grape Brandy, described as 'utterly, completely, overwhelmingly, mouth fillingly delicious' by Jonathan Ray for The Spectator. Places are £40.00 per person (£30.00 for Chapel Down and Curious shareholders).

To reserve your place, contact bookings@chapeldown.com or telephone 01580 766111. Places are limited and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Cheers!

All the pies from a pastry obsessive

Calum Franklin, executive chef at Holborn Dining Room, Rosewood London

Calum Franklin, executive chef at Holborn Dining Rooms, Rosewood Hotel, at The Twenty Six

Calum Franklin from Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood Hotel, London is guest chef at The Twenty Six on Sunday, 3 December. Calum’s pies - which have fair claim to the biggest restaurant Instagram sensation in London - are the work of a man obsessed with pastry and will be main emphasis of his menu at The Twenty Six. The menu includes White Pudding and Mangalitsa Scotch Egg; Rabbit & Bacon Pâté en Croûte; Lobster Thermidor Tart; Braised Octopus, Chorizo Aioli; Squab Pithivier; 50 day dry-aged Beef Wellington and for dessert, Lemon Tart.

Drawing on a wealth of culinary experience, Calum worked at a variety of renowned restaurants before taking the position of Executive Chef at Holborn Dining Room. His career began at Michelin-star restaurant, Chapter One in Kent. It was here he learnt the fundamentals of cooking and developed his culinary knowledge.

Calum has focused on British cuisine for the last eight years and in doing so, it has become his speciality. He is passionate about using the best produce the country has to offer and feels strongly that British food needs to be championed so that diners “can be wowed by ingredients as well as cooking.” In the industry Calum has become recognized for his work in pastry, crafting pâté en croûte, savoury pies and seasonal offerings at Holborn Dining Room. Rosewood London won Best London Hotel 2017 at the GQ Food & Drink awards and recently launched The Pie Room, adjacent to the main dining space, which will sell fresh pies to passers-by via an open street-side hatch. Calum is also launching weekly pie making masterclasses in April 2018.

Calum’s 6 course menu at The Twenty Six is £60 per person and will be served in one sitting for dinner on a long communal table to 26 guests. Guests to arrive at 7.30 for drinks to be seated for dinner at 8pm. Reservations are open on www.thetwenty-six.co.uk or call The Twenty Six on 01892 544607 to book. A deposit will be taken at the time of booking.

Calum’s event is the last in a series of guest chef events during 2017, which has also included Gareth Ward from Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, Wales and Luke Richardson from Wreckfish, Liverpool. A new series for 2018 will be announced in the new year.

www.holborndiningroom.com

Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms at The Twenty Six

Gareth Ward, chef patron at Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, Wales

Welsh ingredients, landscape and locality

Gareth Ward, chef Patron of Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms is cooking a nine-course tasting menu at The Twenty Six, Tunbridge Wells, Kent on Sunday, 17 September.

Tucked away between the golden sands of Borth Beach and the rugged mountains of Snowdonia National Park, Wales, Ynyshir is a Michelin star, four AA rosette restaurant with rooms, and is number 12 in The Good Food Guide 2018. Gareth’s menus reflect seasonal availability of Welsh and British ingredients from both sea and land, including Dyfi Valley Welsh lamb, wild deer, duck and partridge, foraged sea herbs at Ynyslas beach and wild garlic in the Cumbrian mountains. The kitchen garden provides a bounty of herbs and vegetables throughout the year.

Ynyshir is about landscape and locality and the driving force in Gareth’s food is flavour. His menus take the guest through clearings and forests, sea and beach, mountain and pasture. It is seasonal in the traditional sense - using ingredients when they are ready and pickling or fermenting, salting or preserving to carry the kitchen through winter and into Spring. Cooking at The Twenty Six, Gareth and his team will create a dining experience to showcase Ynyshir, that takes guests on a creative journey through Wales and the British Isles.

Gareth’s nine-course tasting menu at The Twenty Six is £60 per person and will be served in one sitting for dinner on a long communal table to 26 guests. Guests to arrive at 7.30 for drinks, to be seated for dinner at 8pm.

Reservations are open on www.thetwenty-six.co.uk or call Jenny Cook on 01892 519882 to book. A £20 deposit will be taken at the time of booking.

Further events in The Twenty Six guest chef series include Nathan Eades, Simpsons on 22 October; Luke Richardson, Sticky Walnut on 19 November and Calum Franklin, Holborn Dining Room on 3 December.

Broughgammon Farm joins Goatober

Becky and Charlie Cole at Broughgammon Farm, Co. Antrim

Goatober goes to Northern Ireland

Broughgammon in Ballycastle, Co.Antrim is taking part in this year’s national #Goatober, the UK’s only month-long celebration of the dairy billy goat meat industry with Cabrito Goat Meat. With events in London, Bristol, Manchester, Somerset and Amsterdam, Goatober is now an international event.

Broughgammon Farm, run by the Cole family has its own artisan on-site butchery, run seasonal cookery, butchery and wild game classes and have a farm shop selling the best of Northern Irish and Irish produce. They have won many awards including Euro-tourques Food Award 2017 in recognition of traditional and artisan production methods, excellent quality standards and outstanding contribution to Irish food.

Charlie Cole comments, “When we set up the farm in 2011, there was no demand or route to market for kid goat meat in Ireland, forcing the farmers to put males from the dairy industry down as a waste product. Crazy! We decided to put a stop to this by buying the billy kids off the dairies and rearing themselves. We’re obsessed with providing the best quality, tastiest produce that is sustainable and ethical, so getting involved with #Goatober is a great thing to be part of.”

“The Cole family of Ballycastle, County Antrim, is at the forefront of the Northern Irish food revolution, producing cabrito (goat) and rose veal on their farm” Kathy McGuinness, The Sunday Times

GOATOBER N.IRELAND
Friday, 20 October 2017
Broughgammon Farm
50 Straid Road, Ballycastle, Co.Antrim, BT54 6NP

5:30pm butchery demo
6:30 farm tour (brief tour of the farm and meet the goats
7:30 dinner starts

Tickets are £38 per person and can be booked through Wefifo here. The full menu is:

Starter: Broughgammon’s award-winning Choriz-Offal Goat Taco
The Great British Street Food Awards 2017 Best Snack!
Served on a Blanco Nino taco with pea guacamole, beet salsa, raw goats milk cheese and goat bacon topping.

To follow: Cabrito a la Cruz
Argentinian style slow cooked kid over a hardwood fire, served with homegrown seasonal salads and local and homemade breads.

Pudding: Ballycastle Lardy Cake
Traditionally made with lard, the Broughgammon’s version uses the sweeter kid-goat suet and will be served with an autumnal compote. This is a West Country classic with a difference.

An early Autumn feast

I ate all of this in about 5 minutes.

Black treacle pork chop, black pudding crumble and pickled blackberries

When the lovely folk at Good Things magazine asked for an Autumn recipe from The Twenty Six, Scott Goss knew immediately what he wanted to cook. Being the dedicated publicist I am, I volunteered to help on the shoot. Anyone who knows me really knows that my dedication is a thin disguise for 'gimme that plate of food'. It's so good and easy to make at home and is already a firm favourite.

This is a hearty, family style dish with big flavours. Add a big bowl of mash (celeriac maybe?), a decent bottle of wine (Australian Pinot Gris for me please) or more of the Kent cider and this is a delicious and slightly different take on a Sunday roast.

Serves 2 (but can be easily scaled up)

2 bone-in pork chops, roughly 300g each. Ask your butcher to remove the skin
100g black pudding, cubed
75g cobnuts (or hazelnuts), roasted, skinned and roughly chopped
50g pumpkin seeds
5 or 6 large sage leaves
2 tablespoons black treacle
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
75g blackberries
50ml cabernet sauvignon vinegar
4 shallots, skin on, halved lengthways
300ml cider
Tablespoon of butter

Method:

The night before, or 24 hours in advance, mix the blackberries and cabernet sauvignon vinegar together and leave to pickle.

Rub the skin for the crackling in rapeseed oil and salt and blister in a hot oven at 210 degrees for 20 mins. Turn the temperature down to 120 degrees for a further 2 hours.

When ready to eat, season the chops and fry in a hot pan until golden brown on both sides. Put in the oven at 160 degrees for 12 minutes for medium.

Mix the black treacle and wholegrain mustard together and spread on the chops while still hot from the oven. Rest for 10 mins.

For a simple gravy, deglaze the roasting tray with the cider and reduce by two thirds and finish with a tablespoon of butter. Check seasoning and keep warm.

Leaving the skin on, cut the shallot in half lengthways. In a non-stick pan with a little rapeseed oil, char the cut side of the shallot until blackened. Flip over and cook for a further minute. Turn off the heat and let the shallot cook in the residual pan heat.

Chop or crumble the black pudding and fry in a little rapeseed oil in a hot pan until crispy. Add the chopped cobnuts or hazelnuts and the pumpkin seeds to lightly toast. Tear in the sage leaves, crisping in the black pudding oil for a further minute.

To plate:

Pile the black pudding crumble on top of the black treacle chop with the crackling, roast shallot and pickled blackberries on the side and a spoonful of cider roasting juices.

Japanese desserts

Smoked Chocolate Pave by James Campbell in Japanese Patisserie

Guest chef lunch with Japanese flavours
 

The concept of fusion in food can be magical - when cuisines and cultures collide, combining flavours, ingredients and methods from around the world, creating new classics, the best of which become staples in our everyday lives. Pâtisserie master, James Campbell will be cooking a selection of desserts and petit four from his new book Japanese Pâtisserie at The Twenty Six on Sunday 23 July. The book and menu is a stimulation to the senses with a range of delicious and contemporary pâtisserie with a Japanese twist using ingredients such as yuzu, sesame, miso, matcha and wasabi.

Michel Roux OBE, describes James as ‘a simply stunning pastry chef’.

James Campbell has worked as a chef in Michelin-starred establishments across the world. In London, he was Head Pastry Chef at Gary Rhodes’ Michelin-starred restaurant and the award-winning Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It is in his current position as Product Development Manager for Marks & Spencer, that James’ passion for Japanese culture and ingredients truly developed through research and in-depth visits to Tokyo and Osaka. James was recently a semi-finalist in BBC Two’s Bake Off: Crème de la Crème.

Tickets for James’s guest chef lunch are £45 for 6 courses including a glass of dessert wine and available online at www.thetwenty-six.co.uk or calling 01892 544607.

Summer salad

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Poached salmon, cucumber and brined kohlrabi

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Tea-smoked duck

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Sancho peppercorn & strawberry eton mess with matcha meringues and yuzu

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Smoked chocolate pave with yuzu, miso and chocolate soil

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Sesame peanut cookies
Matcha madeleines with pink peppercorns and frais de bois
Caramelised miso and chocolate truffles

Desserts are served with a glass of Salice Salentino Aleatico Dolce (Candido, 2010)

Japanese Pâtisserie is by James Campbell (Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99) and photography by Mowie Kay.

Goatober 2017 launches

James from Cabrito with head chef George Wood at Temper and the rest of the team [credit Stephen Joyce]

#GOATOBER 2017 launches in London, Bristol, Manchester and Somerset

Events all over the country celebrating goat meat with chefs cooking from Duck & Waffle, Grafene, Hispi, HIX Restaurants, The Manchester Art Gallery Café, River Cottage, Roth Bar & Grill, Temper and The Jugged Hare.

#Goatober is the UK’s month-long celebration of the dairy billy goat meat industry. During the month of October, restaurants across the country will be putting a goat dish pride of place on their menus and urging diners to try this delicious but much under-used meat. Roasted, raw, curried, baked, skewered, stuffed into a sausage, goat meat is delicious and versatile. First launched in London 2016 at ETM’s restaurant The Jugged Hare in Barbican, #Goatober saw over 40 restaurants take part and the launch event raised £6,300 for charity Action Against Hunger. Due to the huge success of last year’s launch event, this year it will be hosted at The Montcalm Royal London House Hotel on Finsbury Square, which houses ETM’s rooftop restaurant and terrace bar Aviary and all-day café Burdock.

#Goatober UK has been launched by ethical meat champion and producer James Whetlor from Cabrito Goat Meat. The original #Goatober was launched in America in 2010 and was the brainchild of Heritage Radio Network Executive Director, Erin Fairbanks, and renowned New York cheesemonger, Anne Saxelby. It is now an annual campaign every year in October which sees Heritage Foods USA partner with goat dairies around upstate New York and Vermont to purchase their unwanted males. Over 50 New York City restaurants feature goat on their menu for the full month of October including Gramercy Tavern, Babbo, Spotted Pig and Bar Boulud and the campaign’s success continues to grow.

James Whetlor comments, “As an ex-chef myself, there’s nothing that delights me more than seeing top chefs prepping our goat in imaginative, inspired and delicious ways. It’s now possible to sit down in fantastic restaurants to a pile of harissa scented goat chops or goat Soulaki, goat tacos or Indian style pulled goat shoulder or a British classic of boned and rolled stuffed saddle. Britain has woken up to what the rest of the world has known for some time; goat meat is delicious!”

GOATOBER LONDON
Wednesday, 27 September 2017

The Montcalm Royal London House Hotel
22-25 Finsbury Square, London, EC2 1DX
Drinks reception sponsored by Black Cow Vodka at 7pm
Dinner at 7.45pm

To mark the launch of #Goatober, six competing chefs will each serve a goat inspired dish at a ticketed event at The Montcalm Royal London House Hotel, Finsbury Square, starting with Black Cow Vodka cocktails. Tickets for the event are £95 per person which includes a £10 donation to charity Action Against Hunger. Each savoury dish will be wine paired by ETM’s Head Sommelier Gui Mahaut, followed by petit fours and coffee. A charity auction, hosted by journalist and food writer, Joe Warwick, will follow dinner with all proceeds going to Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organisation committed to ending child hunger around the world.  Tickets can be booked here.

The full line up of chefs and their dishes are:

Kid tartare with deep fried oyster and crispy seaweed
Gill Meller, River Cottage, Devon

Kid breast with celery, puntarella, anchovy & caper salad & farro pangratatto
Claire Thomson, author of 5 O’Clock Apron and The Art of the Larder (Quadrille), Bristol

Smoked goat taco
George Wood, Head Chef at Temper, London

Goat kofte with ezme salad and cumin spiced yoghurt
Tom Cenci, Executive Chef at Duck & Waffle, London

Goat Roly Poly
Lee Bull, Chef Director at HIX Restaurants, London

Roast smoked leg of Devonshire kid goat, braised shoulder pie, turnip, wild horseradish, cobnut jus
Stephen Englefield, Head Chef at The Jugged Hare, London

Further events at Hamilton House, Bristol; The Koffee Pot, Manchester and Roth Bar & Grill, Somerset. More information here www.cabrito.co.uk/goatober