Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Kitchen & Store officially launches
The new River Cottage Kitchen & Store has officially launched.
Open 9am-5pm, seven days a week, with breakfast served 9am-11.30am and lunch served 12pm-3pm, this casual cafe is located within the famous River Cottage HQ - a stone’s throw from the recognisable Farmhouse and gardens.
Whether dining alfresco on the outdoor terrace or enjoying the light and airy space indoors, guests can soak up the breathtaking, ever-changing views of the East Devon countryside. Cyclists, adventure seekers in muddy walking boots and four-legged friends are all welcome, and there’s plenty of space to park cars with additional spaces reserved for disabled access.
River Cottage Kitchen & Store is the perfect pit-stop to refuel, whether tackling the undulating hills of the Devon / Dorset border on a walk or bike ride, driving through the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty along the scenic South West 660 coastal path, or simply meeting friends for a slice of cake.
The River Cottage Kitchen & Store champions organic, local and seasonal food with a farm to fork ethos. The new menu has been developed by Gelf Alderson, Culinary Director of River Cottage, for more than ten years. His talent has long been recognised through his work with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to create the delicious menus served at River Cottage.
Sample dishes from the autumn menu include:
Hot smoked onions, roast mushroom, organic mozzarella, River Cottage spicy kraut and beetchup on seeded sourdough
Organic chorizo meatballs, spicy tomato and bean sauce, herby bashed celeriac and spuds
“OffShore” rope grown mussels lightly curried with leeks, River Cottage Cider, apples and cream with seeded sourdough
(As seen on the latest TV series; River Cottage Reunited)
Chelsea bun and organic sun-dried apricot bread and butter pudding with organic vanilla ice cream
Pear, apple and ginger fumble
It’s not too early to mention the upcoming Christmas menu as well, which will be available from November, giving visitors even more reason to be regulars.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: “I’m very excited about our brand new Kitchen & Store at River Cottage HQ which is now open. It’s a casual space for breakfast, lunch, drinks and cakes as well as a store where you can buy our River Cottage products and books. We’re not currently taking bookings so you – and your dogs! – can simply drop in to check it out and see the beautiful views across the valley.
“It’s a beautiful space in a beautiful location – at the top of the hill from the farm, but not on the farm itself - and I hope to see some of you here soon.”
Formerly based in Axminster town centre, the new Kitchen & Store brings the River Cottage experience together into one foodie hub. In keeping with River Cottage’s environmentally conscious ethos, materials, fixtures and fittings from the Axminster site have been upcycled or recycled. Where new materials have been necessary, they have been chosen for their high environmental standards.
Visitors will be able to purchase River Cottage’s range of products from the store, including the many fantastic cookbooks written by Hugh and the team, local food and drink, and homeware. Also on offer will be the River Cottage Organic range of organic products which now includes; ketchup, kombucha, vegetable stock, cider, beer, sparkling wine, award-winning yoghurt, kefir as well as soaps and balms - made in conjunction with local producers.
Ahead of visiting, if you’d like a little taste of Gelf’s wonderful cooking in your own home, try this recipe:
Fennel, celery and apple salad with creamy almond dressing, by Gelf Alderson
Hold on to the last hints of summer sunshine with this fabulous fennel, celery and apple salad with creamy almond dressing, found in Gelf Alderson’s new cookbook, River Cottage Great Salads (£20, published by Bloomsbury). Crispy and creamy all in one, it's a serving of summer on a plate.
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side
Ingredients
- 50g almonds (skin on), roughly chopped
- 2 crisp eating apples, such as Gala or Cox
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 5 celery sticks
- A handful of pea shoots (about 40g)
For the almond dressing:
- 100g almonds (skin on)
- 150ml almond milk or water
- 1 orange
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30ml cider vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. First make the dressing, a day ahead if you can. Put the almonds into a bowl, pour on the almond milk or water, cover and leave to soak overnight. Or, put the almonds in a pan with the liquid, cover & place over a low heat for 15–20 minutes to slightly soften them then leave to cool.
2. Cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of the orange then stand it on a board and slice off the skin and white pith. Cut the orange segments out from between the membranes, remove any pips then place in a jug blender.
3. Add the olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic and softened almonds to the blender along with any remaining soaking liquor. Blitz to form a smooth dressing. If it’s a little too thick, add almond milk or water, 1tbsp at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. Place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the chopped almonds and heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to take on some colour and release their nutty aroma. Tip onto a plate and allow to cool.
5. Quarter, core and dice the apples into very small cubes and place in a large bowl. Quarter the fennel bulbs, cut into 5mm thick slices and add to the bowl. Finely slice the celery into 5mm slices and add these too. Add half of the pea shoots to the salad, then trickle over the dressing and toss until all the veg are nicely coated.
7. Transfer the salad to a serving platter and scatter over the remaining pea shoots and toasted almonds to serve.
To keep up to date with the latest River Cottage news, visit www.rivercottage.net, find Hugh and the team on Instagram (rivercottagehq), Facebook (rivercottagehq), Twitter (@rivercottage), Pinterest (rivercottagehq) and YouTube (River Cottage).
