Cook on the Wild Side
Discover the bounty of nature with a day of cooking and feasting on wild ingredients at the River Cottage Cookery School.
Our one-day A Cook on the Wild Side course takes its name from Hugh’s very first TV show, and will introduce you to the joys of cooking with wild produce, including plants, meat and seafood. You’ll have expert tuition from the River Cottage chefs, plenty of opportunities to sample your wares, as well as a fantastic lunch.
Some wild ingredients will be sourced for you in advance, but you'll also head out for a spot of foraging in the fields and hedges at River Cottage HQ, before heading back to the cook school learn how to prepare and cook a number of really wild dishes.
Depending on the season and the opportunities, you may be able to gather wild greens such as nettles, sorrel, or wild garlic. Later in the summer and autumn, the focus will shift to fungi, wild fruits and nuts.
You will also get to grips with wild meat such as rabbit, pigeon, or venison, and there may be a chance to prepare locally caught wild seafood and fine edible seaweeds.
With the beautiful Devon countryside and seashore as your larder, there’s no better place to truly embrace the ingredients nature has to offer.
Your day
10.00 - 17:00
-
Arrive at River Cottage
Your River Cottage experience will begin with a 10-15 minute walk through the pathways down to the farm, giving you the chance to soak up the views of the valley.
-
Make yourself at home
You will meet your chef, and start the day with tea, coffee and treats fresh from the kitchen while we teach you the basics of wild, seasonal food.
-
Session One
First off you’ll prepare your game. Depending on the season you may learn how to pluck a wood pigeon or skin a rabbit before preparing it for cooking
-
Session Two
Next we'll take you on a tour of River Cottage HQ, foraging in the fields and hedgerows for edible treats. Depending on the season you might find sorrel, parasol mushrooms, sloes or haw berries
-
Session Three
Back in the cookery school, you’ll prepare your lunch with some freshly caught fish or shellfish.
-
Lunch
It's time to tuck into your creations for lunch
-
Session Four
Next using the game you prepared earlier you will cook a dish to take home with you. You'll then finish your day with a sweet from the kitchen.
-
Departure
There will be time to chat to your fellow scholars and the River Cottage team, before heading back up the hill.
Please note: This is a guide to the activities that will make up your course at River Cottage. This is by no means set in stone and will depend on seasonal availability.
On occasion cookery schools will use equipment that includes induction hobs. It is recommended that people with pace makers should not work on these units. If you are concerned or would like to check whether or not induction hobs will be used on the course you are interested in, please call us on 01297 630302.
Interested in this event?
Click the ‘notify me’ button below to receive an email when new dates for this event are released. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Notify meFurther information...
This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.
We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.
Stay in our famous Farmhouse, click here. For other local accommodation click here.
This course is not suitable for vegetarians, vegans and pescatarians We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
With many of our courses there are often treats and leftovers to take away with you. In our quest to be more sustainable we are encouraging guests to bring their own containers and bags to transport their produce home. Details of what is required for each course will be included in booking emails.
- Sustainable Restaurant Association
- Food and Travel Magazine 2017
- Great British Food Awards 2017
- Great British Food Awards 2018