Seasons & Episodes
Episode 1
Hugh arrives at River Cottage, a former Gamekeeper's cottage in west Dorset. He sets about removing the plants from the
Episode 2
Hugh's been at the cottage a month, his vegetables have been planted and they are growing nicely. Pike is on the menu to
Episode 3
The vegetables are doing so well, Hugh decided to enter them at the Beaminster Show. He also enters the Home Craft secti
Episode 4
Hugh has discovered that he is not alone at River Cottage, there are mice at the cottage and he wants rid of them - by h
Episode 5
Hugh decides that the river that give the cottage its name should contribute to his larder. So he has an eel trap made a
Episode 6
The day has arrived for Hugh's pigs to go to slaughter. He intends to use "everything but the oink", so enlists the help
Christmas at River Cottage
Christmas Special at River Cottage
Episode 1
It's April, one year since Hugh moved to River Cottage. Hugh negotiates with his neighbour to secure the use of a four a
Episode 2
Two of Hugh's chickens aren't acclimating to their 8-foot (2.4 m)-high coop, so he sells them at the annual poultry auct
Episode 3
Hugh's landlords the Hitches are hosting a medieval fair, and Hugh offers up one of his pigs for spit roasting. Hugh att
Episode 4
Unseasonal rains flatten Hugh's potential hay crop, and the tomatoes in his polytunnel are stricken by blight. Sheep sho
Episode 5
The tomato crop has survived the blight, and Hugh prepares to take on organic grower Michael in a friendly competition a
Episode 6
Hugh tries brewing his own beer, using a hop plant he's found growing atop a tree. Later, he employs Nigel, an expert in
Return to River Cottage - Q&A with Hugh
Q&A with Hugh
Episode 1
Hugh cooks up a limpet pie and his neighbour Jo Forsey comes to check his sheep stock and declares that at least two are
Episode 2
After several days and sleepless nights, Hugh's first ewe finally gives birth to twins - the perfect Easter present.
Episode 3
It's late May, the vet calls and it's bad news: Marge the cow is not as pregnant as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall once tho
Episode 4
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall invites two local felt-making experts to turn his sheep's fleeces into a fashionable garment
Episode 5
Hugh's beginning to get the hang of his Dorset down-shifting experiment - or so he thinks. Under the hot summer sun, the
Episode 6
It's high summer and with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's vegetable garden in fine shape he's decided to enter the Vegetab
Episode 6
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall finds that one of his old ewes has died. It's a sad day at River Cottage as later on he send
Episode 8
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Dorset down-shifting experiment finally comes to an end. As winter draws in, he has one ma
River Cottage Forever - Q&A with Hugh
River Cottage Forever - Q&A with Hugh
Getting Started
Hugh looks back on his early days at river cottage offering advice to other as to how to start their own adventures into
A Garden of Delights
From putting in his first organic veg beds, running the gauntlet of pests, to harvesting bumper crops from his polytunne
Joy of Pigs
Hugh reminisces about his adventures with his pigs - from buying his first pig to training his breeding sow to hunt for
Friends and Neighbours
Good friends and helpful neighbours are an essential part of the rural idyll. Hugh recalls his initiation into the rural
Business and Barter
Hugh believes that to achieve a thoroughly good living, you need to be ready to barter and heckle. He charts the rise of
Chicken and Eggs
The difference between a vegetable garden and a smallholding is livestock, and every smallholder needs chickens. Hugh re
Local Crafts and Customs
Hugh tells us about some of the local customs he learned.
The River and the Sea
Hugh explains how the river and sea offer the free food - from crabs and cuttlefish to eels and pike.
The Wild Larder
Hugh explains why wild food should be a part of the smallholder's diet.
Land and Livestock
Hugh decides to continue as a small farmer - but how far should he go?
Episode 1
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has outgrown the old River Cottage and now owns a 44 Acre farm in Dorset. To improve the eco
Episode 2
Hugh has finally located a suitable property and begins transforming the site into a going concern. His first challenge
Episode 3
In this episode Hugh has to deal with impending birth of piglets. He solve the problem of no toilets for the new restaur
Episode 4
The year has moved to April. With the seasonal spring vegetables coming into their own, Hugh decides to set up a special
Episode 5
The year is moving to late spring and the lambing has gone very well. Hugh attempts to win the Blossom Picnic Festival.
Episode 6
River Cottage HQ restaurant has been open for a month and things are going well. Hugh agrees to host a wedding feast for
Episode 7
Summer is now if full swing. Hugh inspired by an excellent crop of tomatoes decides to conduct a tomato festival at Rive
Episode 8
Moving into Autumn Hugh decides to enter competitions promoted by the local bee keeping society. He also decides to try
Episode 9
Hugh takes up pottery skills to learn how to make clay pots designed for cooking chickens. He also goes in search of mus
Episode 10: A River Cottage Christmas Feast
Hugh ends the year with a medieval feast including 10 birds within a bird. He also takes his staff to a Christmas party
Growing Your Own
Hugh's journey towards self-sufficiency started out with a modest vegetable patch and a handful of animals, but he soon
Thrift and Graft
From learning to make felt from his sheep's fleeces to trying to revive traditions of tripe eating at the local farmers
Going Local
Continuing his retrospective assessment of the vital elements of rural life, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall looks back on h
The Wild Harvest
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall looks back on the part that wild food has played over his six years of Dorset downshifting.
One for the Pot
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall looks back on his experiences of bagging 'one for the pot' from the rabbits that are eating
Feasting and Fun
Hugh revisits some of his finest food gatherings, including a blossom party picnic and an annual cider knees-up.
Episode 1
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall heads off to Dumfriesshire and Cumbria in search of culinary inspiration and some regional r
Episode 2
Hugh concludes his trip by heading to the Lake District and Yorkshire in search of the finest northern tea experience. O
Fast Food Chicken Addicts
Hugh entertains a group of fast food addicted city folk. With busy lifestyles and no desire to cook, the only solution s
Ready Mealers Cook Real Meals
Hugh is faced with a group of self-confessed ready meal addicts. Hugh struggles to cope with their laziness, food foible
Too Lazy to Cook
Hugh deals with the takeaway townies: too lazy to cook, shop or even bung something in the microwave! Can he change thei
Episode 1
Hugh heads to the Channel Islands to cast his fishing rod into the ocean. What he catches, he cooks, either on board his
Episode 2
Hugh visits the Hebrides in Scotland where he learns about how the sea and the food it provides have shaped life on the
Episode 3
Hugh returns home to the West Country where he teams up with the region's most progressive fishermen to investigate comm
Lamb and Asparagus
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooks using produce from Britain's abundant spring harvest, including asparagus, artichokes
Lettuce and Bees
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall prepares dishes using seasonal lettuce and spinach from his kitchen garden and dandelion and
Goats and Potatoes
The potatoes and radishes are ready for picking and the broad beans are de-podded for a luxurious dish of beans on toast
Gooseberries and Garlic
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall celebrates the arrival of summer with a fair. He prepares elderflower champagne and the Bris
Beetroot and Ducks
It's autumn at River Cottage and Hugh's going to get us all eating beetroot. There's duck on the menu too, hatched by Hu
Spelt and Cauliflower
The autumn abundance is enough to tempt committed carnivore, Hugh, to lay on a slap up vegetarian feast at the River Cot
Wild Food Feast
We're deep into autumn and the harvest has been hearty for Hugh and his faithful River Cottage crew. As a reward for the
Hugh's Bonfire Bash
It's firework time at River Cottage and Hugh's preparing for a Bonfire Night shindig. But before any marshmallows can be
Christmas at River Cottage
Hugh uses the fat from a cow's 'kidney knob' to make a spectacular flaming jam roly poly, his road test for a Christmas
Veal
Hugh is trying to change the opinion of veal, which has recently been avoided in Britain on the grounds of poor welfare.
Leftovers
Hugh wants to run a 'Leftovers Night' at the River Cottage Canteen. Together with chef Tim Maddams they make canapes fro
Cabbages and Slugs
Hugh learns slugs have been scoffing the soft cabbages so he plans some drastic action. Snails have long been establishe
Strawberry Fair
River Cottage is celebrating the strawberry this summer with a massive 500-person strawberry fete. In preparation, Hugh
Mushrooms and Pears
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall returns to celebrate the selection of fare available over the autumn and winter seasons. Aft
Rabbits and Wine
Hugh deals with a rabbit invasion in his garden by bringing in two warreners, and takes his children to Devon to look fo
Chillis and Pumpkins
Hugh prepares a chilli and pumpkin party for 200 people. He joins Gill Mellow and Tim Maddams to resurrect a childhood f
Getting Ready for Christmas
Hugh begins his preparations for Christmas, making chocolate brownies to give as gifts and using his slaughtered steer t
Episode 5 - Heroes
To celebrate a bumper year at River Cottage, Hugh has some of his food heroes round for a fabulous four course dinner in
Meat
Hugh believes the way to make organic free range meat fit your budget, is to eat and enjoy cheap cuts rather than cheap
Fish
Hugh's challenge this time is to convert a house full of student girls to the delights of fresh fish with dishes ranging
Vegetables
Hugh tries to win over the shoppers of Bridport to the delights of crudités, and persuade some of Poole's fire fighters
Fruit
With fruit sales falling in the UK, Hugh heads off to a typical suburban street to see if he can get people excited agai
Breakfast
Hugh shows that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, with Swiss-style muesli soaked in fruit juice, p
Lunch
Hugh tries to rescue lunchtime with the ultimate cheese sandwich, a DIY lunch box, healthy instant noodle snacks in a po
Bread
Hugh makes bread. Everything from simple white loaves to tangy sourdoughs, cheese and Guinness stuffed soda breads, an I
Treats
This time at River Cottage the theme is treats, with everything from sponge cake, lemon curd muffins, cheesy tarts and a
River Cottage Christmas Fayre
River Cottage welcomes the festive season with a Christmas Fayre as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his team offer up th
Bring It On!
In this first episode, Hugh makes peace with the pigs, and says goodbye to bacon sandwiches, and instead heads into the
Grow Your Own
This second programme is all about the garden. Hugh and the garden team revel in the first sweet roots of summer - delic
Feast
Hugh prepares to cook a meat-free feast. But he faces a battle with the slugs who are tucking into his vegetable patch w
Summer Pleasures
Hugh's commitment to a summer without flesh takes a hit when he joins a fishing trip and has to pass up the fresh macker
Power
Hugh immerses himself in the pleasures of wild swimming with vegetarian triathlete Colin. Meanwhile, Tim and James go he
Cost
Hugh is well into his summer without meat. But even though he's turned veggie, life goes on - and it's time to take two
Finale
Hugh has spent the summer dedicating his time and attention to vegetables. In this final episode his experiment of not e
Veg Heroes
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall looks back at his summer of vegetarian living through the eyes of the people who helped turn
The Actors
Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes and Felicity Kendal join Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for a two-day cookery master class a
The Comedians
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is joined at River Cottage by comedians Robert Webb, Lee Mack and Ruby Wax. Can two days of
Three Go Mad at Christmas
Hugh welcomes comedy actors Kathy Burke, Stephen Mangan and Mark Heap to River Cottage. What could possibly go wrong?
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