River Cottage Four Day Cookery Course
Overview
For an immersive and unforgettable culinary experience, join us at our award-winning cookery school for one of the best cookery courses in the UK. This four-day adventure covers fish, meat, vegetables, and bread, including a special session with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall himself.
Described by many guests as “life-changing,” this course is your chance to fully immerse yourself in the River Cottage ethos of seasonal and sustainable food. Whether you’re looking to build confidence in the kitchen or enhance your existing skills, this course will give you the knowledge, techniques, and inspiration to transform the way you cook and think about food.
Our expert Chef Tutors will guide you through a range of cooking methods—from fast and slow cooking to preserving and smoking—focusing on ingredient provenance, sourcing, and seasonality. You’ll explore bread baking, from sourdough to sweet treats and pizza, while also delving into meat butchery, smoking, curing, and preparing lesser-known cuts and offal. On the fish and shellfish day, you’ll learn directly from the fisherman who caught it. In a session with Hugh, you’ll discover how to make vegetables the star of your dishes.
This course isn’t just about cooking—it’s about a deeper connection to food and nature. It’s one of the best cookery courses in Devon, and one of the best cookery courses in the UK.
“A very interesting course with so much information lovely. Would love to do it again. The setting is just wonderful in amongst the rolling hills of Devon and Dorset. I would really recommend this course, you don’t have to be any good at cooking, just love fresh food.” Jill, June 2023
HIGHLIGHTS
- Four full days of immersive cookery lessons
- Vegetable cookery session with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
- Butchery demonstration and meaty River Cottage recipes
- Learn about the importance of sustainable fish sourcing
- Master the techniques for filleting flat and round fish
- Prepare and cook shellfish, including bivalves and crustacea
- Discover a variety of sensational fish recipes
- Introduction to curing and cold smoking
- Bread-making masterclass covering sourdough, granary loaves, pizza, and sweet doughs
- Perfect your pastry for both sweet and savory bakes
- Enjoy daily lunches featuring your creations and dishes from the River Cottage Kitchen
- Plenty of teas, coffees, and nibbles throughout the day
Your day
10:00 - 17:00
Make yourself at home
Each day begins with your host greeting you and a selection of tea, coffee, and freshly made treats from the kitchen.
Meat
Explore sustainable meat, including its origins and how to purchase it responsibly. The day features a butchery demonstration and various preservation methods, including bacon-making. You'll also learn to prepare and cook lesser-known cuts and offal, embracing the nose-to-tail philosophy.
Fish
Dive into filleting flat and round fish, preparing crustacea and bivalves, and cooking an array of outstanding fish recipes. You'll also explore how curing and cold smoking enhance both preservation and flavour.
Veg
Spend the day exploring vegetables! Discover various cooking, pickling, and preserving methods while learning to use produce in unique ways. In the morning, join Hugh as he shares some of his favorite veggie dishes. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask him your burning questions and get a book signed—feel free to purchase books on-site or bring your own from home.
Baking
Learn the principles of bread making by crafting an artisan sourdough loaf, a granary farmhouse loaf, wood-fired pizzas, cinnamon doughnuts, and a chocolate brioche loaf. You’ll also create rough puff pastry, perfect for both savoury and sweet bakes!
Lunch
Each day, you'll take a break to enjoy a freshly made meal featuring local, seasonal ingredients.
Departure
You'll have time to chat with your fellow scholars and the River Cottage team before heading back up the hill by 5pm.
Further Information
Directions
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.
Licensed Venue
We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.
Accommodation
For anyone on our Four Day Cookery Course, staying the full four nights, we offer a 10% discount on our standard room rates. To make use of this offer please call our team on 01297 630300 ext.1 between 9-5 and quote the code FourDay10Off when booking.If you would like to stay at the heart of River Cottage, we offer overnight accommodation at River Cottage HQ in our beautiful 17th century farmhouse. We have three stylishly refurbished bedrooms for B&B plus the 2-bedroom Gardener's Cottage. These get booked quickly so for more information go to rivercottage.net/stay to book. Alternatively, we have put together a list of our local accommodation which includes B&Bs, self-catering, hotels and camping.
Suitability
We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12 years of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
Allergy Advice
Sorry, we’re afraid this course is not suitable for those with allergies or specific dietary requirements. However we do run courses that are gluten free, vegetarian and vegan friendly. Please get in touch if you have any questions or need further details.
