When King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited River Cottage
River Cottage HQ was proud to welcome then the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, now King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as honored guests.
The royal couple toured Park Farm— a working organic smallholding and the base for all River Cottage courses and events—accompanied by River Cottage founder Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
In addition to observing the operations, they chatted with staff and members of the River Cottage team. The visit launched the second day of royal engagements in the South West. Their Royal Highnesses have a long-standing interest in local, seasonal food and in supporting British producers.
River Cottage is widely known for its groundbreaking work in these areas, blazing a trail for the use of seasonal, ethically produced ingredients and championing sustainability in the food industry.
While touring HQ, the Prince and the Duchess heard about the recently established Chefs’ School, which is instilling River Cottage values in a new generation of young professionals. They also met Sam Lomas, winner of the Rising Star Young Chef Award in 2013, as well as runner-up Freyja Davis.
They further chatted with John Wright, River Cottage’s resident foraging expert and leader of the popular Seashore, Hedgerow, and Mushroom Foraging courses.
Later in the day, the couple visited the new business and residential development at the historic Royal William Yard in Plymouth. Their day concluded on the seafront at the River Cottage Canteen, a 120-seat restaurant where the food philosophy of Hugh and his team is taken from farm to plate.
Hugh said, “I have long admired the Prince’s tireless support for sustainable agriculture and artisan food producers, and it was an absolute honour to welcome Their Royal Highnesses to our busy HQ. I was very proud to show off our amazing operation and our brilliantly talented team. River Cottage is unique—there’s nowhere else in the country offering such a range of teaching in the area of local, seasonal cookery and ethical food production—and it’s wonderful for that to be recognised.”
News as seen in BBC News.