The WORST episodes of River Cottage
Every episode of River Cottage ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of River Cottage!
In 1999 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall decided to quit the bustle of London and take on the life of a smallholder at River Cottage, a former gamekeeper's cottage in Dorset. The aim: self-sufficiency; to grow his own vegetables and raise his own animals for food. Over the years several series have been produced covering his experiences and watching his rural empire grow.
#1 - Plum Compote, Waldorf Salad and Flapjacks
Season 19 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/6/2013
As summer turns to autumn, Hugh's serving up some classic dishes, including plum compote, a fancy plum Waldorf salad and some fruity flapjacks that revive some bananas past their best.
#2 - Pizza, Blackberry Beer and Chicken Pie
Season 19 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/30/2013
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall takes on a pizza challenge: can he get his pear and stilton pizzas past the 'meat feast' lovers at the local pub?
#3 - Blueberry Coronation Chicken and Two Course Pasty
Season 19 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/23/2013
The River Cottage gang give sports day food a fruity twist with blueberry coronation chicken. Hugh also revives the coal miner's classic - a two course pasty containing meat and pudding.
#4 - Roast Pork, Black Pudding and Gooseberries
Season 19 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/16/2013
Hugh kicks off the series with a surprising cooking demonstration - but will his guests buy into strawberries in a savoury dish?
#5 - Veg Heroes (14)
Season 17 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/2/2012
At the end of his summer of vegetarianism, Hugh throws a River Cottage thank you dinner before setting out to catch his first bite of fishy flesh in four months.
#6 - Summer's Here: Best Bites
Season 13 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/1/2009
Hugh shares some of his favourite summer recipes. Among the delights on offer in this hour of foodie fun is a delicious Bloody Mary burger, complete with vodka, and a mouth watering salad of beetroot, red currant and goats cheese. There's also plenty of fun with the River Cottage gang, as Hugh throws a sheep shearing party, and opens up Park Farm to hundreds of foodie fans for a day-long strawberry fair, featuring strawberry cocktails made with the sparkling gorse wine he and resident forager John Wright found in the River Cottage gorse bushes.
#7 - Veg Heroes (3): Chris Massamba and Laura Coxeter
Season 17 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/17/2012
Hugh takes veggie living to the extreme, discovering the world of 'raw food' with chef's Chris Massamba and Laura Coxeter, including a raw chocolate cake made with avocado!
#8 - Winter's on the Way: Best Bites
Season 13 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/16/2009
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall rounds up some of his favourite autumnal foods, including passata, chorizo, marshmallows and nettle beer. He also throws a bonfire night party.
#9 - The View from River Cottage: Feasting and Fun
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/23/2005
In the final programme of this retrospective River Cottage series, Hugh reflects that sharing fresh, locally grown, seasonal produce with both family and friends has become the cornerstone of the River Cottage experience. Whether it's group-netting mackerel the traditional way or promoting Dorset's finest through his very own tomato festival, Hugh has long since been an advocate of the fun and feasting ethos. This week Hugh revisits some of the finest food gatherings; including a blossom party picnic and the annual cider knees-up at the Powerstock festival.
#10 - Winter's on the Way (3)
Season 13 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/26/2009
With winter just around the corner, Hugh turns to his garden for inspiration and decides to turn the heat up with a 200 person chilli-and-pumpkin party. Fast food and Hugh do not traditionally go hand in hand, but there is one exception: the Findus Crispy Pancake that he so adored as a youngster. Hugh and River Cottage chefs, Gill Mellow and Tim Maddams, take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to resurrect and refashion a childhood favourite, but with fantastic fresh ingredients including smoked pollack, bacon, cheese and sweetcorn. Hugh travels to Cornwall to join a group of fisherman who have found a sustainable and lucrative market in line caught squid fishing After an early morning at sea Hugh cooks some deep fried salt and pepper squid, with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, before the rest of their catch travels to London's sushi restaurants
#11 - The View from River Cottage: Thrift and Graft
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/26/2005
Hugh looks back at first seven years in Dorset, and all the lessons he has learnt about how to be thrifty on his small holding. From learning to make felt from his sheep’s fleeces to trying to revive traditions of tripe eating at the local farmers market, Hugh’s determined that no part of his precious live stock should ever go to waste. There’re tips too on the art of recycling as we see how Hugh converted the old cow stalls into a highly productive vegetable garden and how to make a traditional cold smoker from an old cider barrel and a few other bits and bobs found lying around the yard.
#12 - Beyond River Cottage (8)
Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/2004
Hugh has extracted 11kg of honey from his hive. To prove the quality of the harvest and his skills in the kitchen he enters the bee keeping classes at the Melplash Country Show. Despite burning his fudge and not cooking his cake properly he wins first prize for his honey. Also in the show, he tries to persuade the people of Bridgeport to eat tripe.
#13 - Beyond River Cottage (4)
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/22/2004
Hugh decides its time to start making from this venture and so after selling waffles at the morning market (and doing some Morris dancing) he sets an opening date for River Cottage HQ and starts putting together the 4 course menu. For the starter he arranges for local asparagus to be picked minutes before serving. For the meat course he chooses beef instead of piglet. For the fish course Hugh sets a lobster pot for a monster lobster rumoured to be near a wreck near Lyme Regis but ends up with a Conger Eel instead. Needless to say, this ends up in the pot
#14 - The View from River Cottage: Growing Your Own
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/19/2005
The View From River Cottage reflects on the seven years Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has spent in Dorset, and the many lessons he has learned along the way. Slowly but surely he has gained a whole new outlook on life – a set of principles to grow by, cook by, eat by and even live by The series kicks off by examining the importance of growing your own produce, including the satisfaction of rearing meat and nurturing fruit and vegetables. Part guide to rural living, part best of River Cottage, the series encompasses new links and Hugh’s latest recipes to add an interesting slant to the much loved River Cottage experience.
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#15 - Beyond River Cottage (1)
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/1/2004
With 44 acres the farm has 10 times more land than he had at River Cottage, which allows for a lot more veg and livestock than his family needs. With this in mind Hugh is unable to resist the opportunity to expand further. He plans to set up a culinary headquarters, or food outlet, where he can sell his home-grown and home-reared produce direct to the public. Having found a collection of muck ridden and ramshackle barns in which to base his venture however he wonders if this time he's bitten off more than he can chew.
#16 - Escape to River Cottage (1)
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/18/1999
Hugh arrives at River Cottage, a former Gamekeeper's cottage in west Dorset. He sets about removing the plants from the garden and starts planting his vegetables.
#22 - Tales from River Cottage: Business and Barter
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/22/2006
Hugh believes that to achieve a thoroughly good living, you need to be ready to barter and heckle. He charts the rise of his own little enterprise, from the local farmers market to the tough streets of London.
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Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/8/2006
The story of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's three years as a smallholder in Dorset. He reminisces about his adventures with his pigs - from buying his first pig to training his breeding sow to hunt for truffles.
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