River Cottage is a former weekend and holiday home that was originally a game-keeper's lodge in the grounds of Slape Manor, Netherbury, Dorset. From 1998 it was used by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as a setting for three television series: Escape to River Cottage, Return to River Cottage and River Cottage Forever, in which viewers follow Hugh's adventures as a downsized smallholder. These were supplemented by the series The View from River Cottage which was a combination clip show and retrospective of the previous series.
The River Cottage brand left the holiday home to follow Hugh's progress as he set up a new business from old dairy buildings near Broadoak, Bridport, Dorset in the later series Beyond River Cottage. In September 2006, the show would leave those buildings, then known as River Cottage H.Q., to move on to the Park Farm location near to Uplyme in Devon. Here at the new River Cottage H.Q., the team would film the 2006 series The River Cottage Treatment where Hugh would attempt to convert junk food lovers' eating habits. The 2007 series, River Cottage: Gone Fishing, saw Hugh travel to fishing locations throughout the British Isles in order to promote the culinary benefits of sustainable fishing cultures.
The River Cottage team also opened a local produce store and canteen, River Cottage Stores Ltd, which is located in the centre of Axminster, Devon.
In 2008, Channel 4 began broadcasting River Cottage Spring, later followed up by River Cottage Autumn, which shows Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall using home-grown produce in recipes. The series also tracks a group of families in Bristol who attempt to convert a large bramble patch into a small-holding, now known as Bramble Farm, growing vegetables, and rearing meat. A five episode series River Cottage: Summer's Here began airing in June 2009.
In April 2009, the restaurant River Cottage Canteen opened in Bath.
On November 12 2009 a new series of four episodes started at 8pm on Channel 4, titled 'River Cottage - Winter's on the Way'.
| DVD Name | Released | Audio | Aspect Ratio | Duration | Number of Episodes | Num of Discs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escape To River Cottage | 1999 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 4:3 Full Frame | 2 hours 48 minutes | 6 | 2 |
| Return To River Cottage | 2000 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 2 hours 28 minutes | 6 | 2 |
| River Cottage Forever | 2004 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 3 hours 42 minutes | 8 | 2 |
| Beyond River Cottage | n/a | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 4 hours 40 minutes | 10 | 3 |
| River Cottage Road Trip | 02/10/2006 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 2 hours | 2 | 1 |
| River Cottage - Gone Fishing! | 03/12/2007 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 2 hours 22 minutes | 3 | 1 |
| River Cottage - Spring | 27/10/2008 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 2 hours | 4 | 1 |
| River Cottage - Autumn | 12/10/2009 | Dolby Digital 2.0 | 16:9 Anamorphic | 23 hours | 4 | 1 |
These DVD's are distributed by Channel 4 DVD.
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