Watch Beyond River Cottage

Name: Beyond River Cottage
Genre: Drama
Released: 2005-01-01
Cast: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

TV-PG
2005
1 Season
8.2 (133)

Beyond River Cottage is a British reality TV show that follows the renowned food writer and chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on his journey to become more self-sufficient in his food choices and lifestyle. It aired in 2004 and was produced by TVF International. The show takes place in Dorset, England, where Hugh owns a farm and a cottage which he uses to experiment with new methods of food production and self-reliant living. Hugh is well-known for his love of organic and locally-sourced food and makes no exception in Beyond River Cottage.

Throughout the series, Hugh explores various aspects of home-grown agriculture, foraging, hunting, and fishing with the aim of becoming more self-sufficient in his food choices. He shares his knowledge with the audience and teaches them how to prepare and cook sustainable and tasty meals using ingredients from his farm or foraged from the surrounding countryside.

The show is divided into six episodes, each focusing on a different theme. The first episode introduces the audience to Hugh's lifestyle and the challenges that come with being self-sufficient. He explains his philosophy and the reasons behind his choices, highlighting the importance of knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced.

In the second episode, Hugh explores the world of foraging, taking the audience on a journey to discover the wild foods that can be found in the countryside. From mushrooms to herbs and edible flowers, Hugh shows how to identify, collect, and cook these treasures of nature.

In the third episode, Hugh turns his attention to fishing and shows how sustainable fishing methods can provide not only delicious but also ethical sources of protein. He also participates in the traditional practice of catching your food and cooks a tasty meal on the riverbank.

The fourth episode takes the audience on a journey into the world of meat production. Hugh raises his own animals, including pigs, cows, and chickens, and shows how to slaughter and prepare them for consumption.

In the fifth episode, Hugh focuses on the art of cooking, showcasing his culinary skills and demonstrating how to cook simple yet delicious meals using only basic ingredients. The episode includes tips and techniques for making homemade pasta, bread, and sauces.

In the final episode, Hugh shares his vision for the future and the challenges that lay ahead for sustainable and ethical food production. He discusses the impact of modern agriculture on the environment and the importance of reducing food waste and supporting local food systems.

Beyond River Cottage is an engaging and informative show that will appeal to anyone interested in sustainable living, organic and locally-sourced food, and cooking. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a charismatic and knowledgeable host who inspires viewers to rethink their food choices and live a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Beyond River Cottage is a series that ran for 1 seasons (10 episodes) between January 1, 2005 and on TVF International

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Seasons

10. Episode 10

January 1, 2005

Hugh's own fattened geese and ducks inspire the centrepiece for the feast - a ten bird roast of medieval origin. The plan is to stuff a turkey with one of his fattened geese, the goose with a duck, the duck with a pheasant, the pheasant with a pigeon, and the pigeon with a woodcock, and so on. With the goose and duck already up his sleeve Hugh joins old friends for a day's shooting to try and bag some of the rest.

9. Episode 9

January 1, 2005

His hens have produced almost 30 chicks over the summer, and Hugh's looking to the young cockerals to provide the main course for the feast. The trick of course is working out which are the boys and which are the girls. Not always easy with youngsters. Being free-range, farmyard birds they're on the rangey side, but Hugh also has a cunning plan for cooking them to ensure maximum tenderness. He joins local potter Tim Hurn at the potters wheel and together they create ten chicken bricks (or at least Tim creates them and Hugh cocks his up). The bricks are to be fired in Tim's immense wood-fired kiln, that needs constant stoking for 2 days and a night. It's a great excuse for a bonfire night party, and Hugh has offered to provide firey home made pizzas for the revellers. It's also the time of year for the final flush of wild mushrooms - perfect for Hugh's Autumn Feast if only he can find them. Hugh's mushroom mate John Wright has long harboured a fantasy of searching from the air and thanks to local paraglider Eddie Colefox it might just come true. With mushrooms collected, chickens roasting in the bricks and pumpkin pie underway, the tables are again set and the Autumn Feast can begin.

8. Episode 8

January 1, 2005

With the help of bee-keeper Ken Bishop, Hugh carefully extracts a healthy 25lbs of glowing golden sweetness. To prove the quality ofthe harvest, and his skills with honey in the kitchen, Hugh enters the bee-keeping classes at the Melplash Country Show. But after overindulging in a competitors home made mead, he comes a bit unstuck in the kitchen. Hugh's also taken a fatted steer to slaughter, and is determined not to waste a morsel. This time he's focussing on the offal. Transforming the tripe into a culinary treat is not a process to be sniffed at, but once done Hugh plans to test it on the general public at the local Bridport Farmer's Market. But is tripe truly ripe for revival, or will the public turn up their noses?

7. Episode 7

January 1, 2005

Never one to miss an opportunity for trade, Hugh teams up with Lyme Regis fisherman John Wason to catch, cook and flog John's favourite fruit of the sea - whelks. Spiced up with some exotic ingredients from the polytunnel, they sell them on the beaches on Carnival day - before being roped into a bizarre annual fancy dress pub crawl. Back at river Cottage HQ Hugh's tomatoes are looking spectacular. He decides to hold an event in their honour, and the inaugural West Dorset tomato festival is born. There's more weird and wonderful shapes and sizes of tomato than you ever dreamed of, a hotly contested ketchup making competition, and even tomato ice cream.

6. Episode 6

January 1, 2005

Hugh would like to reap the harvests of bee-hivesand their hardwork. The only problem is his fear of being stung. He also takes on his biggest event yet, a wedding party. The newly-weds want food that is not only local and fresh but either wild or home-grown. With over 70 people to feed and entertain, there's no doubt that their big day will be Hugh's biggest test so far.

5. Episode 5

January 1, 2005

The season has also kick-started the social calendar. Hugh has been invited to an Easter Blossom Picnic Party, where the stakes are high in a competition for the best picnic. Hugh gets into the swing of things and, with mushroom-hunter John Wright, goes to great lengths to find one of the most prized seasonal mushrooms around - morells - for his picnic terrine. Later, in return for one night of his sweaty services, master baker Aiden gives Hugh a crash course in bread-makingan area of culinary expertise in which Hugh certainly has room for improvement. Armed with trays of fresh bread rolls and a ham, Hugh helps Aiden sell the produce at the Powerstock local cider festival.

4. Episode 4

January 1, 2005

Hugh decides to make some cash selling chocolate waffles. It's also the opening night of The River Cottage HQ. For the first time Hugh hopes to serve food to 40 paying guests and he wants to cook them something spectacular. He chooses lobster. There's been a report of a three-foot lobster living on a wreck off the Dorset coast, and Hugh and his diving pal Tim Rudkin set off with a giant home-made metal trap to try and catch it.

3. Episode 3

January 1, 2005

While he waits for Maggie to give birth, Hugh must install proper plumbing and loos before he can welcome members of the public to The River Cottage HQ. Never one to be conventional, he opts for a sanitation system of willow and reed beds that will filter his HQ's sewage, turning it into clean water. With the River Cottage HQ still some way from opening Hugh is also on the lookout for some spring business. It's purple sprouting broccoli season and Hugh hopes to turn this neglected veg into something more special. With the help of some locally produced Blue Vinney Cheese he plans to put purple broccoli back on the culinary map.

2. Episode 2

January 1, 2005

He plans to turn them into a culinary headquarters - a place he can use as an outlet for his home-grown and home-reared food and for hosting seasonal dinners for paying customers. The place is still filled with mud and muck however, but Hugh has got to get it up and running as quickly as possible if this is going to be a successful business venture. He sets himself a ludicrous two-week deadline to create a working kitchen and a charming dining room out of the filth, after which he hopes to kick off his themed seasonal nights with an opening Valentine's Night Special.

1. Episode 1

January 1, 2005

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.

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Where to Watch Beyond River Cottage

Beyond River Cottage is available for streaming on the TVF International website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Beyond River Cottage on demand at Amazon Prime, Amazon and Tubi TV.