This is the best celery I have ever eaten!

Staying, sort of, on the subject of my lovely friend’s wedding in France I would like to tell you about our delightful trip to River Cottage HQ for her hen’s party.

My lovely friend lives for good food, good wine and good friends. And so it only seemed right to celebrate her impending nuptials engulfed in her three favourite things. (Due to the fact that it was a Hen’s weekend her husband-to-be was not invited, because he undoubtedly tops the list above all else!)

A bunch of excited British, Austrailian and South African girls set out from Waterloo one very early Saturday morning for the unfamiliar town of Axminster, Devon.

All the girls knew where we were headed, naturally, except for one. The bride-to-be had no idea and her anticipation was not helped when her loving husband-to-be casually mentioned the night before that we were taking her fishing. She does not love fishing! 

There were no clues to be had taking in our surroundings in Axminster. A cloud had descended and engulfed us in an eerie mist. It was only when the taxi delivered us to the front gate of River Cottage HQ that it all made sense.

Despite the dramatic weather conditions we had the most wonderful time. One of the many events hosted at River Cottage HQ is a Visitors’ Day. On arrival we were greeted by an organiser and shown to a table that had been reserved just for us. The protocol for ‘normal’ visitors is to browse the stalls and displays, buy something delicious to eat and find a spot to eat! We felt very special with our designated table complete with vase of wild flowers.

We wandered around drinking Sparkling Elderflower Wine, taking in all the natural goodness of organic, homemade, better than anything you’ve ever tasted chutneys and other foodie delights.

As part of the day's activities, we gathered in the barn to watch a Salami making demonstration! Unfortunately our Hen wasn’t picked out of the crowd to help make the salami. How utterly appropriate; the bride-to-be perfecting her sausage handling skills, oh well!

You can follow more of the story of the Salami on www.midweekfeast.blogspot.com.

(Written by a real foodie)

The event ended around 5pm and I’m sure the staff at River Cottage HQ were amused and probably relieved that we binged on delicious cakes rather than red wine. We were saving the red wine for later!

Our taxi driver delivered us to Trill Farm where we were spending the night. Trill Farm is a wonderful place to spend a weekend away. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and as we discovered in the morning, the views around the farm are absolutely beautiful.

Lighting the fire that night was not exactly necessary, but it did fit in perfectly with our romantic ideal of a weekend away in the country. Where else were we going to sit and drink our red wine?

Our evening meal consisted mainly of outstanding produce from River Cottage Canteen, which was bought in Axminster on arrival. 

We nearly lost two of our party to the depths of the canteen and all it’s foodie delights. We had to send in a search party after about an hour of waiting in the taxi. They were just popping in for cheeses after all. The taxi driver was far too entertained to be angry at a bunch of city girls, giddy at the thought of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s organic goodies.

To add to the fare an organic salad from the gardens of Trill Farm was delivered to our doorstep. Literally, the dark green celery was so radiant it looked unnatural- ironic really! And yes, it was the best celery I have ever tasted.