Axminster - River Cottage Canteen and Deli

We found ourselves driving through Axminster this week, and my wife accused me of deliberately doing this so that we could visit the River Cottage Deli!  That of course was ridiculous, because if I was planning a visit I would have made sure we were going through at lunchtime - so that we could have had a meal in the canteen:

My instincts tell me to avoid places run by celebrity chefs, but for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, I'll make an exception!  Anyone whose favourite type of apple is an Ashmead's Kernel, is worth listening to...


I enjoy the way Hugh Fearlessly-Eatsitall mischievously pricks our consciences, with campaigns like Fish Fight and Chicken Out, - I support both of these.  Sadly supermarkets seems to have forgotten about the Chicken Out campaign now, especially in the frozen foods sections where cheaply produced rules...  


Hugh's River Cottage Deli stocks all manner of local food and drink, like Liz Neville's Parrett Preserves from North Perrott and jam from Shute Fruit in Bishopsteignton.

Cheeses sold included Fosseway fleece (made with ewes' milk), Gunstone goats' cheese, and Pendragon (made with buffalo milk): 

We were particularly taken with Toms Pies (flavours included Ham Hock and Pea or Mushroom and Spinach):

but would also recommend River Cottage's own canteen beef stew puffs.

The cakes looked home-made, which I think is a good thing.

Who wants to eat a mass produced cake, packed with additives and preservatives, when you could eat something like this?

I would have loved to have stopped longer than my fleeting visit and talked to some of Hugh's talented staff, like head chef Tim Maddams.  

I might have even bought yet another cookery book, but there did seem to be a bit of a bias towards one author in particular ;-)!

River Cottage Canteen and Deli

Dorset House
Trinity Square
Axminster
EX13 5AN


Tel: 01297 631862 



Web: www.rivercottage.net/canteens/axminster