River Cottage and The Dorset Blue Soup Company

The first time we met Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was at the Taste of the West Awards Lunch in July 2003. We had been fortunate enough to take Reserve Champion from the Awards for our Celeriac ‘n’ Blue soup, which we then had to produce for the award winners and guests as a starter to the lunch. Hugh was there!

We are presuming that this is where Hugh would have first encountered the Dorset Blue Soup Co as we were only just approaching our first birthday. Almost 4 months later Hugh approached us with an idea of working together to produce the first ever commercial product from River Cottage. What a privilege this was and one that could help support our aim and commitment to promote and educate potential consumers back into seasonality, buying locally, buying fresh and supporting local growers and producers. Something we feel has been completely diluted by the supermarkets who make strawberries available in December. 3 months later we found ourselves surrounded by 80kg of freshly picked nettles, washed and ready for turning into the first River Cottage commercial product.

In October 2004 Emily appeared with Hugh in the Beyond River Cottage series. A challenge had been set. Hugh was selling his own honey and thyme dip and a warm bacon and blue cheese dip that Emily had made, both were served with steamed purple sprouting broccoli. After a cold and busy day, the end result was that Emily beat Hugh on sales big time and she has never let him forget about it! She is also threatening to write a book! (Don’t hold your breath!)

Click on the link to visit the River Cottage web site......

www.rivercottage.net

Since then we have worked together on a range of different soups. In fact not just soups but also ‘Ultimate Creamed Spinach’ - local organic spinach in a creamy béchamel sauce. Delicious! Last summer also included a courgette, Woolsery goats cheese (made locally by Annette Lee near Dorchester) and dill soup and a beetroot and roast tomato soup which was fantastic both hot or chilled. Throughout the winter we have produced a roast squash, garlic and sage, which has now come to an end due to supplies, and a creamy celeriac.

Food is fun and we are having lots of it with River Cottage. Eat locally produced food if you can and try to follow the seasons. It really can work.