Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

[Hillbilly]

It was Hugh day yesterday - 24 glorious hours of him. I'm unashamed to say I love the guy and his feel-good programmes but I am well aware that my feelings aren't shared by everyone.

Do you think River Cottage was a 'set' - the whole programme carefully crafted for TV or do you think he just managed to cash in on something that was happening in his life? What do you think of him?

[Shirley]

I really do think that he is genuinely enthusiastic about it all - there is an obvious love there.... didn't realise it was HFW day yesterday or I would have been watching some too....

Sure there must be an element of money there too - but I think that's the end result rather than the reason for him doing what he's done.

I'd love to meet him.... perhaps we should encourage him to come to Aberdeenshire for one of his shows.

[Camile]

Hi,

Personnaly I love the man ... he's so enthusiastic about becoming self-sufficient and he seems such a good cook .. with no waste and all ..

And then even if the show might have been a set, it's fairplay to him because at the end of the day, he had the lifestyle that we are all dreaming of .. and he made money out of it ..

what more do you want ?

Camile

[Hillbilly]

I'd love to meet him.... perhaps we should encourage him to come to Aberdeenshire for one of his shows.

Yes! Lets write!


I wonder how many people have been inspired to downshift/become SSF'ish because of him? He must have an effect? I agree Camile his enthusiasm is so real - you only had to watch him when he got his first egg from his chickens

[Martin]

I reckon he's ok - an enthusiast who positively bubbles - exactly the thing that "gets the message over" - there's getting to be several people on TV who are helping - Penny Poyser (the large lady on a bike) who did an excellent mass-appeal programme, the Strawbridges, and of course, the Goods! Lets hope there's lots more!

[Muddypause]

I've never been able to take him seriously since he cooked up a free range meat dish on the radio once and announced that it was the sort of thing a vegetarian would eat. What was he on about?

[ray7]

I have Hugh`s book The River Cottage Cookbook. River Cottage itself is a real place but Hugh only spent part of each week there due to commitments in London and the fact his family did not live at River Cottage. During the series River Cottage had to be run from the money Hugh started with and any he could make from what he produced. No outside money was allowed. After the filming was over River Cottage was sold off but Hugh and his wife bought a small farm in the same area.

[vurtpunk]

I really liked HFW for the first few series (and am sure I will continue to do so for a good long while) although I found the last series he made when he set up River Cottage HQ a deviation from the self-sufficient nature of the first 3 series. It was more about the business and less about the local people and produce. I got really bored half way through and stopped watching. Having said that though I still bought the DVD

[Lou8]

I love him. I have all his books.
And I have his diaries for the last 2 years.

Good on him.

[Shirley]

I've got the River Cottage Family Cookbook and I thoroughly recommend it to all with families - it involves children from a very early stage and encourages them to grow and cook their own food.

It's also a great book to give to a reluctant cook - I keep suggesting that my brother has a look at it

[Hillbilly]

OK this is good. I have found people who like him too! I have River Cottage Cookbook which I read daily and OH and I fight over who gets the TV some nights - him and his RayMears or me and Hugh :D