On the Sunday after our “Saturday Night At River Cottage”, we paid a visit to the River Cottage Canteen & Deli, which is nestled in the heart of the little town of Axminster.
The Canteen provides a delicious range of snacks and meals, suitable for everything from a morning coffee and cake, a hearty hangover-ridding brunch or tasty midday meal. You can book a table in the main dining area, towards the back of the canteen or simply grab a table and pick something from the deli menu if you’re passing by. Alternatively you can simply drop by and pick up some delicious cheese, locally sourced meats or produce from the deli, which had a constant queue when we were there.
When we arrived at the canteen on Sunday lunchtime we kicked things off with a delicious coffee from the deli. I loved the painted fold up wooden chairs, quirky flower arrangements on the table (cabbage flowers in a River Cottage “Stinger” beer bottle…what’s not to love?) and lovely menus, pinned to a wooden board on the table tops with a cute Cath Kidston-style flower print peg. There’s a big picture of Park Farm on one wall with huge sacks of flour beneath, and the bookshelves are stuffed with Hugh’s range of cookbooks, which you’re able to leaf through and buy. They really seem to have nailed slightly whimsical, rustic chic here. Love it.
Once we’d finished our coffees, we were lucky enough to get a table in the main canteen, which was bustling and busy with Sunday lunches. Still feeling rather full from the night before, we opted for a couple of the lighter options from the enormous, bunting-bedecked chalk board that hung on the moss coloured wall at the back.
I chose the butternut squash soup with a dollop of fresh pesto floating on top and a hunk of fresh bread with salted butter on the side. It was the perfect balance of rich and earthy flavours, smooth and sumptuous, it was the perfect post-blow out lunch. And all for just £5. My boyfriend had a slightly more adventurous dish – taglietteli with mussels, oil and garlic which was £10. Whilst he had one of the flowerpot “Stinger” ales, I went alcohol-free and had one of my favourite childhood tipples – Luscombe Farm Organic Ginger Beer (the hot one…obvs!) which was just as delicious and refreshing as I remembered.
Short of going fishing with Hugh, I don’t think I could have done much more to get the full River Cottage experience this weekend! It was outstanding from start to finish and something I shall never forget.
