A Little River Cottage Canteen Appetiser...

As some of you will know I was off for a few days down to East Devon in England for a short break last week. The main purpose of which was to attend The Vegetable Cookery Course at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’ River Cottage Farm HQ. I’ll write more about the actual course in my next post but just as appetiser I thought I would tell you a little about my visit to his restaurant/deli, The River Cottage Canteen in Axminster...

Axminster  is a typical old Devon market town in east Devon situated rather  serendipitously on the river Axe. 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axminster

Once famous for making Axminster carpets, it seems most enquiries by tourists nowadays are about where to park in order to visit the River Cottage Canteen and what are the chances of actually seeing the great man himself!!

A quick mention about the lovely B & B that I stayed at-Water Mill House Axminster.

http://www.millwaterhouse.co.uk/

I would certainly highly recommend it as I had a very comfortable nights sleep and the owners Ruth and Tim were very welcoming. The room was immaculate and little touches like having your own pint of fresh milk in a little fridge on the landing meant you could help yourself to tea and coffee at anytime and there was even my favourite Earl Grey!

And now on to the River Cottage Canteen...

 

Of course it has its own website

http://www.rivercottage.net/canteens/axminster/

Having read on the website that it was advisable to book for Sunday lunch I duly did so. As it happens, I had a speedy journey down to Axminster and arrived much earlier than I anticipated. I drove through the town centre and completely missed the restaurant which is right in the centre of the town. The town though is not terribly large and as I realised I was in fact by then on the way out I immediately pulled into a large car park which thankfully, being a Sunday, was free. Even better was to discover that The Canteen was less than 5 minutes walk away...

And so I had finally arrived! Albeit over an hour early than I had booked for...

 I saw the blackboard outside saying they were fully booked and rather than kill time I thought I would take a chance and ask if I could have an earlier table. 

As soon as you entered, the staff were very welcoming and upon explaining I was far too early for my booked table they assured me that was not a problem and showed me to my table at the front of the restaurant. The restaurant interior is what perhaps some might call ‘rustic’ with plain tables but with shelves clearly promoting the River Cottage brand and books from a certain author.

 

I did note, rather  cynically I have to say, the casually placed sacks of Shipton Mill Flour ‘left’ on the counter which were never removed whilst I was there...

The menu was as follows,

 

I had been warned by friends that it was a bit on the pricy side but was very pleasantly surprised. My waitress, or am I supposed to call her my server nowadays, was clearly very enthusiast about the food. She recommended the Speltotto which was a risotto cooked with Spelt which she enthused as being ultra healthy . However as I had cooked a risotto only a few day previously and I already know and cook with Spelt so don’t need to be introduced to this I declined and went for the Grilled Wye Valley Asparagus on toast with goat’s curd and Wild Garlic Gremolata. As she said it came with a salad I declined any sides. And for a starter it had to be The Trio of Hummus with flat bread and Dukka. I remembered this from the television programme and despite not liking beetroot wanted to try it!

Whilst I was waiting for my meal, I took a couple of photos of the wonderful cheese deli counter which was just in front of my table. 

Now before you all jump up and down that I took undue advantage with taking a photo of an employee caught reading a book might I just say she was reading it throughout my visit in-between serving customers and I had specifically asked if I could take a photo and she quite knowingly took up her book as I took the photos...in fact she said after, they are quite used to visitors taking photos of everything there...

And then on to my first course...

 

I have to say this was absolutely wonderful!!

There was an ordinary hummus, a mushroom hummus and a beetroot hummus. The amounts of each to be honest, were a little on the skimpy side and served with little pieces of flat bread. The Dukka added a lively note to the beetroot and the crispy onion was delicious on the mushroom hummus. All three were delicious though I have to admit the beetroot one was a very definite and unexpected hit. Truly delicious though I would have preferred more-much more!

And then on to the main course...

I had ordered the asparagus and it duly arrived. Now I have to admit straight away I did not take a photo of the said dish. The reason being I was waiting for the rest of it to arrive as it came without the promised toast and wild garlic gremolata. I waited...and waited...I tried to catch the eye of my server and then any server but without any success. As the menu had been removed I could only rely on my memory that these were supposed to be with it so in the end I simply ate it as it was. The grilled asparagus was delicious and the soft fresh goats cheese rather nice. The promised salad was a few salad leaves. Whilst I have to say the grilled asparagus was good this by no means felt like a main dish. The 6 or so asparagus spears eaten with a little of the fresh cheese and a leaf or two of little lettuce leaves was gone in a trice.

 Of course, once I had finished my server then reappeared and enquired how much I liked it! Feeling like an absolute heel in all this River Garden Cottage bonhomie I sheepishly admitted that it had not been what I had expected and bravely stated that I thought as a main course it had been rather insubstantial. My server let the shock show on her face and said that of course they could not bear a customer to be disappointed and would I like another course instead. She brought back the menu and as I didn’t want to go through the whole rigmarole of having a mains again she suggested a cheese board to make up the disappointment which I happily agreed to. With the menu in front of me again I could see that I had not received the promised toast and gremolata with my main course. She rushed back to confer with her colleagues and on returning said it was the kitchen’s fault as they had not informed the front of house staff that there was a change. Unfortunately her manner then clearly implied that they were then exonerated.  She directed me to the deli counter to choose my cheese. Unfortunately once there the girl behind the counter was confused why I had been asked to choose a cheese board and not the one sole cheese for desert. However she did direct me to two rather nice cheeses-Haytor and Sheepstor and I had a generous wedge of each. 

 

On my way back carrying myself it to the table my server did offer me a glass of wine which I thought was a generous gesture given the circumstances and duly accepted.

Unfortunately I then had to wait a while before the wine and then the promised chutney arrived.

Again a long wait until I could ask for the bill. Once it did arrive my server announced she had not charged for the cheese however on looking at the bill they had charged for the main course and the glass of wine which I had thought was complimentary!! Despite trying to catch the eye of any server and waiting a long, long time in the end I was so cross I simply left the money on the table and walked out...

I had been so looking forward to my meal at the River Cottage Canteen and it had started off so well...however it is probably my own fault for expecting it to be more than it was...however in my own defence I was not expecting fine dining but just good plates of food and to have an enjoyable Sunday lunch. The bonus was to be the ‘celebrity’ link to the place I was eating at.

In the event I fear, my temerity in voicing a criticism, however justified resulted in final feelings of disappointment and hunger...

Still, I had the River Cottage Cookery course to look forward to the next day...