River Cottage Forever
River Cottage Forever is the third in the "River Cottage" Channel 4 series franchise, following on from Escape to River Cottage and Return to River Cottage in which chef and journalist Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall de-camped from the rat-race of city living to move to the rolling hills of the Dorset countryside, which provided the perfect backdrop for his experiment to live off the fat of the land in as self-sufficient a style as possible; tucked away at the bottom of one of the Dorset valleys is the ideal home: River Cottage.
In his first year Hugh had just the cottage and the garden but he soon found he needed more land. In his second year he negotiated a deal with a neighbour to rent four acres (≃16,200 m²). His smallholding now boasted a polytunnel for growing vegetables, a fox-proof high rise chicken accommodation and a pasture for his sheep, cows and pigs.
List of episodes
| Ep. | Air Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 July 2002 | In his third year at River Cottage, Hugh is finally about to see the first birth at River Cottage, but some things take time. His "Chickenopolis" is also extended in readiness for Hugh's quest to breed the "ultimate" roasting chicken. He also travels the 8 miles down the river Brit from River Cottage to the sea by canoe. |
| 2 | 25 July 2002 | Hugh has his eye on the grass carp in his friend Anthony's ornamental lake. He persuades Anthony to let him catch one and prove it's edible. If he fails, there's a forfeit to pay. Hugh's sheep also finally delivers the first River Cottage livestock, but not without a scare for Hugh. |
| 3 | 1 August 2002 | For Hugh, there's plenty of bad news concerning the livestock today: Marge's pregnancy has been greatly exaggerated and the Indian Game cock turns out to be all beak and no trouser. This means that there won't be the beef steer Hugh was expecting and his plans for the "ultimate roasting chicken" have been set back. On the bright side, there's a successful day's work catching cuttlefish and shooting wood pigeon. |
| 4 | 8 August 2002 | After last year's failed hay harvest, Hugh is hoping the weather will hold out for him to harvest this year's hay. Hugh turns out for the local cricket team and makes an edible contribution to the tea break. |
| 5 | 15 August 2002 | River Cottage is alive to the sound of chirping chicks, after the initial set-back due to the "under-performing" cockrel. Hugh and one of his animals Delia are entered in the Oakhampton Show. |
| 6 | 22 August 2002 | Hugh has set his sights on the Vegetable Cup at the Beaminster Show. There's also an opportunity to get some cash out of Devon's tourists with home-made iced-lollies and a blind-folded Hugh is taken to a secret location to hunt for truffles with Delia. |
| 7 | 29 August 2002 | There is a sombre start to the day as one of the sheep has died in the night, the first animal Hugh has lost. An orchard is planted which will provide apples all year long and with the help of Victor, Ray and Richard, the "ultimate roasting chicken" is found. |
| 8 | 5 September 2002 | It's Hallowe'en at River Cottage and Hugh is celebrating with the locals and trying his hand at the ancient game of pumpkin fettling. There's also money to be earned so Hugh teams up with Michael Michot to sell their chillis in London - the "city of sin" |