Tipsy does Breakfast

Marcus had got up early to head off with the boys on an adrenalin fuelled white water canoeing trip down the Exe. Desiring a lazy weekend but knowing there was very little food in the house I opted to drive to nearby Axminster to have breakfast at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen, before heading to a nearby farm shop.

Parking in Tescos, where I could take full advantage of the free parking without having to buy anything, I bought a newspaper at a nearby newsagent and headed for River Cottage. Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage shop is located in a prominent position in the square next to the church in the sleepy market town of Axminster. The Canteen is situated at the back of the shop, through an area dedicated to the sale of Hugh’s many books on cooking, growing, catching or rearing food!

The Canteen is a large airy room with plenty of natural light pouring in through the windows and the partly glass paned roof. The wooden floors, square wooden tables and mismatched wooden chairs give the place a feel of an old canteen. The theme of naturally grown and reared food is mirrored in the décor with large photos of herbs, vegetables and snuffling pigs dominating one wall. The back wall displays an artfully arranged array of aluminium colanders and kettles.

It was about 9.30 when I got there so I was starting to feel hungry and in need of a strong coffee and some buttery scrambled eggs. Checking out the menu I found it was very basic and reflected Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ethos of local food – well to a certain extent. Where are the eggs? Fearnley-Whittingstall bangs on about chickens and with eggs being a favoured breakfast ingredient I expected then to be on the menu. It’s not like he doesn’t have any eggs, River Cottage eggs are on sale in the shop. I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s down to the capability of the staff – the teenagers that seem to be running River Cottage probably don’t know how to cook an egg!!

Not eating meat I chose to ignore the Bacon Roll made from River Cottage’s own pigs and instead opted for the yoghurt, granola and poached fruit. I was a bit disappointed to discover that poached fruit was off the menu and instead I was offered a pot of yogurt that had a layer of fruit in the bottom. I was handed a pot of yoghurt along with a bowl of granola which was packed full of sunflower and pumpkin seeds with a smattering of almonds, but lacked the clusters of grains and nuts I expect from a granola it was more the consistency of muesli. The ‘River Cottage’ yoghurt is produced by Brown Cow Organics, and was a gorgeous creamy plain yoghurt which complemented the sharpness of the raspberries beneath.

A large cappuccino and the granola with yoghurt came to £5.30, so not cheap considering you can get a fry up for less, but it the portion was generous and filling and easily kept me going till lunch. So for that reason I’ll give the River Cottage Canteen breakfast 6 out 10. May be it will score higher next time when Marcus and I try out their evening menu.