Lessons

What You’ll Learn

Explore the lessons and topics covered across the course.

Hugh’s first session features super smart veg starters, exciting beginnings to any meal. He'll show you how to combine raw or very simply cooked veg with an enticing, lightly “processed” accompaniment to create delicious and delightful looking plates such as: Greens and Beans with Smoked Nut Cream; Gooseberry Gazpacho with Nasturtium Pesto; Crudités, Leaves and Flowers with Roast Carrot Aioli.
This session is all about exciting and inspiring ways to create vibrant veg main courses and dazzling sharing platters for special menus and larger gatherings. Hugh teaches you how to create colourful plates of veg, with complex flavours from herbs, spices and original dressings. You’ll love his artful Panzanella with Deconstructed Tapenade; Beets and English lentils with Salsa Verde; and Barbecued Vegetable Kebabs with Pumpkin Seed Satay Sauce.
Grains and pulses are rightfully at the heart of some of the most delicious and satisfying plant-based cookery, and Hugh devotes his third session to this versatile and wholesome set of ingredients. Hugh starts with a quickfire guide to the go-to grains and pulses (many of which are grown in the UK) explaining how they are deliciously deployed on an almost daily basis in the River Cottage Kitchen. Hugh will delve into the sustainability aspects of growing and eating more grains and pulses before demonstrating a quartet of creative recipes; a Creamy Courgette “Speltotto” with Umami Pumpkin Seeds; a Versatile Vegeree with Double Dahl (using both split and whole lentils); and a Vegan Roast Veg Chilli.
Hugh shows the ultimate versatility of vegetables by deploying them in a series of outstanding and original desserts and tea time treats, which he has developed with Executive Head Chef Gelf Alderson and are now popular features on River Cottage tasting menus. Roots are at the heart of this session and Hugh makes two surprising ices, a Caraway and Carrot Sorbet and a Creamy Celeriac Ice cream. The distinctive pairing of beetroot and chocolate features in a gorgeous torte. And the traditional teacake gets a lovely autumnal makeover by featuring roast squash and apple-juice soaked sultanas.
Learning options

Choose How You Want to Learn

Recommended
Expert
£148.50

A guided learning experience with expert support, feedback and recognised outcomes.

  • Expert Assignment Feedback
  • Private Tutor Messaging
  • Certificate & CPD Hours
  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
Peer
£49.50

Learn alongside others with a collaborative, flexible learning experience.

  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
COURSE TUTOR

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Portrait of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a multi-award-winning writer and broadcaster known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and his concern for the environment. He has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books, as well as campaigning documentary series such as Hugh’s Fish Fight, Hugh’s War on Waste, Britain’s Fat Fight and, his latest, War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita.

Hugh established River Cottage HQ in Dorset in 2004, and the operation is now based at Park Farm near Axminster in Devon. An organic smallholding, HQ is also the hub for a broad range of courses and events, and home to the River Cottage Cookery School. Hugh continues to teach and host events there on a regular basis. He also oversees the menu and sourcing in the River Cottage Kitchen in Axminster.

Hugh’s broadcasting has earned him a BAFTA as well as awards from Radio 4, The Observer and the Guild of Food Writers. His award-winning books include The River Cottage Cookbook (2001), which won the Glenfiddich Trophy, the River Cottage Meat Book, which won the Andre Simon Award in the UK as well as the James Beard Award in the USH, and River Cottage Much More Veg. His latest book Eat Better Forever is published in December 2020.

Hugh continues to work as a journalist, writing occasionally for the Guardian, Times and other national newspapers. He is a vice president of Fauna & Flora International and a patron of Switchback, a charity that helps young offenders find opportunities in the catering industry.

Hugh, his wife Marie and their four children live in East Devon.

SUCCESS

What Our Learners Achieve

See the impact our courses are delivering for learners.
80%+

Completion rates

Our courses consistently achieve 80% learner completion rates versus a 20% industry average
4.5/5

Learner Satisfaction

High learner ratings for quality, support, and exam preparation
100's

CPD Learning Hours

Earn recognised CPD hours through expert-led courses designed to support your ongoing professional development.
Benefits

Why Choose Us

The advantages of Learning with Experts and a supportive community.

Learn on Demand

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.

Practice what you learn

Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.

Talk directly to experts

Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!

Track Progress & Achievements

Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.

Be part of a community

Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Reviews

What Learners Say

Genuine feedback and experiences from learners.
5.00
Bronwyn
5.00
David
5.00
Helen
5.00
Amanda
Recommended

You May Also Like

Explore related courses to continue building your skills.

Common Questions

Answers to the most common questions about learning with us.

Our online classroom is designed to help you learn from experts in a collaborative, social environment alongside a small group of learners.

Each lesson combines expert-led videos with optional assignments, giving you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and share your work with others. You can take part in ongoing discussions, ask questions, exchange feedback, and learn from a community of like-minded people from around the world.

By learning together in a small, supportive group, you benefit not only from expert guidance but also from shared ideas, perspectives, and experiences—helping you stay engaged and retain what you learn.

You can start your course at any time within 12 months of purchase. Once you begin, you’ll have lifetime access, so you can revisit lesson videos and notes whenever you like.

Courses are designed to fit around your schedule, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Each lesson video is typically 30–40 minutes, and we recommend around an hour for each assignment.

Both Peer and Expert options give you full access to the course content, including lesson videos, downloadable notes, assignments, and a collaborative online classroom with up to 20 learners. You’ll also have lifetime access to revisit the material at any time.

The Expert option includes everything in Peer, plus personalised assignment feedback, direct messaging with your expert tutor, and a certificate of completion.

With the Expert option, you can interact directly with your tutor throughout the course. You’ll typically have one week per lesson to ask questions and receive feedback on your assignments, with as much interaction as you need during that time.

Your tutor access begins when you enter the classroom and follows the course schedule (for example, a four-lesson course usually runs over four weeks). If you need more time or support, our team is here to help.