River Cottage Spring

[Maf]

I've always liked Hugh's no nonsense approach to food, but have to say that last nights show annoyed me somewhat

I know that no-one was forcing the 'Time to eat meat again' girl to quit being a veggie. An odd concept in itself. It's not like she's trying to stopping smoking or drinking... three weeks of offal and she falls off the wagon and has a Quorn burger

There was just something in Hugh's tone that seemed to perpetuate the 'Vegetarians are odd and missing out' myth.

I'm all for ethical farming, but I think we need to challenge our 'meat and two veg' food culture from ethical, environmental and health perspectives.

My non veggie OH loves to feast on flesh when on holiday, (tho he doesn't seem to miss it at other times). The morning after he has terrible indegestion and swares that he'll never touch the stuff again. It's like he's fallen victim to some sort of Gordon Ramsay curse.

I suffer from the curse of Scampi. When I was a kid, pub grub scampi and chips was the ultimate luxury, a real treat. Every year or so I see a bag of frozen scampi in the supermarket and have to treat myself. Dreadful stuff but I'll never escape the Scampi Trap

[Chillimad]

Spot on Duggie, that was exactly my thoughts,, I must admit I do like watching HFW but I do feel that the older programmes were an awfull lot better.

[Digger-07]

I agree with most of the comments so far.

His new butchers apprentice, Susan, seemed like a nice lass. But why, after 15 years of being vegetarian, does she need 'help' to become a meat eater again?!! A remarkable achievement to get her out of her marigolds to being able to handle liver in the first scene!

I hope his Bristol project is more "sustainable" than the one he set up at Millwey which I understand is now being run by a couple of the originals as the rest dropped out after the programme.

[mapcr77]

IMO the 'veggie wanting to eat meat' seemed to me like the big-brother type who just wants the chance to being on the telly. The concept of getting a vegetarian to appreciate what's involved in meat rearing seems quite laudable to me (after all, HFW is all for an ethical treatment of animals, and a non-waste approach to all an animal carcass has to offer), which is comparable to getting meat and fast food eaters to appreciate the art of growing and eating fresh vegetables. And by this I don't mean that vegetarians should all eat meat, just we can all learn from seeing meat not just as something wrapped in plastic in the supermarket, but as animals who live and die, and we have to make their lifes enjoyable and their deaths worthwile.

[Alison]

It would be interesting to know why the veggie was vegetarian, it didn't seem to be for animal rights, environmental, financial or health reasons. We came to the conclusion that she was just a bit faddy and not really a proper veggie at all. Maybe unfair but didn't think that she was the best person to have on the programme but maybe we'll get a bit more background information which will help me understand better.

[kirsty b]

Enjoyed as ever, but would have liked to have seen more veg growing.

[Polly Fouracre]

I'm watching on C4+1... and wondering when Hugh learnt to deliver lambs? I remember watching River Cottage when he got an expert in to help with lambing.

You only need one season of lambing to know,more or less. what to do.

[sez]

The concept of getting a vegetarian to appreciate what's involved in meat rearing seems quite laudable to me (after all, HFW is all for an ethical treatment of animals, and a non-waste approach to all an animal carcass has to offer), which is comparable to getting meat and fast food eaters to appreciate the art of growing and eating fresh vegetables. And by this I don't mean that vegetarians should all eat meat, just we can all learn from seeing meat not just as something wrapped in plastic in the supermarket, but as animals who live and die, and we have to make their lifes enjoyable and their deaths worthwile.

Forgive me if i read this wrong but you seem to be assuming that most vegetarians have no clue what goes on in meat production. when in fact, i think most (all) of the veggies I know (a few, I'm from Brighton) have a much better idea of it than the majority of meat eaters I know.

As a veggie I fully support ethical treatment, no waste etc in animal rearing and long for the day that that's the norm. I don't want to eat the stuff, but that certainly doesn't mean I have no concept of whats involved.

[Chillimad]

I Wander if HFW realised what a debate he would begin in last nights episode,, I must admit the "Veggie" did not see like a "Veggie", I mean, I know lots of "Veggies" and have spoken to a few today, they are of the same belief as me, that is eat it if you want, dont eat it if you don't want to, but please do not pretend to be a Veggie if infact you are not one, now lets face it did "Susan" really stop using her marrigolds to handle meat in just a second ?, more for the camera than the real world in my opinion

[greenlung]

Hear Hear, Sez ; )

[Chillimad]

Wow, checkout RiverCottage.net is HFW really for the enviroment, Animal welfare, and the wellbeing of us humble fellows and fellowesses or is he just lining his pocket ??

[yoanbob]

I did prefer the river cottage originals and the cook on a wild side, but I will still watch it.

[pjh75]

It would be interesting to know why the veggie was vegetarian, it didn't seem to be for animal rights, environmental, financial or health reasons. We came to the conclusion that she was just a bit faddy and not really a proper veggie at all. Maybe unfair but didn't think that she was the best person to have on the programme but maybe we'll get a bit more background information which will help me understand better.

I think it said that she just didn't like the taste of meat so chose (until now) not to eat it. Don't know if that makes her a proper veggie or not?!

[seasprout]

Wow, checkout RiverCottage.net is HFW really for the environment, Animal welfare, and the well being of us humble fellows and fellowesses or is he just lining his pocket ??

I looked at his site for the first time last night, was quite shocked.

I hate to say it, but perhaps its a bit more be associated with the name than the product.

I thought the same when i looked at the site for Jimmy's Farm recently. Very Expensive products and events.

My Favourite was the Ray Mears Website in which you can book a survival tuition weekend where you get charged over £300 to spend 3 nights sleeping in the woods and dig your own toilet.

[petal]

Nothing wrong in being vegetarian, its just so many veggies that i know in London seem hypocritical with leather shoes/coats and support horse racing and then in the same breath sneer 'you live in the country I suppose you like hunting 'Oh my goodness'! - I think Hugh has a point - we are so out of touch with nature and where meat comes from. Also, why do so many veggies drink milk? durh!! (poor little calves!- veal) - thats my trump card for a 'smug, gloating' veggie- look of horror is priceless when you point out their gross error! Personally i could easily live without meat and the offal turned my stomach last night.