Raw Fish, Sheep Cheese and Nettle Beer!

Well what a weekend that was!
(well a couple ago now, I've been a bit slack on keeping you guys up to date with what Mr S and I have been up to... sorry!)
Was lovely to take the Friday off work, putting Miss Yo Yo into the capable hands of the cat hotel, and make our way slowly to Dorset/Devon (well can't say where exactly as one moment the sign said welcome to Dorset and the next welcome to Devon and the next welcome to Dorset etc etc).
And what a beautiful part of England those two counties are.. all part of the Jurassic coast.. just stunning scenery!
Though it was all in aid of visiting River Cottage Headquarters and having dinner with Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall and his team. Well.. it was awesome!
We stayed at a lovely 18th century farmhouse B&B (http://www.sellerswood.co.uk/index.htm). Ian & Margaret Pemberton were a wealth of local knowledge and Margaret's marmalades were to die for (well I did buy four of them to bring back home with us!), as well as their wonderful offer of taking us to and fro from the River Cottage Event.
Well now, to the evening.. once Ian dropped us off we went on a trailer pulled by a tractor down to River Cottage Headquarters and were welcomed with strawberry bellini's and various canapes (fresh carrots with dill dip, deviled crap, scallops with broadbean & mint and courgettes with olive oil dressing) whilst we wondered the grounds and admired the vege patch, chicken coop and ducks!
Of course this wandering meant more champagne for me and a try of nettle beer for Mr S.. which surprisingly quite nice!
Then is was off into the marquee for a wonderful dinner.. thinly sliced marinated raw sea bass as a starter, sirlion steak with roasted garlic and new potatoes, sheep cheese and a brie with crackers, meringue with seasonable strawberries and raspberries and to finish petite foes and coffee! All wonderfully delicious (local food no doubt caught, dug up, pulled from the garden that day) and washed down with surprisingly drinkable English wine!
I must say though that the highlight of the evening, apart from the food, meeting Pam (the pickle lady), and Mark (the olive tree guy), it was Hugh coming over to say hi, patting my shoulder a couple of times and I'm sure looking down my cleavage revealing top!

You can check out River Cottage at:
http://www.rivercottage.net