River Cottage

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Axminster, Devon View map Visit website

Rating 5.0 out of 5

14 reviews

Menus from £85

15 to 120 Guests

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About

Menus from £85

15 to 120 Guests

Celebrate your special day at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s iconic River Cottage in Devon. The venue is set within 65 aces of organic farmland, located just a short distance from the stunning Jurassic Coast. River Cottage is a unique wedding venue with a strong emphasis placed on the food served throughout the day.

Couples are invited down to the farm to design their menu in collaboration with the fantastic River Cottage chefs. The focus is most definitely on the food and all of the dishes created here use the finest home grown, local, organic and seasonal ingredients, guaranteed to impress your guests.

The venue is fully-licensed to conduct civil ceremonies and partnerships, so couples can say their vows in Hugh’s famous farmhouse, the beautifully refurbished barn with breath-taking views across the Axe Valley or in the walled garden depending on the season and the weather.

The Threshing Barn is the perfect rustic venue all year round and can accommodate up to 100 seated guests for your ceremony and 60 for dining. In the evening we clear the tables to make room for 120 to dance into the night.

After dancing the night away, you can retire to our newly refurbished 17th century farmhouse for the night, where accommodation and bed and breakfast for six people is included in your wedding package.

Couples receive a dedicated wedding coordinator who is on hand to plan your perfect celebration and ensure everything runs smoothly on the day.

Licensed to hold civil ceremonies and partnerships
Create your own seasonal menu with the talented in-house chefs
Spectacular views across the countryside with 65 acres of famous farmland
Under three hours from London and just a few miles from the beautiful seaside town of Lyme Regis
In-house wedding co-ordinator on hand to help with everything from flowers to photographers
Can accommodate for up to 100 seated guests and 120 for the evening

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Frequently Asked Questions

Venue Type:

Exclusive Use

In the Country

Unusual Weddings

Historic

Landmark

Marquees and Tents

Woodland and Festival

Civil Ceremony Licence

Barn

Outdoor License

Unique Weddings

Dining Options:

Seated Meal Facilities

Alcohol Licence

Buffet Meal Facilities

In House Catering

Evening Entertainment:

Marquee Available

Dance Floor

Entertainment Licence

Live Band Facilities

Evening Reception Facilities

DJ Facilities

Overnight Accommodation:

Overnight Accommodation for Wedding Couple

Overnight Accommodation for Guests

Venue Staff Assistance:

Wedding Coordinator

Other Features:

Disabled Facilities

Car Parking

Confetti Permitted

Rating

5.0

out of 5.0

Recommended by 100% of couples

Quality of the Service

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Jenny Married on 07/09/2019

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Thank you!

We could not have asked for a more friendly and attentive venue. You made us feel so relaxed as we know you guys had everything sorted. All the guests commented on how amazing the food was, please pass on our thanks to the chefs :) And commented on how accommodating the staff were and the relaxed feeling the wedding had which was exactly what we wanted. We felt everything about the day was just so us. And Laura, to you, thank you so much for all your hard work, it simply would have not happened without you. River Cottage are very lucky to have such a dedicated wedding planner who goes above and beyond for the couples. We didn’t notice a thing out of place or any problems and we are sure that’s down to you so thank you.
Sent on 16/10/2019
Wendy Married on 08/06/2019

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The most amazing beautiful wedding!

"The whole experience from the time we booked the venue last year was absolutely perfect. Laura our Wedding planner was a delight to work with she made our whole day flow with no problems at all. The food was absolutely delicious, we had 64 guests for the sit-down meal and all of them had thoroughly enjoyed their food. To us, River Cottage was the perfect venue for a relaxed unpretentious wedding and it certainly didn’t disappoint."
Sent on 16/10/2019
Abbie Married on 24/04/2019

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Best day ever!

"We had the best day ever and our guests are still raving about it! Thank you for the outstanding food and service, and the care taken by the whole team to ensure our wedding day was so special. It was perfect from start to finish, plus a ton of fun in an extraordinary setting. Laura, thank you for all your assistance in the prep and run up to the day too - we really appreciate your patience and flexibility (I’m sure Australian time difference is not ideal!!)"
Sent on 16/10/2019
Tom Married on 08/07/2017

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SUCH a fantastic day

We had SUCH a fantastic day on Saturday - it exceeded our (already very high!) expectations in every way. We've had quite a lot of people say it was the best wedding they've ever been to. That's not a normal thing to say about a wedding, in our experience - most people just say 'thank you, it was lovely' and move on! All of our family and friends thought the venue and food were stunning. 'Best food I've ever had' has also been something we've heard a few times. We're still getting excitable texts and emails from our guests, raving about everything from the canapés to the view of the valley to how lovely the River Cottage staff were.

On that last point, we need to say a massive, massive, massive thank you to everyone at RC. Thank you all so much for all of your excellent preparation and hard work on the day. You all went over and above what could reasonably be expected of you. It was all of your hard work and dedication that made it such a wonderful day that we'll remember forever. We're not sure how you managed to be so effortlessly relaxed and informal while also pulling out all the stops - if you could bottle your magic and send it to us so we can use it in our jobs, that'd be great.
Sent on 06/04/2018
James Married on 09/06/2017

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Friday was amazing

Friday was AMAZING. Thank you so much for your professionalism and patience throughout! The day was everything we had hoped for...and more. There are so many bits here and there that added a great deal to the day. For me, the way that your team leapt into the table arrangements and your decoration of the cake - two tasks that I fully expected for us to do - helped so much in getting the morning off to a smooth and (relatively) relaxing start. After that, I felt completely comfortable in leaving everything to you and it allowed me to relax (a bit!) and enjoy the day. The evening team were great as well. Also, EVERYBODY on your team always had a smile and were ready to come to our aid at every point. I'd love to give you guys some pointers on what to improve for next time, but there is NOTHING that I can think of that needed improvement!

We have both had so much great feedback about the day. The venue, the setting, and - of course - the food. I think it's an even split between the main meal for people's favourite courses - for me personally, the asparagus starter was my favourite.

What a wonderful wedding day for Yan and I - and such a huge part of that is down to River Cottage.
Sent on 06/04/2018
Keren Married on 01/04/2017

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Easy, Relaxed Wedding

We had a truly amazing day, it all went perfectly. Thank you so much for all of your help and to everyone involved, for making our day so fantastic. So many of our guests commented on how relaxed the whole wedding was, how beautiful the venue is and last but definitely not least how incredible the food was. From the very first time we contacted the weddings team at river cottage, we have been made to feel so welcome and at ease with everything, making for an easy, relaxed wedding.
Sent on 06/04/2018
Sian

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Character, Professionalism and Flexibility

A huge thank-you to the entire team at River Cottage for their part in making our wedding hands-down the best day of our lives! River Cottage has found the perfect blend of Character, Professionalism and Flexibility.

The experience was all about freedom of choice, this was our big day and the RC team went to enormous efforts to make sure that we had the run of the place in every sense.

As a location, the grounds of River Cottage have charm and the intimacy by the boat load, the Great British countryside at its best. Rounding the tractor track the farmhouse grounds are revealed and we immediately fell in love with the tranquillity, the “Secret Garden” feel and the piglets!

As important as the venue, are the people that work there. The staff, were always friendly and attentive, happy to show anyone interested the workings of the kitchen and farm in general. We cannot thank them enough for their hard work and smiles in the face of such a rowdy bunch!

Our first point of contact Lydia was fantastic. Friendly and efficient, she took a huge amount of the weight off our shoulders in the preparation stages, always going the extra mile to make the day perfect and a calm presence during the final preparations when overeager family members go a bit nutty.

The Head Chef, Gelf, was a wealth of knowledge for the menu, giving us a free reign, suggesting the best ingredients for the season. The end result was superb, every plate cooked and presented to perfection. The ever-present relaxed and rustic atmosphere, giving the dinner and speeches an intimate feels despite there being nearly 100 guests.

An unforgettable day, Thank you all!
Sent on 30/11/2015
Heather

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The location, staff and food were fantastic.

We have always both loved River Cottage, we knew the location, staff and food would all be fantastic.
We visited River Cottage a couple of months before the wedding to plan the menu. Gelf, the head chef, told us what would be in season in June and we went with his recommendations with a couple of requests of our own. As it was River Cottage we had to have something a bit unusual so asked if we could have some squirrel as one of the canapes. They made up a squirrel pate – a lot of the guests were a bit taken aback but most enjoyed them with some asking for seconds. The starter consisted of a seasonal salad with asparagus, shaved goats cheese and a variety of edible flowers. The main course was lamb cooked three different ways served with roast potatoes cooked in lamb fat and new potatoes in a herb dressing.
The dessert was elderflower panacotta with rhubarb served different ways. The whole meal was absolutely fantastic & all the guests were very excited by the menu. Everything for the meal either came direct from River Cottage or from Trill Farm next door, it was very important to us that all the ingredients were sourced locally.
Sent on 09/11/2015
Shirley

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A very special venue

Really can't thank you and the River Cottage team enough for making our day so special. You made everything as easy and relaxing as possible taking the pressure away from us so we could really enjoy the day. From the moment it started with the ceremony in the beautiful garden it was a truly magical day and we both enjoyed every minute.
What can I say about Gelf, except that all our guests summed it up as 'the best meal they'd ever tasted.' It was a great menu. For me vegetarian food reached new heights and I know he converted a few meat eaters to the idea of not having meat as often or just having it on the side. We loved seeing the process too from fresh picked veg from the garden to the excellent service on good hot plates. Then surprise from the guests that a 'sugar free' dessert could taste so good!
The evening changeover went very smoothly while we relaxed in the yurt. The barn was great for the band and lots of guests enjoyed dancing.
The pizza was delicious and great idea to do your own. This is where the idea of hiring the whole venue makes the day work so well. Different spaces to suit everyone and our guests ranged from a newborn baby to an eighty year old. Again guests have thanked us for choosing such a lovely venue. Each space was decorated and we really enjoyed the atmosphere and warmth of the fires.
To sum up we would certainly recommend River Cottage as a very special venue to hold your wedding. We were a very happy bride and groom thanks to Lydia, Gelf and team.
Sent on 09/11/2015
Lisa

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The food was out of this world

When Lisa and I were looking for a venue to celebrate our wedding, we realised there was not another place on the planet that we would rather go than River Cottage. Lydia, Andy and the team did an incredible job in spoiling all 70 of our guests. The food was out of this world. Our recommendation to anyone thinking about RC as an option for their event is not make any specific requests for food etc, put yourselves in the hands of team, you are guaranteed to have an incredible event. For anyone who is serious about food, wants to have a great celebration, in an atmosphere that’s relaxed yet stunning, with a team that will make you feel like superstars, we cannot recommend RC highly enough.
Sent on 09/11/2015
Zoe

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Incredible food!

We had the most amazing day at River Cottage – we were so well looked after and all the staff were brilliant. The day ran completely smoothly thanks to Lydia's great organisation and flexibility and all of our special requirements were catered for without fuss. The setting was spectacular in the sunshine and everyone commented on the food and how incredible (and filling) it was, of course!

We're from London and were looking for something that had the same qualities as the venues we saw there, but River Cottage far exceeded these. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend River Cottage to anyone who's looking for a special venue that's relaxed, not pretentious and highly professional.
We can't wait to come back – thankyou!
Sent on 09/11/2015
Claire

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The venue and the day significantly exceeded our e

We fell in love with River Cottage as a venue from the first moment we looked around, after that we knew we wanted to get married there. From start to finish the staff (and particularly Lydia) went out of their way to help make sure we got the day we wanted. It felt personal and down to earth, unlike many other wedding venues, which really suited us. Our guests couldn't talk highly enough of the venue, including the amazing food of course. The venue and the day significantly exceeded our expectations. We really had the best day of our lives.
Sent on 09/11/2015
Becca

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Completely idyllic and exactly what we had imagine

Our wedding at River Cottage was completely idyllic and exactly what we had imagined - we really couldn't have wished for anything better. The venue is beautiful, the food incredible (several guests commented that it was the best wedding food they'd ever had, and we certainly agree), and the staff were brilliant. We hardly noticed they were there, but whenever we needed something done someone was always on hand, and it had usually been done before we'd even thought of it. From planning the wedding right through to the last trailor ride up the hill, everything ran so smoothly and the team were faultless. We can't wait to come back for our first anniversary!
Sent on 09/11/2015
Lorraine

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Best place for a relaxed wedding

The best place for a relaxed wedding with the best food where the staff treat you like one if the family.
Sent on 09/11/2015

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Late availability for dates in October, November and December 2022. Contact our Wedding Coordinator Lucy for more information on available dates!

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Trinity Hill Road EX13 8TB Axminster (Devon)

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