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February 8th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - Celebrity chef is filming abroad and does not yet know about the fire
- Roof of converted barn caved in and timber frames are destroyed
- Site used for filming of the River Cottage Treatment
By
Rob Cooper
Last updated at 7:13 PM on 8th February 2012
Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s cookery school at his River Cottage headquarters was destroyed in a fierce fire last night.
Flames ripped through the kitchen of the recently refurbished ‘events barn’ in Axminster, Devon. The site was the setting for TV series The River Cottage Treatment in 2006 and has a shop, deli and restaurant.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is away on a long-distance filming trip and has not yet been told what happened.
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Firefighters were on the scene investigating the cause of the fire today. Each of the individual cookers in the barn had its own gas cylinder
Blaze: A team of firefighters battle the fire as it engulfs the cookery school kitchens at the River Cottage headquarters in Devon last night
River Cottage: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall used the site in the TV series The River Cottage Treatment
A worker raised the alarm last night after spotting the fire in the kitchens which were empty at the time.
The roof caved in and the timber frames of the stone building were destroyed in the blaze, firefighters said.
Police are not treating the blaze as suspicious but the cause is still under investigation.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service investigator Mike Burrows said it may not be possible to save the building.
‘The building has been gutted and the roof has caved in,’ he said. ‘It is certainly an architecturally significant building even if it is not listed so I imagine every effort will be made to save it.
Inside: The River Cottage cookery school which was destroyed in the blaze last night
Blaze: The cooking classroom was completely destroyed in the fire which happened shortly after 10.15pm last night
Blaze: The roof of the stone building has caved in and the timber beams have been left severely charred at River Cottage in Axminster, Devon
Before: The River Cottage barn is home to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s cookery school. Staff said today that anyone booked on a course will be contacted as soon as possible
Destroyed: The floor and work surfaces are covered in tiles from the roof. Pots and pans are blackened and the rest of the kitchen completely gutted
‘We were called at 10.15pm last night and it was quite a difficult site to get to because it is in a remote location. When we arrived we were confronted by a well-developed fire.
‘We had a number of safety issues to deal with. The kitchens are used as a cookery training centre and the ovens each had a separate gas bottle.
‘No one was inside at the time but somebody in a nearby building had raised the alarm.’
Eight fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze which completely destroyed the building.
Wrecked: The kitchens may have to be pulled down following the blaze. The cause is not thought to be suspicious
Blaze: Two firefighters work on the scene this morning as an investigation into the cause of the blaze gets underway
The events barn is described on the River Cottage website as: ‘A beautifully restored threshing barn, with its oak floor and large windows, is a glorious space at any time of the year.
‘Of course the River Cottage Kitchen Team never disappoint, cooking up wonderful celebratory dinners, using the very best local produce.’
A fire service spokesman added: ‘The fire was extinguished by fire crews using four breathing apparatus wearers, one main jet, three hose reel jets, one compressed air foam systems jet via a water shuttle.’
A spokesman for the chef said today that he had not yet been told about what happened because he is away filming.
Fire damage: The River Cottage reveal the events barn was destroyed in a blaze last night to their Twitter followers
Charred: Pots sit on the shelves in the blackened kitchen
Celebrity chef: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had this morning not been informed about the blaze as he is away filming
The spokesman said: ‘A serious fire severely damaged the main barn at Park Farm, River Cottage HQ late last night in Axminster.
‘Thankfully no people, or animals were hurt. The River Cottage team are shocked and upset, and are dealing with the damage today.
‘Hugh is away on a long distance filming trip and will be informed as soon as he can be contacted.
‘We would like to say a big thank you to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, who were on the scene quickly and worked hard to contain the fire.
‘Our Canteen and Deli, located in the centre of Axminster, is unaffected and remains open today.
‘Cookery School courses will not be running in the short term.
‘Anyone booked on to a course will be contacted by the River Cottage events team as soon as possible.’
Remote: The converted barn which was destroyed can be seen in the background here. Firefighters had difficulty reaching the site because of its location
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I have had some lovely meals in that barn. The other side of it is a beautiful wooden deck and floor to ceiling glass doors and there was a yurt just beyond that. Wonder if it’s all gone. It is a beautiful building and this is sad news.
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Sad news for Hugh and the team but with their can do attitude they be up and running in no time.
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“I WOULDINT WORRY ABOUT IT. HUGH WILL MAKE A PROGRAMME ABOUT IT AND MAKE MILLONS OUT OF IT AND THEN STAND AND BLEAT ABOUT HOW BAD HIS LUCK IS !!!!!!”
Paul, I have never heard him whine about himself once. Not once.
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Hugh comes over as a very down to earth person and I for one always enjoy his programs. Such a shame that all the hard work of Hugh and his team to build up this business has been destroyed. I hope they can get it restored again as it gives local people employment and many other the enjoyment of learning cookery lessins.
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I am sure he can afford to build a new one.
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This is so unfair. Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has done a lot for both animal welfare in farming and fishery and for cooking and this is just unfair. May some twist of fate bring some kind of long-term good to make up for it.
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Oh dear, bad day at the River Cottage.
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Such sad news, thank goodness no one was injured.
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What a crying shame – Thankfully no people or animals injured.
I am sure that a man with Mr F-W’s perspicacity and work ethic will have it back up and running soon.
Good luck to you.
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Well unless he’s filming on another planet l get the feeling he will know like!!!
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