The Supper Club: Rural Cure-All

The sun was starting to think seriously about setting as people emerged onto fields of grazing sheep in Bradfordon-Avon. The golden dregs of daylight filtered through the branches of the trees, casting stretched out shadows across the winding track that the visitors were following.

They were coming in search of food – and they weren’t going to be disappointed. Inside a fabric-roofed shelter in a clearing of trees, tables were already set with glowing gas lanterns, candles, and glass bottles filled with colourful wild flowers. Strings of festoon lights were draped overhead, running the length of the long communal tables, whose wavy edges echoed the deep grain of the tree they were cut from. At the head of the central table, crackling flames licked the inside of a wood burner, which, along with the similarly fuelled oven adjacent, were to keep the hungry guests warm as they filled their bellies.

The setting was The Farm Camp; a rural retreat, surrounded by orchards, intended for off-grid camping (several large, well-furnished bell tents are dotted about the clearing) and woodland activities. Its creator is farmer Tim Bowles, who returned to the family farm after embarking on a career in advertising. He had a hankering to combat the stress and complexity of the fast-paced, always-online, 21st-century lifestyle. The Farm Camp was the answer, and has become a place to slow down, switch off, and get reacquainted with nature.

As for the occasion on this particular day? Caterer and private chef Beth Al-Rikabi – also known as The Free Range Chef – was hosting her latest Fireside Supper Club, which she runs here seasonally. Her cooking is informed by the gluts of the English harvests as well as her varied culinary experience, in particular the time she spent cooking in Italy.

The 24 guests – who came from across Bradford-on-Avon and Bath, as well as from the campsite itself – took their seats on the benches that lined the tables, and settled in by candlelight for the evening feast. To begin, large vintage platters were piled with Middle Eastern mezze-style food: mushroom and sundried tomato falafel; broad bean, chilli and garlic dip; fattoush salad; mixed pickles; and smoked nuts and seeds. The mains were more Italian in style, with risotto-stuffed aubergine, steamed green beans with sage and walnut pesto, and a fresh, colourful carrot, beetroot and fennel salad. Squares of pillowy rosemary focaccia were put to work mopping up anything left on plates.

Ingredients had come from local farms and suppliers, while Ben Franks of Novel Wines had helped Beth pick out drinks to match. The plentiful food was passed up and down the rows as guests chatted and sipped vino, until plates were cleared and contented smiles had crept across faces.

A vegan sticky toffee pudding was served in enamel mugs (the recipe came from Beth’s time at Demuths Cookery School) with sauce on the side to spoon over. It was but one of three puds, alongside pumpkin and pecan custard tarts, and sherry-spiked blackberry syllabub.

The warm glow of fire and gentle hum of conversation spilled out from the cosy den into the otherwise dark and still field, as everyone delayed home time.

Beth’s next supper club at The Farm Camp will be held in the spring; beththefreerangechef.com; thefarmcamp.co.uk