Born in London in 1965, but raised in Gloucestershire, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall first became interested in cookery as a young child. But his studies at Oxford and conservation work in Africa kept him from studying professionally. That hasn't prevented his unorthodox style turning him into one of Britain's most popular chefs.

Although he spent a brief period as a sous chef at the River Café his reputation has developed on television. Initial exposure came in Cook on the Wild Side (an exploration of earthy cuisine) and TV Dinners, then in 1997 he moved into River Cottage in Dorset (a place he had been previously using as a weekend and holiday home) which became the setting for three series, Escape to River Cottage, Return to River Cottage and River Cottage Forever. He has since bought a farm nearby with his family. Through his experiences on these programmes in which he had to produce everything himself in The Good Life style he became a keen supporter of the organic movement. His new series Beyond River Cottage which follows Hugh's progress as he sets up a new business from River Cottage HQ (close to his farm near the original River Cottage in west Dorset.) is currently airing on Channel 4.

The chef has subsequently gone on to become a best selling writer with The River Cottage Cookbook, The River Cottage Year and The River Cottage Meat Book finding a wide ranging audience, the reflective format attracting people you wouldn't usually pick up food books. His writing also appears in The Observer Food Magazine each month.

For more information, visit The River Cottage Website (http://www.rivercottage.net/) which contains recipes and news and features. The transcript of a live webchat can be found here (http://www.channel4.com/community/showcards/R/River_Cottage_Forever.html).