The British celebrity chef famous for championing the cause for ‘real food’ steps up to centre stage at Ilkley Literature Festival to address the hugely marginalised issue of fruit.

“Here’s the dilemma. Fruit is naturally low in calories, naturally high in the sugar that we crave, easily digestible and grows in abundance around us. It is simply meant to be eaten”, enthuses Hugh, “and yet fruit often tends to be put in a box, side-lined”. The solution? Getting creative with it.

Fruit shouldn’t be seen as a course or as a side but incorporated into the main meal itself. Think sirloin steak, apple glazed roast potatoes and strawberries. Think broad beans, bacon, and blueberries on toast.  Or Hugh’s favourite: spinach, onion, pear and blue cheese pizza.

Hugh’s talk not only makes my mouth water considerably (I have foolishly skipped breakfast again) but also causes the audience to entirely reconsider how fruit should be seen and treated. He considers it an extension of the vegetable kingdom and far superior to meat in it’s versatility, with it’s variety in taste, flavour and texture, fruit provides the perfect opportunity to experiment with and remake classic dishes.  Fish with apples, plums, and gooseberries, Hugh has tried them all, and believe it or not, they actually seem to work. The traditional brie and grape sandwiches are just the beginning, he insists, there is so much more that can be done. His new recipe book River Cottage Fruit Everyday is bursting with 180 such recipes.

Of course, you’re probably longing to know what Hugh’s favourite fruity dish is. When asked, Hugh is quick to supply a childhood favourite with a twist – toad in the hole with apples. But, after a pause, he backtracks and selects an unusual dish: the double ended Cornish pasty. Taken down into the mines by Cornish tin miners, with meat at one end and fruit at the other, it was a way of ensuring “two courses in one”. The beauty of this is the fact that for one perfect mouthful, the sweet and savoury meet in the middle.

Hugh’s new book River Cottage Fruit Every Day! is out in hardback now.

Emily Watts

Photo: Property of Ilkley Literature Festival