Eating from the River Thames

Would you eat something found in the River Thames? One chef believes that UK rivers are a goldmine for quality ingredients, and has designed a whole menu to prove his point.

#Riverfood, ‘a restaurant pop-up with a difference’, is the brainchild of Philip Cooper, a chef who has worked alongside the likes of Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux Jnr over the course of his 30-year career. Philip and colleagues from his consultancy service We Are Coopers set up #Riverfood to showcase the value of sourcing ingredients locally – the pop-up only uses produce found in UK rivers, especially the Thames Estuary.

Indeed, 125 different species of edible fish live in UK shores and Hollowshore Fisheries, which was established in the 1960s, is an example of a small, family outlet that fishes in the Thames Estuary. Their oysters, handpicked from the Swale Estuary, took pride of place at the launch of the #Riverfood menu on Sunday July 21, which was held on the deck of the MV Royalty, one of the oldest boats on the River Thames.

Meantime beer (from the award-winning Meantime brewery in Greenwich), mud crab, pike and zander were also vital ingredients used. Here’s a snapshot of the menu: