Former Pig chef joins Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage

Former Great British Bake Off: The Professionals contestant Emese Patko has been named head chef at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage in Axminster, Devon.

Patko, who is originally from Hungary, has over 20 years’ experience in the industry as both a chef and pastry chef.

Having worked in Austria and Germany, she later moved to the UK and spent nearly nine years at Home Grown Hotels group, working across several properties in the New Forest and Bath.

She was also head pastry chef at the Pig at Combe in east Devon for six years.

In 2024, she appeared on Great British Bake Off: The Professionals, representing the Pig.

River Cottage grew out of Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage television show, which first aired in 1999, showcasing the celebrity chef and campaigner foraging for food and rearing his own stock.

The River Cottage group is headquartered in Axminster, Devon, and offers cookery courses and overnight stays.