T
he 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,
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