Valentine Warner

Valentine Warner is a chef, food writer, broadcaster and business owner with a deep-rooted interest in nature, travel and provincial food. He describes his cooking style as “International Grandmother,” blending a strong sense of storytelling with an infectious love of cookery.

Val has a deep respect for ingredients, both wild and cultivated, and an instinctive ability to turn whatever’s available into something hearty, wholesome and satisfying. A firm advocate of native food sources, he shares common ground with Swaledale in championing meat that is flavourful, ethical and high welfare.

Originally trained as a portrait painter, Val has authored five cookbooks, run his own catering company, and is co-owner of Taqueria, a well-loved Mexican café in West London. He is also a partner in Hepple Distillery in Northumberland and Holmen Lofoten, a hotel on Arctic Norway’s Lofoten islands.

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How to BBQ Right: Val’s Tips for Cooking Over Fire

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I strongly feel that the barbecue is a discipline, and when done well can produce sensational results. Swaledale produces some of the very best sausages and well fatted burgers known to mankind. I love such simplicity, and a great burger, well grilled, can be a divine experience. However let me take you and your barbecue to a whole other dimension, there is so much more to experiment with and enjoy!

Roast grouse bread sauce game chips and liver parfait toast

Why Eat Game Meat? A Guide to Wild Meat & Ethical Shooting

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Growing up on a dairy farm in 1970s Dorset and the Berkshire Downs, I developed a passion for hunting, fishing, and cooking. Inspired by my father’s foraging and my mother’s inventive cooking, I learned to see the outdoors as a source of delicious ingredients. This early love of nature and food continues to influence my game recipes, blending wild flavours with traditional cooking techniques.