Matt Tebbutt sitting outside a blue Volkswagen California camper van with the awning extended, cooking outdoors in a scenic grassy area.

How to Cook Great Food in a Camper Van with Matt Tebbutt

The UK is a nation of happy campers, with over 10 million Brits expected to go camping over the summer months.^{^⁠}However, two thirds (66%) of UK campers surveyed by us state that better quality food would improve the overall camping experience, with 60% even reporting that better food would further increase their likelihood of going camping.^{^⁠}

So, what does typical ‘camping food’ mean to the UK’s campers?

BBQs and grilled foods (69%), tinned food (43%) and instant noodles or pasta (39%) topped the list of foods respondents most associated with camping, followed closely by ‘snack-food’ (30%). Meanwhile, less than one quarter (24%) associate freshly prepared food with camping.^{^⁠}

For over half, this came down to perceived challenges around storing fresh ingredients (59%) and a lack of cooking equipment (56%); followed by concerns over cooking space (48%), a lack of inspiration on what to cook (23%) and limited access to drinking water while camping (22%).^{^⁠}

Close-up of chef Matt Tebbutt smiling while seated inside the camper van.

White bowl filled with a creamy risotto topped with herbs and cheese on a grey table.

Matt Tebbutt’s one-pot recipe helps UK campers wave goodbye to tinned food and instant noodles

To dispel the myth that preparing freshly cooked meals while camping is a challenge, we teamed up with TV Chef, Matt Tebbutt, to create a simple, healthy and affordable one-pot recipe (total price for ingredients for four people: £7.57), that takes only 30 minutes to cook from the California’s newly-designed kitchen.

Although space is a factor 49% of survey respondents cited as a challenge they would anticipate when cooking in a campervan,^{^⁠} the California’s new flexible, open plan kitchen calls this into question with its versatile folding table and cutlery drawer and large stowage tray.^{^⁠} Thanks to the new double sliding doors, and 230V socket, open air, ‘al fresco’ cooking knows no bounds in the new California.

This means adventurers can prepare high-quality meals from the comfort of their home on the road, for a greater overall camping experience.

The recipe: Braised Summer Squash and Fennel with Croutons, Goats Cheese and Prosciutto

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/2 fennel bulb
3 small yellow courgettes
3 small green courgettes
3 cloves of sliced garlic
125ml white wine
500ml vegetable stock
150ml of double cream
1 bunch of basil
100g Parmesan
100g torn crusty sourdough
Extra virgin Olive oil
6 sage leaves
1 sliced garlic clove
1 small, soft, goats cheese log (100g)
6 slices of prosciutto

Matt Tebbutt leaning from the pop-up roof area of the camper van, smiling against an outdoor backdrop.

Chopped courgette in a bowl next to a bottle of olive oil on a countertop.

Instructions

Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pan and fry 3 slices of the prosciutto until crisp. Remove and drain.Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pan and fry 3 slices of the prosciutto until crisp. Remove and drain.

Sauté the torn bread in this olive oil, sage leaves and a clove of sliced garlic until crisp. Remove, drain and set aside.

In the same pan, saute the sliced courgettes and diced fennel for around 15 minutes until lightly golden. Then add the wine and reduce, followed by the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Ladle out half of the soup, then blitz using a hand blender and return to the pot. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in three slices of the finely shredded remaining prosciutto, the basil and some Parmesan. Taste and season.

Spread some of the goats cheese over a few croutons and top along with the crisp sage and prosciutto. Serve.