Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage headquarters in Devon has been "seriously damaged" in a fire.
The blaze within the cookery school kitchens took several hours to bring under control and the cause is unknown.
Fearnley-Whittingstall , who is away filming, is yet to find out about the fire.
A spokesman for River Cottage said: "Thankfully no people or animals were hurt. The cause is as yet unknown.
"The River Cottage Team are dealing with the damage today and are shocked and upset.
"Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is away on a long distance trip filming and will be informed as soon as he can be contacted.
"The River Cottage Team would like to say a big thank-you to the fire brigade who were on the scene quickly and worked hard to contain the fire."
The River Cottage canteen and deli at Axminster is unaffected and open, staff say, but the cookery school courses at Park Farm will not be running in the short term.


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