The Camper Van Cookbook

What can a camper van cooking guide offer the casual outdoor chef?

Product

The Camper Van Cookbook, Martin Dorey & Sarah Randell (Salt Yard Books)

Promise

Life on four wheels, cooking on two rings - does the guide to cuisine from the confines of your camper match up to our expectations?

Performance

Campground cooking is testing. You need the right kit and the right kind of heat source to make it work, and unless you’re a Ray Mears type who whittles a fish steamer from spare bamboo and cooks bulrushes in a pit oven that generally means working from a single gas ring. Unless, of course, you’re a Camper Van camper.

They’re a world apart, and the rituals and recipes you can get up to in your van are amply provided here in The Camper Van Cookbook. A whimsical, Jamie-ish trot through ultra-simplistic nosh that ranges from out-of-a-tin, to off-of-a-hedge all the way to “you’ve got to be out of your mind”, there’s some great ideas in here that are designed to delight and inspire the camper van chef. There’s gourmet stuff like griddled halloumi with crushed peas and mint, snacky stuff like rocky roads – the only guide is that is has to be doable from a camper van kitchen.

The book is also riddled with tips, ideas and advice on things like foraging, campfire songs and telling the time by the sun – which makes it a really rewarding book to take on your travels. It’s not just about the food, after all – you want the whole experience, and this is an honest and light take on camper van culture you’ll spend hours reading for the hell of it.

Verdict

A great book to carry in the van (or tent, for that matter). We love the variety in here, which will keep you occupied with unfussy camping tips for days.