We built a kitchen on the riverbank for a crew of Oxford rowers – and served up pasta, laughter, and a celebration of kitchens built for real life...
Every spring, the Varsity Boat Race rolls around and Britain remembers how mad and magnificent university rowing really is. The pre-dawn training sessions. The thousand-yard stares. The thighs that could crack walnuts. The ritualised obsession with pasta.
So when a few of the crew from an Oxford rowing club offered to take part in a Naked Kitchens shoot, we didn't just bring the cameras - we brought the kitchen. Literally
The world's first riverbank pasta kitchen?
Yes, we built a bespoke kitchen island, rolled it down to the banks of the Thames, and invited the rowers to do what they do best: look heroic and eat carbs.
And they did not disappoint.
Bowls were filled (and refilled). Oars were crossed. Sleeveless vests were proudly worn in the chill of early spring. A prodigious amount of spaghetti was consumed.
Introducing the NKBC
This one-of-a-kind piece featured special NKBC (Naked Kitchens Boat Club) branding, university blue cabinetry, and a hefty farmhouse sink perfect for washing up post-regatta. There’s even a tea towel with a college-worthy monogram.
It’s not just a bit of fun (though it is definitely that)—it’s also a reminder of what Naked Kitchens are built for. Whether you’re rustling up a carb-heavy crew dinner or just enjoying a victory brew after a long week, a Naked kitchen is made to work hard, last long, and look the part doing it.
A celebration of character
We love a themed photoshoot. Like our mobile speakeasy bar from last Christmas, this rowing-kitchen stunt is about more than the furniture. It’s about character. A kitchen with personality deserves to be seen in a setting with a bit of soul – and preferably with a few mates gathered round, talking nonsense and scoffing spag bol.
Built for Life (and Pasta)
We can’t guarantee that your own kitchen will come with oars and riverside views, but we can guarantee quality materials, careful craftsmanship, and just the right amount of eccentricity.
From the calm of college life to the chaos of everyday cooking, Naked Kitchens are built for it all. Even—just occasionally – for boat life.
From the Locker Room: Notes on Rowing Life
Rowing Diets: Then and Now
Rowers have always needed enormous amounts of fuel, but their diets have changed dramatically over the years. In the 1890s, a typical Oxbridge training menu might include beefsteaks, buttered toast, ale, and a few eggs whipped into a sherry-laced pudding.
These days, things are a bit more... nutritional. But no less intense. A training rower might get through:
- 2 full breakfasts
- 1 or 2 pre-training snacks
- A double-lunch situation
- Pasta by the kilogram
- And enough chocolate milk to float a boat.
Basically, if you’re not cooking six meals a day, are you even rowing?
Eat like a rower
Want to fuel up like a lightweight eight? Here's our simple take on the kind of meal you might find steaming in a student crew kitchen:
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Rower’s Spaghetti recipe
Feeds 4 normal people or 1.5 rowers during training season. For a snack.
Ingredients:
- 500g spaghetti
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 400g beef mince (or veggie alternative)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- Handful of grated cheddar or parmesan
- Salt, pepper, oregano to taste
Method:
- Cook pasta.
- Fry garlic, add mince, brown well.
- Add tomatoes and purée. Simmer 15 mins.
- Season, serve, and scatter with cheese.
- Eat a bowl. Then another. Then another.
...And for pudding: The Ultimate Rowing Cake
Even elite athletes need cake. Especially elite athletes. This one’s a classic: dense, rich, and perfect for morale as well as fuel. Try the historic Cambridge Rowing Eight Cake a recipe that’s been fortifying rowers for generations.
At Naked Kitchens we love the challenge of making completely unique features – kitchens and cabinets that have never been made before. Whatever it is, if you can imagine it, we can build it.
Talk to us about making your dream kitchen a reality.
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