My Own Experience
Like many people, I started foraging as a small child by the simple act of blackberry picking, although more ended up in my mouth than in the bowl! I was lucky to grow up in a village but I do recall being told the hawthorn berries on the hedges lining our garden were poisonous when they are far from it. Once I started learning about foraging I suggested eating the autumnal giant puffballs that would appear in our garden to be told, in no uncertain terms, that I could but my parents wouldn’t!
There are a few great books out there for foragers and I’d recommend anything written by Roger Phillips. His fungi book is the absolute bible on fungi and I can recommend no better. I’d also thoroughly recommend the Pocket Nature books as they’re great jeans back pocket books for when you’re out foraging.
Events
As ever, all of my events come with a handout which give some examples of seasonal goodies, with the odd favourite recipe included. If the events don't match your needs or you'd prefer me to come to you, please do either email me or call me on 07974 058818 with any queries. Please see the Events page for dates, booking details and locations.
Hedgerow foraging: this is the generic course I run throughout the year, with flowers and leaves being the main focus for tasting in the spring, whereas fruits and roots feature more in the autumn. Of course, if I see a plant that's edible at any time of year, I'll still tell you all about it.
Fungi, fruits and roots: this is the autumnal course. Fungi can never be guaranteed and no matter how many you saw of a particular variety one year, the next year they may be none. I do however teach you how to start to identify fungi for yourself as so many people are too scared to risk this, and rightly so as that's exactly what will save your life. However, I'm entirely self taught and I'm still here and still going strong, so you can learn what to look for as well. Any fungi we see, I'll show you what you should be looking at in order to correctly identify it, from habitat to colour to scent and so on. Please note that we will not be picking fungi for you to take home and cook as we'd quickly denude the areas I forage in for other people as well as nature!