Identify, learn about, forage for and cook edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of our common plants.  In the autumn, we will focus mainly on mushrooms.

The autumn course will be led by Ian Rose & Jude Greenan, who will identify the many different forms of fungi and herbs that you will find here, depending on the seasonal weather.  Last year we found 52 different species of fungi, but there could be none at all!

 Click on the tutors' names above to see more about them.

Comments from participants:

I have found this fascinating.  Your place is really special.  I love all your careful details:  lunch, the woods, the buildings, storytelling, the leaders - I will treasure this day for a long time.

Superb course, informative and relaxed.  Wonderful food and setting.  Really felt that we were a part of your family for the day.

Enjoyed the foraging, loved the lunch.  I felt so full of delicious food I could hardly move!  Can't wait to try out the recipes.

An excellent course providing a wide range of interesting topics, giving us a better understanding of the many plants around us and uses which have mainly been overlooked by modern farming and medicinal practices.

Fantastic, gret tasting, great info and real inspiration for eating the weeds on my allotment - good excuse for not weeding! 

Had an excellent day, realy good fun.  Loved the walks.  Ian and Nick were fantastic helpers, don't think there was anything they didn't know between them.  Anne was an excellent host, really helpful.  Loved the food as well.  Was great that not only did we get to keep what we found, we were also given recipes as well.  Will recommend this course to others and may even come back in the spring or summertime.

The venue and catering were absolutely stunning!  The content was exactly what I needed - it refreshed and extended my knowledge.  Both tutors were very open and answered lots of questions while showing their ample knowledge and experience.  The handouts were good too, especially for me, the list of plants, which will allow further reading.  Peter Robinson

Perhaps do course over a weekend as there was just so much to learn but it was excellent. Food fab and what a lovely idea to cook what you pick. Clare

Excellent day!  Interesting, informative, very well presented & organised.  Thank you!

Thank you so much for the wonderfully warm welcome you gave us ... We enjoyed all aspects of the day, the accompanied walks, the expertise of Nick and Jude and the wonderful food you and your husband provided.  We also appreciated the skinning and preparation demonstration.  We will certainly tell our friends about you and your lovely home.  Once again thank you so much.  Ann  & Stephen H

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

This is such a huge subject that any handouts we might generate would not do it justice.  We suggest instead the following books:

Food for Free, Richard Mabey, illustrated by Marjorie Blamey, Collins, London 1972

Wild Food, Roger Phillips (photographic guide), Pan Books, London 1983

Edible Wild Plants & Herbs, Pamela Michael, Grub Street, London 1980 (revised)  (My favourite book for recipes)

Peter Jordan's Mushroom Foray Guide, Tasty Mushroom Partnership (a set of plastic-covered cards identifying 50 different mushrooms with illustrations and descriptions).

Mushrooms, Roger Phillips, Macmillan, London 2006 (1,250 illustrations and descriptions)

The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices,  Claire Loewenfeld and Philippa Back, David & Charles, Newton Abbot 1975

The Concise British Flora in Colour, W Keble Martin, Ebury Press 1965

Wild Flowers of Britain, Roger Phillips, Pan Books, London 1977