Are you excited to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of the city and spend your next vacation in nature? Maybe you’ve got a campervan booked, walking tours ready and can’t wait to live life in a much simpler way at least for a few days, yet you are still missing something… something easy, authentic and fun. How about going on a foraging tour or walk with people who know all about what the great outdoors in the UK has to offer and can teach you a thing or two? If this sounds like something you would enjoy, this article provides a little 101 into foraging and some tips on where to find good tour guides. Remember, it is really important to go foraging with someone that knows what they’re doing and it’s good to find out a bit about it beforehand too, which is why we bring you this foraging guide for the UK. Enjoy the read!
Staying Healthy on the Road
Many consider foraging to be a great way to stay healthy on the road. You not only get your fruits and vegetables for the day, but you also stay moving and keep active. But you should never rely solely on foraging for nutrients and vitamins on the road, as it can be extremely unpredictable. Always buy before your trip. For example, you could stock up on kratom capsules to ensure that you have a homeopatnic remedy at hand, and they are super easy to pack away in your van.
How Do I Start with Foraging?
In this era of sustainability with more and more people realising just how problematic food waste is, foraging is a great way to take care of some of your own food and feel like you’ve accomplished something at the same time! Let’s be honest, it is quite the accomplishment to bring home food that you picked yourself in the forest. There are many ways in which you can go about foraging in the UK; you can either take a course or just go on a one-time guided foraging walk. After you gain a bit of experience, there are many books and guides you can read to keep expanding your foraging knowledge.
Foraging Courses in the UK
Have you heard of the website Eatweeds.co.uk? It was created by Robin Harford, a foraging expert and enthusiast. Harford also teaches courses across the country all about edible wild plants in the UK, how to properly identify them and prepare delicious meals from them!
Similarly, you can find courses on foraging in the UK on TasteTheWild.co.uk all about coastal foraging and even fishing around the coast in North Yorkshire. Another great site to find the perfect foraging course is WildFoodUK.com where you can find a list of the upcoming courses given all around the country. Remember that the best time to attend a course of foraging is in Autumn, since that is when you can find most edible plants!
You can also find more specific foraging courses, like for example truffle hunting in Dorset or the Welsh Bass Guide where you will learn how to fish for bass. There is an incredible amount of resources for anyone interested in foraging in the UK, so you are very likely going to find a course that fits exactly what you want and need!
Guided Walks
If you don’t have the time or desire to sign up for a course, you can also just attend a guided walk with a certified foraging guide in the UK. For example Original Outdoors is a company that offers food walks, during which a guide takes you on a hike through woodlands, fields or along tracks, and show you edible plants along the way. They explain how to prepare them, their nutritional value or what not to confuse them with. You will usually pick these plants along the way and if you like, you can take part in preparing a meal from them after your walk is done. You will also get tips on where to go foraging closeby your home, so you can continue with this fun hobby even after your holiday is done!
Books about Foraging
If you’re looking for some literature on foraging, either because you’ve already taken a course and want to expand your knowledge or simply because you’re curious to learn more about the topic, these are some great works on the topic:
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Richard Mabey: ‘Food for Free’
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Roger Phillips: ‘Wild Food: A Complete Guide for Foragers’
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David Squire: ‘Foraging for Wild Foods’
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Miles Irving: ‘The Forager Handbook: A Guide to the Edible Plants of Britain’
Excited about foraging? Then it’s time to rent a campervan at Goboony, book a guided walk or course and set off on this new foraging adventure! Just be careful, the joy of finding your own food and cooking delicious meals with it is highly addictive, so you might just end up trying to persuade your family to make every holiday a foraging one! ;)
