1 Day Foraging Course

Description

Running for the past 15 years, our 1 day foraging and woodland cookery courses are based on the Kent Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Our foraging and woodland cookery courses are for anyone who’d like to gain an insight into the edible delights of the British hedgerows, fields and woodlands and moreover how to cook with the ingredients that Mother Nature gives us for free. So if you’re curious about the plants, berries and fruits that grow around you and wonder which you can eat and which you need to avoid, and you’d like to know how to turn those ingredients into delicious and nutritious meals, come and join us! There’s nothing like strolling through the great British countryside and knowing the names of the trees and plants that you walk past and which ones you can eat! On this foraging course you’ll learn all about the abundant, tasty plants that are there for the picking (and cooking)!. Foraging has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years and plenty of people have jumped on the bandwagon, running courses with 20 or more participants. We prefer to keep the numbers low and so for this course we only take 8 people at a time to make sure that everyone gets their moneys worth. Our foraging courses focus on edible plants, nuts, berries and fruits commonly found in the hedgerow, fields and woodlands. As a heads up, foraging is about as seasonal as it gets, so what we gather will depend on the time of year that you come along, so for instance if you come along in the spring we’ll be looking at all of the new plants that are coming through; come in the late summer and we’ll be turning our focus to include nuts and berries as well. From the meeting point we’ll first have a quick chat around the legalities of foraging, the kinds of places where you should and shouldn’t forage and what containers you should use to collect your free food. After that we’ll take an amble along the tranquil lanes of the stunning North Downs Way and look at common plants, hedgerow fruits, berries and nuts that can be eaten; we’ll collect some as we go. We’ll also point out any plants and berries that are poisonous, and how to tell them apart from edible lookalikes so you know what to avoid. From the hedgerow we’ll move into ancient woodland and look at different plants, again collecting as we go. When we arrive at our ancient woodland camp the kettle will be ready and you can have a hot drink. Once you’ve eaten your packed lunch we’ll have a refresher on the plants we’ve collected to make sure that you’ve got the main identification points down. From there we’ll collect some firewood, settle in for the afternoon and start cooking using the wonderful plants that we’ve collected. Everyone gets their own dish to cook and contribute to the banquet. We’ll be cooking over open fires in the woods where the temperature is controlled by adding some more firewood! On past foraging courses we’ve cooked a wide range of culinary treats including dandelion & hogweed frittata, sweetcorn fritters with ramsons & cow parsley, jack-by-the-hedge pakoras, blackberry ketchup, haw sin sauce, wild patatas bravas, nettle burgers, elder flower delight…. We’ll have our dishes ready at the same time so that we can sit at our woodland dining table and enjoy the results of our foraging day. About us and the venue Jack Raven Bushcraft was founded in 2011 and we've been delivering bushcraft, craft and foraging courses since then from our 30 acre private ancient woodland on the Kent Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Courses in the summer are held outdoors in our woodland camp complete with covered work areas, an outdoor kitchen and a composting loo. Courses in the winter are held in our workshop in a converted barn. Whilst we don't have many reviews on Craft Courses, we have hundreds on our website, Facebook page and Google Business page, take a look for yourself!

What's included in the price?

Tea and coffee You'll need to bring a packed lunch

Cancellation policy

Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts

Maker

Jack Raven Bushcraft

with Craft Courses since 2013

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