Our thinking

It’s good when it’s free

6 October, 2023

Food prices dropped in the UK in September for the first time in 2 years. You think that’s not enough? Nature offers you food for free! All you need is a basket, good shoes, and a few tips to know the good foraging spots around you. And as John Wright said to The Guardian, “bountiful autumn is the highlight of the British forager’s year”.

The foraging expert explains how all kinds of landscapes offer interesting wild food, from the chalk downland of West Dorset to the hedgerows of the Channel Islands. Even cities present opportunities, as you can find horse mushrooms or sweet chestnuts in London parks and cemeteries, or parasols in Leeds. The article also provides a whole list of items you can find far and beyond mushrooms, how to cook them and some guidance to avoid poisoning yourself with dangerous species.

Not all of us are big fans of sea beet or stinging nettles. But we can appreciate the extent to which foraging can set us back into the place and times we live in. The food you’ll get will have the smallest carbon footprint record, from the bush to your mouth. This also allows us to think about the season we’re in – in the foraging world, you can’t eat strawberries in December; each season has its own exclusive set of ingredients to offer.

The heatwave forecast for this weekend might not make you feel ready to connect with the calendar season, but we hope it makes the perfect opportunity for a tasty walk!

By Flora Giguel