FORAGE & FEAST in Alderley Edge (Cheshire)

The focus with all of our workshops is on the 4 'F's of Foraging: Fungi, Fruit, Flowers and Foliage. We aim for an array of these elements on every session we run (weather and season permitting!)

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Our 'Forage & Feast' events offer the chance to try the most wild food by far! These are ‘full day’ events, so we want people to be able to join in having possibly booked a day’s annual leave, ensuring they feel it is worth it (it most certainly is!).

3-4 hours will be spent finding, identifying and tasting wild ingredients. The big difference between these events and the shorter ones we run is that there will be a big feast served at the end to create a more comprehensive experience for those attending lasting an additional 1-2 hours. Most of this is made by your tutor in advance, but freshly-picked ingredients found on the day by the group will also be added to give an extra flourish to the meal and allow guests to feel an even greater connection to their food.

"These are easily my favourite workshops to run because of all the amazing food!" - Jim Parums, Forage Box Founder and Chief Forager

DURATION: 5 hours (approx 4 hours of foraging and 1 hours preparing and eating your wild feast)

We like to keep some elements a surprise for the day, but here is what you can expect from your foraging workshop:

• a short introduction regarding the safety and format of the day

• discussions around foraging tips, safety, ethics, etiquette, sustainability and the law

• a circular walking route taking in different growing environments around the site. Expect a route of around 2-3km predominantly on footpaths

• a closer look at edible wild species and any poisonous lookalikes by a professional forager

• a chance to slow the pace of modern life down, meet new people and immerse yourself in a soul-nourishing activity, reconnecting with nature and discovering new flavours

• small tasters of wild food, drinks and other preserves - this includes freshly-picked items straight from the wild as we look to find the ingredients that will work best in our meal

• our workshops are run in a welcoming and informal fashion, where attendee questions and contributions are encouraged

• after the event, you will be sent a follow-up email containing a list of everything we found on the day and a full menu. Please do not expect photos or descriptions in this email - it is purely a list for reference purposes, and we find it helps people do further research in their own time.

Please note: as with most of our events, this is an educational experience and not a 'basket-filling' session.

You can to see a sample 'Forage & Feast' picnic box being filled, or below is a sample menu from a Forage & Feast event in 2024:

🍴 Wild Pesto made on the day with sweet cicely, common sorrel, himalayan balsam seeds and ground elder;

🍴 Nettle seed sourdough with chanterelle duxelle, wild garlic preserved in honey and grated egg yolk;

🍴 Wild Sushi: sea coriander, guelder rose sweet chilli, sea radish pods, sea plantain, fermented blackberry, fermented wild garlic;

🍴 Pickled hop shoots in cow parsley vinegar;

🍴 Damson umeboshi;

🍴 Beefsteak fungus jerky;

🍴 Alexanders and wild garlic kimchi;

🍴 Fresh nasturtium leaf 'wonton' with pickled rock samphire seeds, marigold flowers, kelp seaweed syrup and sea buckthorn hot sauce;

🍴 Coronation pheasant with wild carrot seeds, barberry berries and hogweed seeds;

🍴 Bilberry-gin cured, smoked pigeon breast;

🍴 Perry-pickled mussels;

🍴 Wild devilled eggs - porcini, sea lettuce, marsh samphire powder🍴

🍴 Wild mushroom broth (porcini, parasol, honey fungus, chicken of the woods, turkeytail) with himalayan balsam flowers;

🍴 Common hogweed seed parkin with artist’s conk mushroom treacle and hogweed seed brittle;

🍴 Alexanders marmalade pudding with bilberry compote, dryads saddle mushroom cream and fresh fuschia berry;

🍴 Elderflower and Rosebay Willowherb Kombucha;

🍴Mirabelle Wine

At the end of the session, there may be a small selection of and workshop vouchers available to purchase (card and cash accepted). This is a recent element of our events after enough attendees made enquiries about it - there is no pressure to buy anything having already bought tickets but sometimes people want a souvenir to take with them! Please speak to your tutor about this at the end.

Whilst children are welcome on these events, it is recommended that any child attending is over 12 years old and that for each individual child attending, they must be accompanied by one paying adult. No previous foraging experience is required for this event. Considerations must be taken for those with mobility issues - please get in touch to discuss.

We strongly believe that , with all demographics welcome, regardless of age, ability, gender or ethnicity.

Please read our FAQs further down the page to find out about dogs, children and mobility.

KIT LIST:

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS: You will be asked for any dietary requirements when completing your booking. Please note that our workshops may not be entirely suitable for vegans and coeliacs unless you inform us of these dietary requirements in advance - we may use butter or bread, for example. Bookings made within 48 hours of the event start time may not allow for your tutor to cater for specific dietary requirements - please get in touch if this is a concern.

Attendees are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the destination.

EXACT MEETING POINT: In the picnic area by the car park

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/qvaWADSbWp7oGcnaA

What3Words: https://w3w.co/others.loads.alive

PARKING: Pay and display parking is available at the National Trust car park (free for NT members). Please be considerate when leaving your car and do not block gates or access for other road users.

TOILETS: Toilets are available at the start but not on the walking route.

Please arrive well in time for the start of the workshop, allowing extra time for the distance from your parked car to the meeting point and any toilet trips - we don't tend to wait for late-comers!

Your foraging guide for the day should arrive on site at least an hour before the start and will start gathering the group together approximately 15 minutes before the official start time. If you cannot find your tutor around that time, there is a chance you are looking in the wrong place, so please check the event information for the exact location (not the postcode)

Signage can sometimes be limited, so keep an eye out for anyone with a foraging basket!

Minimum number of guests for this event to go ahead: 8 people

PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide guests with a contact telephone number for your tutor. This is for privacy puropses but also because it is impractical to do so - your tutor simply wouldn't be able to take a call whilst with a group. If you need to get in contact, please use the email function via eventbrite or our website.

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on my Forage Box workshop?'

from previous workshop guests

, our YouTube channel

Our website FAQs

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

National Trust Car Park - Alderley Edge, Macclesfield Road, Macclesfield, United Kingdom