About this Event
Are you looking to reconnect with nature having spent too much time inside?
Are you having a rethink about your impact on the natural world?
Do you want to try to source food from somewhere other than your local supermarket?
Are you just a food-lover who wants to try new and unique flavours?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above, then you should join us to find out what delicious wild food grows in typical UK countryside and learn how to forage for yourself!
This workshop is designed to get you as involved as possible - this includes identifying, picking and tasting a range of wild species that will be found on the day followed by a wild-inspired feast at the end of the event!
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!)
Event sold out or can't make this date? Head to or view our to browse all available sessions.
Who is this session for?
Considerations must be taken for those with mobility issues - please get in touch to discuss. 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.
We strongly believe that foraging is for everyone, with all demographics welcome, regardless of age, ability, gender or ethnicity.
Please read our FAQs further down the page to find out more about dogs, children and mobility.
You will be asked for any dietary requirements when completing your booking. Please note that our cooking sessions my not be suitable for vegans and coeliacs unless you inform us of these dietary requirements - we may use butter and pasta, for example.
What to expect
These sessions are our new flagship events and we want as many people to get involved as possible. Getting on for ‘full day’ events, we want people to be able to join in having booked a day’s annual leave, ensuring they feel it is worth it (it most certainly is!).
What to expect: 3-4 hours will be spent finding, identifying and tasting wild ingredients and preserves. 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.
Duration: 5 hours
Below is a sample menu from a Forage & Feast event run in Autumn 2023:
🍴 Venison Terrine: fallow deer, whiskey-smoked venison loin, fermented porcini, fermented dandelion stems, whisky-soaked greengage, mugwort, wild carrot seed;
🍴 Wild Pesto made on the day with sweet cicely, common sorrel, himalayan balsam seeds and ground elder;
🍴 Sourdough by @mostbakeryalty;
🍴 Wild Sushi: horseradish stem, lacto-fermented Hen Of The Woods mushroom, garlic chives, sweet-pickled magnolia petals;
🍴 Mayak-inspired eggs with chanterelle brine, sea lettuce and wavy bittercress;
🍴 Alexanders and wild garlic kimchi;
🍴 Pan-fried common hogweed stems;
🍴 Wild mushroom broth (porcini, parasol, honey fungus, chicken of the woods, turkeytail) with himalayan balsam flowers;
🍴 Hogweed seed parkin with artist’s conk mushroom treacle;
🍴 Wild garlic chocolates by @charlotteflowerchocolates;
🍴 Wild plum shrub served with @agnesarbergin gin and soda;
🍴 Freshly-picked wild russet apple.
Our menu is designed so that anyone who has one of the 14 major allergies or is a vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian will be able to leave out one or two elements of the available food without feeling like they are missing out.
We like to keep some elements a surprise for the day, but here are other elements you can expect from your foraging workshop:
- a short introduction regarding the safety and format of the day
- Discussions covering 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 3-4km 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 ingredients to enahnce our feast.
- each course is run in an informal fashion, where attendee questions and contributions are more than welcome
- after the event, you will be sent a follow-up email containing a list of everything we found on the day. This is purely for reference, but we find it helps people do further research in their own time
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.
What to bring
Compulsory items:
- Walking boots or similar
- Weather-appropriate clothes, including a waterproof coat and extra layers (there is a lot more standing still than a normal walk in the countryside, so it always gets colder than you think!)
- Hand sanitizer
- Bottle of water
- Suncream and/or insect repellent (advisory, depending on the season)
- Warm hat or sun hat (advisory, depending on the season) and gloves if preferred
- Proof of ticket purchase - electronic is perfect, so save your printer paper!
Optional items that may enhance your day:
- A 'sit mat' or equivalent
- A notebook and pencil
- Foraging basket
- A snack to keep you going and we also recommend having a big breakfast beforehand
In advance of your foraging workshop, we thought you might be interested in reading or viewing the following:
website page
'What will I find on my Forage Box workshop?'
from previous workshop guests
, our YouTube channel
Parking and Meeting Point
Attendees are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the destination.
Most of our venues are out in the wild, so rarely have a postcode. Instead, please follow any provided links below to find the exact meeting point.
EXACT MEETING POINT:
PARKING: There is limited free parking at the meeting point. National Trust members can park at the park for free but will need to walk to the meeting point (expect a 5-10 minute walk). Please be considerate when leaving your car and do not block gates or access for other road users.
VENUE: Toilets are available at the main hall (not near the start) but not on the main journey.
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!
Safety Policy, Cancellation and Other Relevant Information (Compulsory Reading)
We operate a '2 strikes' rule for those not following the safety instructions issued at the start of the session. Most notably, those eating wild food found on the day when not specifically instructed to do so will be given one warning - should another breach of the safety brief be committed, the offending attendee(s) will be dismissed from the workshop with no subsequent warning or refund. By purchasing tickets, you agree to this policy.
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: Whilst we encourage you to take as many snaps from the day as possible, we would kindly ask that all attendees switch their phones on silent and that the safety instructions given at the start receive your full attention. We would also kindly ask that any video footage of our tutors talking is 'muted' before posting on social media. In some instances, photos may be taken by the tutor or a third party to capture the occasion and use as promotional material - please inform any photographer if you would prefer not to be included in these images.
MINIMUM NUMBER OF EVENT ATTENDEES: 8 Adults. This event will be cancelled if this number is not reached. Want it to definitely go ahead? Invite your friends along!
Whilst extreme care and supervision will be in place on the day to ensure that everyone remains safe, the consumption of wild food is done so entirely at the risk of the individual workshop attendee. Occasional adverse reactions may occur when trying new foods. All foods served and prepared on the day will have been consumed many, many times before by other workshops attendees and are considered 100% safe for human consumption. That is the entire point of foraging, of course: to open our minds and palettes to what amazing, delicious food there is to be found in nature and not wrapped in plastic down a supermarket aisle!
Forage Box will only cancel the event in the case of an extreme weather warning being issued by the Met Office. This generally tends to be wind-related only - rain, sun or snow will not be sufficient to cancel! Should this be the case, the event will likely be postponed to the next available date, but refunds or ticket transfers will also be an option for those unable to attend the new date.
Our courses are organised with your safety as the top priority, and will follow any current government rules or guidance in place at the time of the course. If the event has to be cancelled for any reason, a full refund will be issued to all ticket holders.
Ticket Refunds will not be issued within 30 days of the event. A transfer to another event may be available unless either event is sold out (it doesn't allow us enough time to re-sell your spot). A transfer to another event IS possible within 30 days of the event if neither the original nor the new event is sold out, but this is at the discretion of Forage Box Ltd and is by no means guaranteed. By purchasing your tickets you accept this policy. Drop outs due to illness, car failure or not fancying it probably won't result in a transfer if it is too close to the event. Please treat this like any other gig ticket - feel free to give your ticket to someone else. Eventbrite's admin fee is non-refundable.
These courses are run by Forage Box Ltd. Visit us at www.foragebox.co.uk or follow us @foragebox
Images are owned by Forage Box or kindly donated by Karen Herman Wright and Ele Suggett
Always wild. Always sustainable. Always delicious.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Dunham Massey (see event listing directions), Park Lane, Altrincham, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00 to GBP 70.00
