Name: The Great Gut Gathering
Start: 2024-11-26T17:30:00+00:00
End: 2024-11-26T22:30:00+00:00
Location: Coed Hills Rural Arts Space

The Great Gut Gathering is a celebration of fermented foods & drinks, foraging, health, community, biodiversity and micro-diversity, explored through the wonder of the microbiome.
It aims to gather like-minded people around conversations of gut health, connection to our environment and sourcing & growing nourishing food. Featuring guest speakers, tastings, knowledge sharing, live music, a gut-boosting buffet and a selection of ferments provided by both hosts and attendees*.
*Everybody attending is invited to bring their latest fermentation creations to share – along with their fermentation tips, tricks and tales – with the aim of fostering a community spirit around food and wellness.
Guest speakers:
Rob Gould and Alex McAllister-Lunt will discuss topics related to the wild biome.
Stephen Watts, director of Ediculture (edible culture), will focus on the importance of foraging and food growing as part of health and wellbeing initiatives.
Laure Boutrais will share insights on fermentation, highlighting its role in food preservation and health benefits.
On arrival attendees will be welcomed with a special drink prepared by Laure and a buffet created and prepared by Shauna (ex wild Thing) and Frankie, head of Mabin. The evening will conclude with live heart-centred music from Setonji Spirit, creating a vibrant atmosphere for all participants.
Rob Gould and Alex McAllister-Lunt
Rob and Alex have formed a great bond in the world of foraging and wild cuisine. They have worked together on public Forage and Feast events, fine dining experiences, food festivals, corporate days out, hen-parties, and organising the 2024 Association of Forager's annual meetup. Their collaboration continues to educate and inspire people about the wonders of wild food, sustainable foraging, and the connection between nature and cuisine. In Spring 2025, they will both be participating in the next Wild Biome study.
Alex McAllister-Lunt: Force of Nature Chef
Alex's journey into wild cuisine stems from his deep-rooted love for the natural world. He started working alongside a primitive skills school, Native Awareness, where he learnt (and then went on to teach) game preparation and wild cooking. Foraging for the past 15 plus years has provided Alex with a wealth of knowledge in the field and expertise in the kitchen. In 2023 he was one of 26 professional foragers who participated in The Wild Biome Project, spending up to 3 months eating only wild food; effectively living on a mesolithic - ketogenic style - diet.
Rob Gould: The Cotswold Forager
With over 25 years' foraging experience and nearly 20 years of studying and practicing preserving with fermentation, Rob has a wealth of knowledge and a passion for the outdoors that goes far beyond what is simply edible including how to preserve your wild harvest; using the flavour profiles of wild foods in your kitchen; the natural history of the landscapes and the folklore relating to edible wild species.
Stephen Watts
Stephen has been a permanent resident at Coed Hills for the past 8 years. He has been the driving force behind the community gardens and has delivered many workshops and courses over the years. He is the director of Ediculture, the charity that hosts the annual - and wonderful - Coed Ffest.
Laure Boutrais
Founder of Absorb Health in July 2017, after qualifying as a Naturopath with the School of Naturopathic Nutrition, Laure focused her attention on mastering the art of fermenting and producing Water Kefir. Absorb is an independent small-batch producer of Water Kefir and Sauerkraut, but also provides support on maintaining a healthy gut, learning and running one-to-one sessions on naturopathic nutrition as well as many fermentation and gut health workshops; empowering and inspiring people to take back their health and well being.
Shauna (ex Wild thing) and Frankie from Mabin are both Welsh plant based chefs, working with local, seasonal, foraged and fermented produce to create interesting flavour fusions.
Here is an example of what they will offer in our buffet:
Caramelised red onion & grape fermented farinata (GFO) ~ Roasted garlic fava & white bean dip ~ Mustard leaf salad ~ Kimchi ~ Miso roasted squash w/ miso tahini drizzle ~ Grilled cabbage w/ smashed caper salsa verde ~ Warm toasted buckwheat salad ~ Massaged kale, toasted almonds, roasted balsamic beetroot & jerusalem artichoke salad ~ Raw ginger sauerkraut ~ Poached miso pears, vanilla ice cream / creme fraiche, pistachio oat crumb / amazake
Setondji Spirit
Setondji, from Lyon (France) and Benin (west Africa) plays a wide range of folkloric and world music in nine different languages. With a background in Gospel Choirs, theatre, poetry and Jamaican Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae, Setondji facilitates heart-centred music sessions at wellbeing centres and retreats around Swansea.
Coed Hills Rural Artspace is an amazing sustainable community set in 180 acres of woodland and pasture. Established in 1997 its designed following principles of low impact development, aiming to combine creativity with sustainability.
It is possible to stay overnight in one of the on site accommodations (pods) for £30 per person. Please bring your own sheets and guests are asked to depart from the site by 10am the next day. Email Mathu directly for bookings: [email protected]