FORAGE & COOK (Full Day) at Arley Hall

A 6-hour tuition course with a foraging expert, which includes ID guidance, picking wild ingredients and a cooking session at Arley Hall

By Forage Box Ltd

Date and time

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:30 - 16:30 GMT+1

Location

Arley Hall & Gardens

Arley Hall Arley Hall Arley CW96NA United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 30 days before event
Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

About this event

  • 6 hours

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 course 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 in order to create a big feast at the end of the day!

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 www.foragebox.co.uk/workshops or view our Eventbrite profile to browse all available sessions.

Who is this session for?

Our 'Forage & Cook - Full Day' events are full day spent finding, identifying and gathering wild ingredients before cooking them into a hearty meal as a group. This format is popular with those looking for a more comprehensive experience, offering us the chance to showcase a range of wild flavours. This is a day spent almost entirely on your feet, covering a fair distance, often up to 5km on uneven ground, so consideration for mobility issues will be required before buying tickets. Children are not able to attend these sessions. 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


4 hours will be spent finding, identifying and gathering ingredients. This will then be followed by 2 hours of cooking, preparing and eating the harvest. Expect a focus on 15-20 specific ingredients, which will then be incorporated into 3 to 5 simple dishes, designed at showcasing each respective ingredient effectively. There will also be a wild tipple (soft alternative also available) served to the group and perhaps a range of 'table toppers' that your tutor will have made in advance to enhance the meal, such as a wild kimchi, a foraged ketchup or homemade seasoning.

Duration: 6 hours

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 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 the ingredients that will work best in our meal.


  • 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 our wild products 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


Start getting excited!


In advance of your foraging workshop, we thought you might be interested in reading or viewing the following:


Our Field Notes website page

'What will I find on my Forage Box workshop?'

A guide to our other workshops formats

Trustpilot reviews from previous workshop guests

Forage Box TV, 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: The Olympia Wedding Barn (https://goo.gl/maps/cQRqukzTo6g1AJd78)

PARKING: There is plenty of free parking at the Olympia Wedding Barn - let yourself through the gate to get in. Please be considerate when leaving your car and do not block gates or access for other road users.

VENUE: Toilets are available at the start/end point but not on the main journey. There is a coffee shop selling some takeaway food if required. For all venue information, please visit https://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/

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.

Frequently asked questions

Children?

Not on our cooking events.

Dogs?

Not on our cooking events.

Mobility?

Expect to be on your feet for the vast majority of this session. The walking route is 3-4km with some slippy steps, inclines and banks but mainly on footpaths, possibly with the odd stile to climb over. Please get in touch before buying your tickets to discuss any concerns you may have.

Vouchers?

All of our 2024 vouchers can be redeemed for this session, but please note that a difference in price may need to be paid if you are using a different voucher type or one from 2023. Visit www.foragebox.co.uk/FAQ for full details

Dietary Requirements?

It is vital that you inform us of any dietary requirements at least a week before the event - changes are very difficult to make on the day and you may end up going hungry if you haven't told us about something you can't eat!

What other events do you run?

We have events to suit everyone, from 2 hour 'Taster' sessions right up to full day 'Forage and Cook' events, with the odd overnight marathon also available. For full details head to www.foragebox.co.uk/workshops

Organised by

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?

Maybe you want to try to source food from somewhere other than your local supermarket?

Or are you just a food-lover who wants to try new and unique flavours?

This is your chance - find out what delicious wild food grows in typical UK countryside and learn how to forage for yourself!

Head to www.foragebox.co.uk/workshops to browse all available sessions.

£100