We are beyond thrilled to announce our inaugural supper club. Taking Ed Yong’s I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life as a point of departure, we invite you to join us in the Botanic Garden for an immersive, multisensorial feast celebrating all life's interconnectedness. Together, we will delve into visible and invisible worlds that encompass us, guided by seasonal, local flavours, whispered tales, and the aromatic essence of late summer.
In collaboration with Jack Baldwin, head chef at The Rhynd, the renowned storyteller and folklorist Eileen Budd and our gardener, Marijke Winton, we aim to position the holobiont concept at the centre of our gathering. Through stories, food and community, we will explore the symbiotic relationships that define our existence, reminding us that we are not solitary beings but intricate ecosystems co-evolving with the microbial life that influences us. We’ll open and close with a soil circle, highlighting the connection between the earth beneath our feet and our very own beings.
Eileen and Marijke will guide us on a mindful walk to discover edible and medicinal plants, reflecting on our interdependence with the natural systems surrounding us. Each breath we take will awaken our senses to how we can connect with more-than-human worlds around and within us.
The three-course meal will feature seasonal dishes, crafted from thoughtfully sourced local ingredients, some of which hail from the Garden. There will be a vegetarian main option available. To toast our gathering and the worlds we inhabit, we are delighted to offer Kombucha brewed by Heather Blair in Fife.
About Our Hosts
Eileen Budd is a Scottish author, artist and storyteller with TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and Scottish Book Trust.
Raised in Perthshire in a family with a strong tradition of maintaining oral storytelling practises, Eileen specialises in traditional Scottish folklore, folk objects, folk beliefs, origin stories and ancient Scottish legends. Before devoting her life to sharing stories she spent over 20 years working with national museums, including National Museums Scotland and V&A London.
Compelled to maintain her family’s storytelling tradition and use all she learned from working in museums, she now travels all over Scotland sharing the stories, using song, illustration and historic object handling to help bring Scottish tales from history and folklore to life for audiences of all ages.
Some of her stories can be found on Instagram: @eileenbuddBBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hl7tf6And STV: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YBMRADyVFfs
Marijke Winton is originally from the Netherlands and has a deep-rooted passion for the connection between human health and the natural world, encompassing health, nutrition, and gardening. After studying Ayurveda, yoga, massage, colon hydrotherapy, and gut health while travelling in Asia, she settled in Edinburgh to work in nursing and occupational therapy. During her 12 years in Spain, Marijke ran a complementary health clinic while furthering her interest in rejuvenating soil health and growing vegetables. Upon returning to Scotland, she volunteered at the urban farm in the Botanic Garden before joining the garden and conservation team. Currently, her focus is increasingly on soil microbiome management, allowing her interests in gut health, nutrition, and soil to come full circle.
