Alvaro Docio 
Common name: Garlic mustard, hedge garlic, jack in the edge, jack in the bush, poor man’s mustard, hedge garlic, sauce alone Botanical name: Alliaria petiolata Family: Brassicaceae (Cabbage) Worldwide distribution: Native throughout Europe, North Africa, western and central Asia. Introduced in North America, where it’s considered invasive. Local distribution: Very common throughout England, Wales, south … Read more
Common name: Stinging nettle, common nettle, nettle leaf Botanical name: Urtica dioica Family: Urticaceae (Nettle) Worldwide distribution: Native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. Introduced elsewhere. Local distribution: Widespread in the UK and Ireland. Habitat: Woodland edges, wasteland and hedgerow banks. Foraging season: Young leaves early to late spring and second growth early … Read more
There is certain scepticism about foraging amongst people who are not used to eating wild foods. We may wrongly assume the reason why supermarkets are not selling certain ingredients is because these are not worth eating and might despise them as famine foods. Far from the truth, there are several reasons why some ingredients are … Read more
I have gathered a list of essential books on wild food and foraging I’ve got on my bookshelf (Most of them anyway!). These are books I’ve returned over and over because there is always something new to learn, plants to discover, facts to check and research to be done. You can never have too many … Read more
The laws governing the foraging activities are not entirely settled and it’s quite complicated to understand them at a first glance. Every piece of land is subject to ownership and an individual right to forage is bound to a set of intricate laws. In real life, it’s rarely black & white and it all depends … Read more
In the last few years, a growing number of urban foragers have drawn attention to the vast range of wild edible plants we are blessed with in the UK and Ireland. On the other hand, we have never found it easier to buy food for our table. Why bother then? Food, Convenience and Sustainability These … Read more
There are some rules that must be adhered to when collecting wild food for safe, sustainable & responsible foraging: Never consume wild food unless you are 100% sure of its identification. There are plants and fungi out there that can kill you. When in doubt, leave it out! Do not take more than you need. … Read more