Foraging Guide

There’s a whole world of wild food growing right under our noses. From juicy blackberries to earthy mushrooms… autumn is a particularly good time to go foraging.

If you know what you’re looking for, it can provide some delicious (free!) additions to the kitchen.

Elderberries

These tiny dark berries grow in clusters and make wonderful syrups, jellies and cordials. They need to be cooked before eating, so bring your haul home and get the saucepan on.

Crab apples

Small, sharp - crab apples are brilliant for jellies, chutneys and sauces. They’re naturally high in pectin, making them particularly perfect for preserving.

Damsons & sloes

Look out for these dusky purple fruits towards the end of summer and into autumn. Their tart flavour makes them perfect for jams, jellies and other preserves.

Forage thoughtfully

The golden rule is take a little, leave plenty. Only pick what you need, leaving enough behind for the plant to reproduce and for wildlife to enjoy. Avoid picking near busy roads or areas that may have been treated with chemicals, and check local rules around where you can forage.

Most importantly, NEVER eat anything you can't identify with 100% certainty. A good foraging guidebook or expert-led walk is a great place to start if you're new to it. 

From woodland to table

There’s something rather lovely about turning a handful of hedgerow finds into something for the table. A blackberry crumble, a bubbling mushroom risotto or a spoonful of homemade crab apple jelly… all taste a little better when you know exactly where they came from.

What could be more fitting than a plate inspired by the very things you've been out looking for? Our Foraging collection, made by hand in Stoke-on-Trent. The best things on the table celebrate what nature gives, and what skilled hands can make.