Food and Recipes
Host the ultimate summer picnic with these delicious and simple recipes
There's nothing better than a quintessential British picnic, especially one full of delicious homemade dishes to inspire you. Here's our selection of easy and quick picnic recipes for the whole family.
Easy summer recipes inspired by Britain's best foraging finds
Take advantage of the summer months with these two simple recipes.
Brits now consume 750 tonnes per month of this nutritional powerhouse
Brits consume around 750 tonnes of tenderstem each month. We delve into the farming behind the scenes of the high-value veg.
Chris Packham is moving his dogs to a plant-based diet – should you? Here’s what the research says
Chris Packham has explained why he's transitioning his dogs onto a vegan diet
Camping just got comfier: Our top 2025 camping chair picks
Our BBC Countryfile Magazine experts tested the best camping chairs of 2025 to take on your next trip.
What's new?
Camp in comfort: OLPRO’s Directors Chair combines style and strength
The OLPRO Directors Chair is durable, comfortable with great extra features
It has a fruity flavour, helps insomnia and you can combine it with coconut to make a yummy ice lolly: The edible weed that thrives in the city and country
Find out more about this hardy plant – including how to identify it, how to make pineapple weed tea and other recipe ideas – with our forager's guide to pineapple weed.
Zucchini, feta and broad bean quiche
Be the star baker at all your summer parties with this foolproof veg-filled recipe from celebrated Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood's new book, Celebrate
Strawberries AND soft cheese? Make your own summer sandwiches with this delicious recipe
These easy-to-make summer sandwiches are perfect for a family lunch in the garden or a picnic by the river.
April foraging: here's what you can find in the UK right now
Spring is finally here – and with it comes longer days, warmer temperatures and blooming flowers. It's a great month to be outside, not only for spotting wild things but for gathering them, too. Find out what to forage in the UK this month how to do it responsibly.
Baking
Spiced toffee apple cake
This autumn, why not make this Bonfire Night-inspired cake? A great twist on traditional toffee apples, enjoy with a cuppa, or warm with cream and extra toffee sauce – yummy!
How to make homemade dog treats
This dog treat recipe is quick and easy to make, and a safe, natural and healthy alternative for your pets.
Gingerbread Easter bunnies
Children will love baking these easy gingerbread bunnies as a treat for Easter – perfect with a cuppa for adults too!
Camping
Coleman Battery Guard 600L lantern review
Looking for a traditional camping lantern to illuminate your family trip? The Coleman Battery Guard 600L lantern's got you covered.
Best camping kitchen units in 2025: upgrade your al fresco menu
Store your camping food essentials, and cook up a storm at your campsite with a trusty camping kitchen unit
A quest for one of Britain's rarest birds in the Cairngorm mountains
Join naturalist and author James MacDonald Lockhart walking and camping deep in the Cairngorm Mountains in search of the dotterel, a bird that breeds on remote peaks – in episode 14, season 16 of the Countryfile Magazine Plodcast
Foraging
Black truffle guide: what they are, where to find them and recipe ideas
What is a black truffle, can you find them in the UK, when are they in season and how can you use them? Find out all this and more with our guide to this prized fungus
The perfect sloe gin recipe
Try making this delicious sloe gin recipe in the autumn months and enjoy a warming sup when the weather cools. It also makes the ideal gift for any gin lover.
Wood sorrel: how to identify, forage and use this zingy herb
This resilient wildflower has captivated us for centuries, sparking folktales and finding its way onto plates.
Seasonal recipes
Seasonal recipes from warming soups to foraged fodder.
Hot cross buns: history of our favourite Easter bake – and the perfect recipe
Easter wouldn’t be the same without hot cross buns. Their history can be traced back to the Hertfordshire countryside, where an old mill still bakes buns to an ancient recipe. Learn all about the origins of the hot cross bun, why they are eaten at Easter and the best recipe to make your own.
Boxing Day recipes: how to use up your Christmas leftovers
Reduce your food waste over the festive period with our selection of easy but tasty recipes to use up your Christmas leftovers
Christmas recipes: Festive vegetables
Delectable dishes of carrots, parsnips and sprouts add colour, flavour and texture to make your Christmas feast sparkle. Claire Thomson presents six seasonal recipes
Vegan
The perfect elderberry cordial recipe
This simple elderberry cordial recipe is the perfect way to use your foraged elderberries, says forager and chef Rachel Lambert
Mulled spiced cider
This delicious, festive spiced cider recipe is perfect for warming you up in autumn and winter – and if you have any left over, it’s wonderful as a poaching liquid for pears, says chef and food writer Gill Meller.
The perfect oat milk recipe
Fed up with the packaging and expense of plant-based milks? Make some yourself with this tried-and-tested recipe for homemade oat milk.
Vegetarian
Wild garlic pesto
Turn your foraged finds into a delicious, vibrant pesto to enjoy this spring. Here is our easy recipe for wild garlic pesto which can be added to pasta or soups.
Cherry gin
Gin fans will love this festive alternative to your classic G&T by chef and food writer Claire Thomson.
Crunchy ‘Biscotti’ biscuits
These sturdy biscotti by chef and food writer Claire Thomson can be dunked into a cup of tea or coffee, or better still, into a glass of sweet wine or fizz as they do in Italy.
