Foraging has been popular for some years now, with enthusiasm for gathering food from wild and natural places only increasing as we look to reduce our plastic waste, live more sustainably and rekindle our connection with nature.
Like all activities in the countryside, it is important that those participating in foraging do it safely, sustainably and respectively. That's where foraging courses come into their own; a chance to get outside with an expert who really knows their stuff, teaching you what to forage, where to find it and how to do it safely and sustainably.
We've picked a few of our favourite foraging courses from around the UK, offering you the opportunity to discover all manner of edible treasures, from wild garlic and elderflowers, to blackberries and nettles.
- Looking for a lesson you can take in your own time? Jump to online foraging courses
Month-by-month foraging guide
Once you've built up an understanding of foraging with the help of an expert, head into the countryside with our monthly foraging guide.
What is foraging?
Foraging is the activity of finding and gathering wild foods – for free. It's a great way to stay active and spend time outdoors connecting with nature and learning more about where your food comes from.
There is a wide variety of food you can forage for in Britain, including mushrooms, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and more - read our monthly foraging guide to find out what's in season each month.
Read our roundup of the best foraging gifts and treat a fellow forager! Or for a present you can benefit from too, consider the foraging and cookery course, available from Virgin Experience Days.
Best foraging courses in Britain
Robin Harford, various locations
Robin Harford has been in the foraging spotlight for a long time now. He is creator of the UK’s leading wild food site Eatweeds.co.uk. He runs courses countrywide, with varying prices.
The courses teach people how to identify a minimum of 20 edible plants, how to cook and prepare them, how to forage sustainably, as well as learning different plant stories, their nutritional values, their folklore, mystery and history. eatweeds.co.uk/foraging-courses
Wild Food UK, various locations
Wild Food UK travel all around the country to hold their foraging courses, and can even tailor trips to suit you. Courses take place in a range of places, including Edinburgh, Cardiff, Kent, Devon, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Wild Food UK say that their best courses take place in the autumn, as it is then that the biggest variety of species are in season. wildfooduk.com/foraging-trips
Taste the Wild, Yorkshire
Taste the Wild offers one and two day Coastal Foraging & Fishing Courses that scour the rocky coast of North Yorkshire or the shores of Cumbria.
The courses help foragers to find edible plants, seaweed and shellfish, searching in pools and gullies. They also offer Wild Food, Foraging & Cooking Courses to suit the landlubber. tastethewild.co.uk/courses
Fat Hen, Cornwall
Professional forager, ecologist and cook Caroline Davey runs cookery courses known for indulgence. Her Fat Hen Wild Food Cycling Days sound particularly exciting, with on and off-road terrain providing the harvesting site and cycle trail.
A three course wild lunch is offered on the beach if the weather is good, or under shelter if not. the-fat-hen.co.uk/courses
Fishing and Foraging Wales, Pembrokeshire
Fishing and Foraging Wales offers the opportunity to fish and forage, with guided bass lure angling, foraging and accommodation on the Welsh coast.
You are then given the chance to enjoy what you have foraged by having the goods cooked for you, which are paired with fresh local produce. fishingandforagingwales.co.uk/foraging-food-wales-pembrokeshire
Truffle hunting, Dorset
This course by The English Truffle Company is a bit more expensive than some, but then its treasures are more highly prized.
Learn about truffles with an introductory talk before hunting with trained truffle-hunting dogs in a secret location in Dorset woodland. Hunters then sample their finds over afternoon tea. englishtruffles.co.uk/product/truffle-hunting-experience-days
The Secret Sunday Mushroom Club, various locations
The Secret Sunday Mushroom Club, organised by The Wild Side of Life, provides the forager with an organised hunt for mushrooms, over five Sundays during the peak of the autumn mushroom season.
You have to be a member to find out each location, details of which are only released a couple of days beforehand, so that the organisers can determine which ground has the richest pickings. thewildsideoflife.co.uk/diary
Healing Weeds, Bristol and Somerset
Based in Bristol, Healing Weeds' walks and workshops provide a practical opportunity to learn how to identify and use local flora and fauna.
Although there is a focus on the medicinal properties of plants, professional forager Maria Fernandez Garcia shares edible (and non-edible) plant, fungi and lichen species with you on these seasonal walks through the city’s green spaces. healingweeds.co.uk/foraging-courses-bristol
Woodland Ways Bushcraft & Survival, Oxfordshire
Held near Appleton in Oxford, Woodland Ways' seasonal hands-on courses teach flora identification, how to harvest sustainably and then how to prepare the ingredients.
There are regular tasting sessions and the opportunity to cook the ingredients yourself – including cooking game around the camp fire – a choice usually from rabbit, pigeon, partridge, pheasant and trout. courses.woodland-ways.co.uk/1day
Original Outdoors, North Wales
Original Outdoors run foraging courses as well as food walks, which follows a walk through fields, woodlands and along tracks, depending on what's in season.
Most courses will consist of a short walk with an instructor, who will point out interesting plants along the way. You will also be shown how to prepare the food that you gather, and how to spot the same foods near your home. originaloutdoors.co.uk/foraging-course-north-wales
Online Foraging Courses
Foraging and Feasting with John Wright
Buy now from Learning with Experts
Enjoy four on-demand video lessons, presented by John Wright and River Cottage. Set in autumnal Dorset, the course describes where to forage for foods; how to identify your foraged finds and
foraging ethics, plus recipes.
You'll be taken along the hedgerow, beside the seashore, and to the woods for mushroom hunting.
Wild Edibles: Simple, Free Nutrition - Udemy
Buy now from Udemy
Distinguish your galium from your dandelion with the help of Udemy’s ‘Wild Edibles’ online foraging course. There are nine lectures overall, with a total learning time of just over one hour, so you could easily do it in one night, or break the course up over a week. As well as plant identification, you can pick up cooking and preparation tips too!
Plant Magic II: Foraging for Natural Fabric Dyes - Skillshare
Buy now from Skillshare
For something a little different, and on the more creative side, why not consider Plant Magic II? The online course teaches you how to forage for natural fabric dyes, so you can brew your own natural dye from scratch. A unique learning experience, and more sustainable approach to fashion.
