”Often just being outside and observing is enough. Spotted a huge dead oak covered in turkey tail and like a beacon I had to go and see it up close. There’s a lot of important work happening here as this tree is broken down by this wonderful medicinal saprotrophic fungi. Got me thinking about my core values and what I’m trying to achieve. You’ll find them below it’s guided me through the last 20 years or so now.
GeorgeFlavour Fred
Wild Flavour I like flavour to be natural, honest, and with a bit of earth still on it. There are no convoluted supply chains here, and no air miles, only what’s real and what’s good.
Old Ways
I like to pick things from the ground and put them into my mouth because that’s what hands are for. I believe in hunting and gathering and feeding ourselves. Not so very long ago, human life depended upon a relationship with the natural world that has been almost lost today. It is clear we want that much skill and knowledge back. I want to keep tradition alive. I want to survive the winter.
Resourcefulness
I like to rummage through the hedgerows like a child in a sweet shop, but we never take too much, and always sure to make the most of what I take. I value the root as much as the bloom and try to avoid waste in everything I do.
Spreading the word
Most of all, I believe in the sheer joy of foraging. Let’s share it together! Wrap up warm and head into the forest, get mud under your fingernails. With my wild food banquets, walks, talks, demonstrations and expeditions, I want to find the natural forager in everyone.
