richard prideaux leading a foraging walk in Wales

Amy green leading a foraging workshop in North Wales

A woman leads a foraging course in Wales

Richard Prideaux teaches foraging in a woodland

A woman teaches a group of people about edible species

People walking across a field in North Wales

Foraging and Wild Food Course

£80.00

The Foraging and Wild Foods Course from our Wild Food People brand is an introduction to edible plants, fungi and other wild foods in the fields and woodlands of North Wales.
Wild Food People is our brand that is dedicated to authentic, sustainable and ethical wild food of all types – operated by the Original Outdoors team.

It is, by far, our most popular course.

Please select from date options below, and if this is a gift, please let us know in the order notes at checkout so we can provide you with an e-voucher.
Alternatively, you can select the 2024 Gift Voucher option to enable the recipient to choose their preferred date.

Course Date

Clear

Categories: Bushcraft Courses, Courses under £100, Gift Voucher, Modern Bushcraft, One-Day Courses, Popular Courses, UK Foraging and Ethnobotany Courses, Wild Food Courses, Wild Food People, Woodland Courses Tags: foraging course, wild food, wild food people

Private and Bespoke

Any of our public courses can be booked as a private event, or we can create a day or event to meet your specific requirements. We also offer training for organisations and agencies.

For more information, please contact us directly or read more here

Gift Vouchers

We sell gift vouchers for almost all of our public skills courses. For more information about the process, please contact us or read more here

If you already have a course voucher to redeem, please read more here

Course Overview

A brief explanation about the laws regarding access and what you can and cannot pick/gather
Information about the edible and useful species of wild plant which we encounter on our walk
Examples of potentially dangerous and toxic species so that you can learn what to avoid
Advice on preparation of the items we discuss (and the consumption of!)
Identification tips, recommendations for ID guides and foraging books
Examples of the main types of edible wild plants and fungi you can gather at different times of year, and where you are likely to find them
Discussion about foraging and how it interacts with our brains and nature
Information about ethical foraging, strategies for harvesting wild food and explanations about some of the wildlife signs we will come across
Fungi identification and safe strategies for mushroom foraging
Recipe ideas and tips on cooking with wild food

Course Description

One-Day Foraging and Wild Food courses held in North Wales

Original Outdoors runs foraging courses and wild food walks throughout the spring, summer and autumn under our dedicated Wild Food People brand. Each course follows a walk through fields, woodlands and along tracks, with a syllabus built around what is available in that season.

This course attracts clients from around the U.K. who are looking for an authentic foraging course, with instruction by professional foragers who are out looking for edible plants every week as part of their work with award-winning food businesses.

Our one-day foraging and wild food course takes place near the small rural town of Ruthin in Denbighshire, North Wales, and shows what is available in various areas of fields, woodland and hedgerows.
We offer courses in Spring, Summer and Autumn to take advantage of the changing seasons and the varieties of foods and plants available at different times of year.

This is one of our original courses, and certainly the most popular. We have been running this foraging course in North Wales for hundreds of clients every year for well over a decade.

This course has evolved over that time into what, we think, is the best and most relevant UK introductory foraging course we can offer. We will look at between 20-30 edible species, a few of the notable toxic and potentially dangerous species - and how to identify and work with each of them.

We will focus on those species that are commonly found in the UK and northern Europe.

As you would expect, this is primarily a course about food and edibility, but we will also be looking at the historic and modern medicinal uses of the species we come across.

We will also be talking about the concept of foraging in the modern world, why it can be vital for everything from mental health to understanding our society - plus the laws and ethics of foraging in 21st century Britain.

These courses are dictated by the pace of nature. They are seasonal and we cannot guarantee any particular species or fruit/seed/leaf/mushroom will be on display during any particular course. We will be talking about species that are not yet ready to harvest but will be ready in a few months.

The leader for this course is a professional forager with many years of professional experience working with international brands, charities and conservation projects.

This course lasts for four hours, our morning courses start at 9am and our afternoon courses start at 2pm.

Course Dates

6th April 2024
11th May 2024
31st August 2024
22nd September 2024

Please select from date options in the drop down menu above, or choose the ‘Gift Voucher’ option to allow the recipient to choose their own date.
You can read more about gift vouchers here.

Course Venue

The Foraging and Wild Foods Course from Original Outdoors takes place at the edge of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB just north of the beautiful market town of Ruthin.

A mix of ancient woodland, pasture and ancient trackways is home to edible wild plants, trees and fungi.

Please note that the map below is only to show the general area - full joining instructions and meeting point will be sent out by email between you booking a place on the course and around 30 days before the course commences.

Kit List

There is no special equipment necessary for this entry-level foraging walk, however we ask that you are prepared for the weather of the day and walking for 4 hours on an unprepared surface in a woodland.
Check the forecast before coming out and dress appropriately.

We recommend that you bring with you:

Comfortable walking boots or shoes suitable for grass, soil and occasionally sloping ground
Suitable warm and/or waterproof layers for the weather forecast that day
Bottle of water and maybe a snack
Notepad and pen/pencil

FAQs

Will the course go ahead in the rain?

Yes, this course will take place in most weather conditions, including rain. We will contact participants directly if there is any need to postpone or alter the course.

Do you forage for mushrooms and edible fungi?

Yes – but each course is focused on what is available in that area at that time. The availability of fungi (and particularly the edible species) is dependent on many conditions including temperature, humidity and even soil disturbance. We always talk in detail about mushroom foraging and mycology, but we cannot guarantee a good selection of edible species in the area on any given date.

Can I bring a dog?

Yes – but it will have to be on a lead at all times and be well behaved, with both humans and other dogs around. Please let us know if you are bringing one! You are responsible for your own dog at all times.

How old do I need to be to attend this course?

You will need to be 18yrs old on the date of the course, or attending with your parent/s or legal guardian.
There is no strict lower age limit, but you can probably decide for yourself if your child will enjoy four hours of walking and talking about edible wild species.

Are there toilets on site?

No, this course takes place in a privately owned woodland, there are no facilities provided, however there are public toilets in the nearby town of Ruthin.

What time does the course begin?

The morning courses start at 9am and will last around 4 hours. The afternoon courses start at 2pm and last around 4 hours. We ask that participants are ready to depart from the parking area at the advertised time.

Is there any cooking involved?

There is no cooking involved on this course, but there will be some pre-prepared samples made with foraged edibles available for you to try.

Do I need to bring food?

The course lasts for 4 hours and we will be away from the cars for this time, we recommend that you bring a bottle of water with you for the duration, and any snacks that you may require. We will be pointing out edibles which you can taste along the way, but these will not form a full meal!

Is this course suitable for me?

If you have any concerns or questions then please contact us and we can discuss this with you. By booking a place on this course (for yourself or others) you/they are agreeing to our terms and conditions and that you/they are physically capable of safely attending this course which takes place on tracks, slopes and often unprepared ground.

Our Instructors

Richard Prideaux

The primary instructor for this course is Richard Prideaux, the lead instructor for Original Outdoors.

Richard has spent the majority of his adult life working in the great outdoors. He specialises in wilderness skills, foraging and teaching search operations to our professional clients at our sister site outdoorprofessional.co.uk.

Amongst other things he is a qualified mountain leader, spent several years as an active member of one of the North Wales mountain rescue teams and regularly appears on screen and in print talking about foraging, bushcraft and survival and other essential outdoor skills.

Richard lives near Ruthin in North Wales.

Amy Green

Amy Green is another of our instructors at Original Outdoors, having joined us in January 2020.

She grew up between Manchester and the Peak District and has always spent as much time as she can outside; walking, climbing trees, taking photos and studying the life around her.

Since moving to Wales 10 years ago, she has worked in wildlife conservation and developed her knowledge of foraging, ethnobotany and bushcraft. As well as being proficient in these subjects, Amy is interested in heritage skills and can scythe, build dry stone walls, lay hedges and undertake ecological surveys for a number of different protected and rare species. She also enjoys cooking with wild ingredients and makes amazing flavoured gins out of foraged edibles.

Amy lives near Ruthin in North Wales.

Wild Food People

Wild Food People is our brand that is dedicated to all aspects of authentic, sustainable and ethical wild food.

Here we run training courses and events for foraging, ethnobotany, harvesting wild protein and even work alongside businesses that use wild ingredients in their products.

Wild Food People

About this course

One-Day Foraging and Wild Food courses held in North Wales

Original Outdoors runs foraging courses and wild food walks throughout the spring, summer and autumn under our dedicated Wild Food People brand. Each course follows a walk through fields, woodlands and along tracks, with a syllabus built around what is available in that season.

This is one of our original courses, and certainly the most popular. It has evolved over that time into what, we think, is the best and most relevant UK introductory foraging course we can offer. We will look at between 20-30 edible species, a few of the notable toxic and potentially dangerous species – and how to identify and work with each of them.

We will focus on those species that are commonly found in the UK and northern Europe. These courses are dictated by the pace of nature and as a result we cannot guarantee that any particular fruit, flower, leaf or mushroom will be available on any particular course. However we will talk about some examples which are nearly ready or perhaps have just gone over.

This course attracts clients from around the U.K. who are looking for an authentic foraging course, with instruction by professional foragers who are out looking for edible plants every week as part of their work with award-winning food businesses.

We offer courses in Spring, Summer and Autumn to take advantage of the changing seasons and the varieties of foods and plants available at different times of year.

As you would expect, this is primarily a course about food and edibility, but we will also be looking at the historic and modern medicinal uses of the species we come across.

We will also be talking about the concept of foraging in the modern world, why it can be vital for everything from mental health to understanding our society – plus the laws and ethics of foraging in 21st century Britain.

This course lasts for four hours, our morning courses start at 9am and our afternoon courses start at 2pm.

Course Overview

A brief explanation about the laws regarding access and what you can and cannot pick/gather
Information about the edible and useful species of wild plant which we encounter on our walk
Examples of potentially dangerous and toxic species so that you can learn what to avoid
Advice on preparation of the items we discuss (and the consumption of!)
Identification tips, recommendations for ID guides and foraging books
Examples of the main types of edible wild plants and fungi you can gather at different times of year, and where you are likely to find them
Discussion about foraging and how it interacts with our brains and nature
Information about ethical foraging, strategies for harvesting wild food and explanations about some of the wildlife signs we will come across
Fungi identification and safe strategies for mushroom foraging
Recipe ideas and tips on cooking with wild food

Course Dates

6th April 2024
11th May 2024
31st August 2024
22nd September 2024

Please select from date options in the drop down menu above, or choose the ‘Gift Voucher’ option to allow the recipient to choose their own date.
You can read more about gift vouchers here.

Course Venue

The Foraging and Wild Foods Course from Original Outdoors takes place at the edge of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB just north of the beautiful market town of Ruthin.

A mix of ancient woodland, pasture and ancient trackways is home to edible wild plants, trees and fungi.

Please note that the map below is only to show the general area - full joining instructions and meeting point will be sent out by email between you booking a place on the course and around 30 days before the course commences.

Gift Vouchers

We sell gift vouchers for almost all of our public skills courses. For more information about the process, please contact us or read more here

If you already have a course voucher to redeem, please read more here

Kit List

There is no special equipment necessary for this entry-level foraging walk, however we ask that you are prepared for the weather of the day and walking for 4 hours on an unprepared surface in a woodland.
Check the forecast before coming out and dress appropriately.

We recommend that you bring with you:

Comfortable walking boots or shoes suitable for grass, soil and occasionally sloping ground
Suitable warm and/or waterproof layers for the weather forecast that day
Bottle of water and maybe a snack
Notepad and pen/pencil

Our Instructors

Richard Prideaux

The primary instructor for this course is Richard Prideaux, the lead instructor for Original Outdoors.

Richard has spent the majority of his adult life working in the great outdoors. He specialises in wilderness skills, foraging and teaching search operations to our professional clients at our sister site outdoorprofessional.co.uk.

Amongst other things he is a qualified mountain leader, spent several years as an active member of one of the North Wales mountain rescue teams and regularly appears on screen and in print talking about foraging, bushcraft and survival and other essential outdoor skills.

Richard lives near Ruthin in North Wales.

Amy Green

Amy Green is another of our instructors at Original Outdoors, having joined us in January 2020.

She grew up between Manchester and the Peak District and has always spent as much time as she can outside; walking, climbing trees, taking photos and studying the life around her.

Since moving to Wales 10 years ago, she has worked in wildlife conservation and developed her knowledge of foraging, ethnobotany and bushcraft. As well as being proficient in these subjects, Amy is interested in heritage skills and can scythe, build dry stone walls, lay hedges and undertake ecological surveys for a number of different protected and rare species. She also enjoys cooking with wild ingredients and makes amazing flavoured gins out of foraged edibles.

Amy lives near Ruthin in North Wales.

FAQs