Forage & Make: Wild Flavour & Botanical Drinks

This workshop is all about foraging and making - coming together in community to gather, harvest, learn and make. It’s designed to give you the skills and confidence to bring wild food and wild medicine into your everyday life. 

As we move into summer the season shifts to flowers and blossom. Flowers lend themselves well to syrups and drinks as we extract their potent flavour into preserves for the season ahead. In the morning we’ll head out to forage, learning how to identify, harvest and include these wild ingredients. In the afternoon we’ll transform our harvest into botanical drinks. 

Together we’ll look at a number of ways to make floral syrups, from simple syrups to traditional Korean methods. Everyone will make a seasonal preserve to take home, alongside a number of foraged botanical drinks to test out together. You'll be given recipes and handouts so you can confidently continue at home.

Foraging is best learned through experience. Like food growing, cooking, preserving, and natural crafts, it has traditionally been an oral practice - knowledge passed from person to person through lived experience.

There are plenty of wild edible and medicinal plants in the city - you just need to learn how to notice them. Becoming familiar with the plants that grow on your doorstep is an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with the natural world, even in an urban environment. This workshop invites you to slow down and open your perception to the plant world around you. 

Throughout the day, we’ll take time to slow down. Through simple sensory and awareness exercises, we’ll practise tuning into the plant world, the textures, scents and patterns of the plants around us and wider landscape. There is something special about harvesting and making together. I like to call this ‘granny medicine’ sitting around the table, chatting and chopping. 

Morning — Foraging at Horsenden Hill

• Plant identification including plant families and distinguishing edible plants from poisonous lookalikes
• Sustainable foraging practice and harvesting wild greens for making
• Exercises to expand your plant intuition 

Lunch
Bring a packed lunch or enjoy something from the bakery or brewery at Horsenden.

Afternoon — Making & Preserving
Hands-on making - we'll make a number of syrups using different methods alongside using these in a few foraged drink recipes. Everyone will make a selection of seasonal preserves to take home, along with recipes and guidance for continuing your practice.

Wild Tea and a wild snack included. 

About Horsenden Farm: 

Horsenden Farm is a working community farm run by the friends of Horsenden working group. They are host to a number of rare breed animals, an ancient orchard and plenty of food growing. They are hosts for a number of charity groups and plenty of community activities. Horsenden is part of Ealing's largest nature reserve. The farm has a unique history and is a beautiful place of community gathering, small businesses and amazing conservation work. 

On the weekend both The Horsenden Loaf and Perivale Brewery are open.

This walk is run by Charlotte Gordon

Foraging guide, Intuitive Herbalist and Community Grower. There is a curious question when it comes to foraging - we are often asked, ‘what is this good for?’ so Charlotte’s walks go beyond this question to consider the relationship between food and medicine and what happens when we begin to have an intimate relationship with the life cycles of the plants around us.

FAQ

What happens if it's raining?

Walks go ahead in all weather unless there is high wind which makes it dangerous for walks to go ahead. Come dressed for the weather, rain or shine - folk can often feel colder on a foraging walk as we spending lots of time looking at plants.

Are dogs welcome? 

Unfortunately not

Is this suitable for children?

This walks are designed for adults although there are plenty of sensory encounters which make it enticing for children. Children under 12 are welcome for free - please email charliegordon@gmail.com for a children's ticket, places are limited. In general 3 hours can feel quite a lot of concentration for children so bare that in mind.

Will we be gathering or harvesting?

We won't be gathering or harvesting during any foraging walks - we will try and nibble plants along the way and there will be wild tastes to try. We will gather and harvest during Forage and Make workshops.

Can I change my ticket to a different date?

Yes - you can swap your ticket for a different date up to 7 days before the event. 

Where will be meet, should I follow the postcode?

The meeting place will be sent out 7 days before the event - don't follow the postcode for London sites as you will need a specific spot.