Foraging has moved from fringe activity to mainstream pastime in the UK. Driven by interest in sustainability, local food, and reconnecting with nature, thousands of people now join guided foraging walks each year. The UK's hedgerows, woodlands, coastlines, and even urban parks offer a surprising abundance of edible plants, fungi, and seashore species for those who know where and when to look. Here is your guide to the best foraging events and wild food experiences across the country.
Why go on a guided foraging walk?
The most important reason to start foraging with an expert guide is safety. Some wild plants and fungi are dangerously toxic, and several poisonous species closely resemble edible ones. A knowledgeable guide will teach you reliable identification techniques, show you where to find the best specimens, and explain the legal framework around foraging in the UK. Beyond safety, guided walks are simply enjoyable: they combine gentle exercise, natural history, and the satisfaction of finding your own food.
Leading foraging guides and organisations
Fergus Drennan (Fergus the Forager)
Based in Kent, Fergus Drennan is one of the UK's most experienced and knowledgeable foraging educators. His walks cover the South East of England and encompass hedgerow plants, seashore species, and fungi depending on the season. His approach combines deep botanical knowledge with practical cooking advice, and his walks are suitable for beginners and experienced foragers alike.
Galloway Wild Foods
Mark Williams runs foraging walks and courses from his base in Galloway, Scotland. His events cover the rich foraging territory of Dumfries and Galloway, including woodland, meadow, and coastal habitats. He also offers multi-day foraging and cooking retreats that combine foraging excursions with wild food cookery sessions. His events are highly regarded for their depth and the quality of the cooking that follows each walk.
Wild Food UK
Marlow Mayling and his team run foraging courses across England, with a particularly strong presence in the South West, Midlands, and North. Their courses range from half-day introductions to full weekend intensives covering plant identification, mushroom foraging, and wild food cookery. Wild Food UK also provides an excellent online identification guide that is a useful companion to their in-person events.
Seasonal foraging highlights
Spring (March to May)
Spring is the season for fresh greens. Wild garlic carpets woodland floors across the UK from March, and its distinctive garlicky scent makes it one of the easiest plants to identify. Other spring highlights include nettles (excellent in soup), cleavers, hawthorn leaves, and the first elderflower blossoms appearing in late May. Coastal foraging also picks up in spring, with sea beet, sea purslane, and samphire becoming available on shorelines.
Summer (June to August)
Summer brings berries and flowers. Elderflower reaches its peak in June, perfect for making cordial and champagne. Wild strawberries, bilberries, and the first blackberries appear as summer progresses. Meadow and hedgerow plants offer abundant pickings, and coastal foraging continues with rock samphire and sea buckthorn. Summer foraging walks are the most popular and the most family-friendly. For ideas on combining foraging with other summer activities, our family festivals guide includes events with wild food components.
Autumn (September to November)
Autumn is the forager's richest season. Blackberries, sloes, rosehips, crab apples, and hazelnuts are all at their peak. Most importantly, autumn is mushroom season, when the UK's woodlands produce an extraordinary variety of edible fungi. Chanterelles, ceps (porcini), hedgehog fungus, and giant puffballs are among the prized finds. Autumn mushroom walks are among the most popular foraging events and often sell out well in advance.
Winter (December to February)
Winter foraging is quieter but not without rewards. Velvet shank mushrooms and wood ears can be found on dead wood. Seashore species remain available year-round for coastal foragers. Winter is also a good time for bark and root identification, when the absence of leaves makes tree identification both more challenging and more instructive.
Wild food festivals and events
The Wild Food Festival, various locations
Several towns and communities across the UK host wild food festivals, typically in autumn to coincide with the peak foraging season. These events combine guided walks with cookery demonstrations, talks, and market stalls selling foraged and wild-ingredient products. The format varies by location, but the emphasis is always on celebrating what grows wild in the local area.
Fungus Day events
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Edinburgh both host Fungus Day events in autumn, featuring mushroom identification displays, expert talks, and forays into the gardens' grounds. Many local wildlife trusts and natural history societies also organise fungus forays in autumn, often led by mycologists who can identify the hundreds of species you might encounter on a single walk. These events are usually free or very low cost and are excellent for beginners.
The legal position
Foraging in the UK is legal under the Theft Act 1968, which permits picking wild plants, fungi, and fruit for personal use. However, uprooting plants without the landowner's permission is illegal, as is foraging in certain protected areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and some National Nature Reserves. Common sense and courtesy also apply: always forage sustainably, taking only what you need, and never strip a single area bare.
Many guided foraging walks take place on private land with the owner's permission or on public land where foraging is permitted. Your guide will explain the rules applicable to each location. For an overview of rules affecting different types of outdoor events and activities, our outdoor events guide covers the key points.
Getting started
If foraging interests you, booking a guided walk with a reputable forager is the best first step. A single half-day walk will teach you more than months of reading books, because you will handle the plants and fungi, learn to identify them by touch, smell, and habitat as well as appearance, and gain confidence under expert supervision. Prices for guided walks typically range from £30 to £60 per person for a half-day session.
Start with a few easily identified species and build your knowledge gradually. Wild garlic, blackberries, elderflower, and nettles are excellent beginner species with no dangerous lookalikes. As your confidence grows, you can move on to fungi and less common plants. A good field guide, such as "Food for Free" by Richard Mabey or "The Forager's Calendar" by John Wright, is an invaluable companion. For more ideas on finding events in your area, check our dedicated guide to local event discovery.
Foraging connects you with the landscape, the seasons, and the food traditions of the British Isles in a way that few other activities can match. Once you start noticing the abundance of wild food growing all around you, your walks through the countryside and even your local park will never be quite the same.
