A person holds a woven basket brimming with freshly picked mushrooms in a natural outdoor setting.
Foraging, Gardening and Outdoor Courses

Mushroom Foraging

10:00 - 17:00
|
from £196.00

Overview

Experience one of our signature foraging courses in Devon—our legendary mushroom foraging day at River Cottage. Join us in the stunning woodlands and fields surrounding River Cottage during the peak autumn fungi season, and get closer to nature while learning about wild foods.

Led by our expert forager John Wright, author of the River Cottage Mushroom Handbook, you’ll hunt for a wide range of mushrooms while learning how to identify and gather your crop safely. In John’s experienced hands, you’ll discover how to forage responsibly, only picking what you need. During our forays, we take two baskets for the group: one for edible finds and another for interesting discoveries. We never pick anything rare or the same species twice.

After your morning adventure, our chefs will prepare a delicious two-course seasonal forager’s lunch. John will then host an afternoon masterclass, where you’ll learn about the seasonal bounty you’ve picked, the rules of conservation, and the harder-to-find exotic species. This will be followed by a wild food cookery demonstration. By the end of the day, you’ll leave with newfound skills and a keen eye for foraging opportunities!

“Such impressive expertise on mushrooms and foraging. Excellent food and cooking demonstration. This is the second course I have attended at River Cottage. Both were happy memorable days and exceeded my expectations” – Nancy

 

Highlights

  • Meet foraging expert John Wright and gain insights from his extensive knowledge.
  • Embark on a guided forage through the stunning local landscape.
  • Learn safe identification techniques for various wild foods.
  • Discover creative recipes during an demonstration with our chefs.
  • Savour a delicious lunch featuring the foraged ingredients you collected.
Book this course
Adult
Can’t find the right date? Click here to receive an alert
when new dates are released for this event.

Your day

10:00 - 17:00

Arrive at River Cottage

You’ll be met at the top of the hill and begin your River Cottage experience with a 10-15 minute walk through the pathways down to the farm, enabling you to really soak up the views of the valley.

Make yourself at home

You will be greeted by our friendly front of house team with tea, coffee and treats fresh from the kitchen. Your host John Wright will begin by introducing the day before you set off on your forage.

Morning forage

Your forage starts in the stunning countryside along the Devon/Dorset border. Under John’s expert guidance, you will learn how to safely identify, pick, and prepare various fungi. While we can’t guarantee what you’ll discover during your forage, there will always be fascinating finds and plenty to discuss!

Snack break

We’ll keep your energy up with refreshing tea and coffee, along with some delicious snacks to enjoy throughout the day.

A further forage

After your snack, you'll continue your foray, eager to discover even more wild treasures hidden in the woods.

Late lunch

At River Cottage, food takes centre stage, and you'll enjoy a delightful two-course seasonal lunch that showcases the best of your foraged finds.

Demo session one

In the afternoon, you'll experience a cookery demonstration by one of our talented resident chefs, along with a showcase of your foraged finds that John will explore in greater detail.

Departure

At the end of the day, you'll confidently make your way back up the hill to our car park by 5 PM, equipped with the skills to maximise your future field and woodland walks.

Further Information

Directions

This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.

Licensed Venue

We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.

Accommodation

If you would like to stay at the heart of River Cottage, we offer overnight accommodation at River Cottage HQ in our beautiful 17th century farmhouse. We have three stylishly refurbished bedrooms for B&B plus the 2-bedroom Gardener's Cottage. These get booked quickly so for more information go to rivercottage.net/stay to book. Alternatively, we have put together a list of our local accommodation which includes B&Bs, self-catering, hotels and camping.

Suitability

We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12 years of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.

Allergy Advice

Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements or allergies when booking.