EdibleBush
Wild Food
Welcome to my web site which supports the fungus forays and seashore forays I run in Dorset, Devon, Hampshire and elsewhere. As well as these public forays, I take private forays for individuals and organisations. Do contact me if this is of interest to you.
I am hoping that I will be able to run my annual mushroom forays in the New Forest this October, but I won't be releasing any firm dates much before May.
The tentative dates are: 14th, 15th and 16th October 2021.
Important note on the New Forest former fungus picking 'ban'. The Forestry Commission of the New Forest recently introduced a no-picking policy. But, it is just that, a policy, not a law in any shape or form. With all of my forays this is immaterial as I obtain permission to run them.
Books:
I have written three books on foraging and one on home-brewing for the River Cottage Handbook series plus a book on the joy of Latin names, "The Naming of the Shrew" and one on the Natural History of the Hedgerow. All are available for purchase from this website, signed and dedicated with any inscription you would like. See below.
Books For Sale
The Naming of the Shrew (paperback edition)
Latin names - frequently unpronounceable, all too often wrong and always a tiny puzzle to unravel - have been annoying the layman since they first became formalised as scientific terms in the eighteenth century.
Why on earth has the entirely land-loving Eastern Mole been named Scalopus aquaticus, or the Oxford Ragwort been called Senecio squalid...
£9.99
Mushrooms
In the first of an exciting new River Cottage Handbook series, mycologist John Wright explains the ins and outs of collecting, including relevant UK laws, conservation notes, practical tips and identification techniques.
He takes us through the 72 species we are most likely to come across during forays in Britain’s forests and clearings: ...
£14.99
Seashore
In the fifth of the River Cottage Handbook series, John Wright reveals the rich pickings to be had on the seashore – and the team at River Cottage explain how to cook them to perfection.
For the forager, the seashore holds surprising culinary potential. In this authoritative, witty book John Wright takes us on a trip to the seaside. But be...
£14.99
Hedgerow
Hedgerows, moors, meadows and woods – these hold a veritable feast for the forager. In this hugely informative and witty handbook, John Wright reveals how to spot the free and delicious ingredients to be found in the British countryside, and then how to prepare and cook them.
First John touches on the basics for the hedgerow forager, with ...
£14.99
Booze
What could possibly beat a cool pint of beer down the pub or a lazy glass of wine at your favourite bar? The answer is: home-brewed beer or your very own brand of wine. With this, the twelfth in the River Cottage Handbook series, the inimitable John Wright shows exactly how easy it is to get started. You don't need masses of space to make alcoh...
£14.99
Foraging Courses with John
Come and book on one of my own forays. Other forays will be posted elsewhere with links to the organisation running the day.
Latest NewsSee all News »
A Letter to the New Forest Verderers
I knew something was rumbling in the undergrowth and in late July 2015, a journalist from the Bournemouth local paper asked me to respond to some surprising words delivered by my friend, Sarah Cadbury, to the Verderers of the New Forest. I duly responded. A day or two later, a journalist from the Times asked if I would write a 300 word rebuttal. On Saturday 25th I did a Google search on the story and found myself in the Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian. And not in a good way. The Verders were bystanders in this but I thought I owed them a letter. Here it is. The Verderer’s Court of the New Forest I am writing both to the Court and to the Forestry Commission on the subject of wild mushroom hunting in the Forest. It is my intention to copy this letter to othe...
Conservation part 2
This is the second part of what will now be a three part treatment of conservation and foraging. On this page I have adapted the section on conservation from my River Cottage Hedgerow Handbook. The third part will deal with the fungi. People can become very disquieted over the matter of conservation and foraging. Surely, they argue, we should not be taking things from the wild for our own purposes; surely nature has been injured by us enough without this further imposition. This is not an argument with which I have a great deal of sympathy. It is, of course, perfectly possible to forage in a manner that is damaging to the natural world, but it is not actually all that easy. Many of our native species are under threat but it is not from the forager. Invasive species take a toll of habit...