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Growing up in the Arizona desert, foraging wasn’t something I had much exposure to. My early life was spent in vast landscapes littered with saguaro cactuses, coyotes and deep red sunsets.
While beautiful, the lush green landscape that characterises the UK had a strong pull on me, prompting me to leave the arid southern state for the rain and grey skies of England. When I was given the opportunity for a closer, guided look at the English countryside and learn how to forage, I was among the first in line to sign up.
The venue, where we would stay for one night before hiking, feels at one with the outdoors. The shed doors were fully open, exposing us to the vast scenery, but indoors there was a fire crackling, tables already laid with candles and blankets at each guest’s seat. In an instant I felt at home. As I took a closer look around, I noticed that the space was made up as two-thirds dining tables and the rest kitchen, teeming with chefs preparing the meal that we would all be contribute to (and feast on) later that evening.
Read more: England’s six-day hike that offers you vistas, history and a slice of rural life
As we drank and ate, it was inspiring and fascinating to listen to strangers sharing stories of their own adventures and experiences of connecting with the outdoors. Our meal came to an end with the “HG Mess”: a charcoal and rosemary meringue, chantilly cream infused with Botanist gin and fig leaf, topped with wild berries.
Lucky for those who aren’t fully made for the sudden shift to wild living, there are outdoor toilets and sinks (and, although I didn’t see for myself, rumour has it there are showers). There isn’t a heater, which means the water does run cold, but this adds to the ‘back to nature’ feeling as I washed my face and got ready for bed.
I woke early the next morning to the smell of bacon frying on the open fire, which was used for all cooking during our experience. Sipping my cup of coffee and eating an egg and bacon bap, I used this time to simply enjoy the crisp, clean morning air and feeling of calm that enveloped me.
Next, we foraged. One of the Hunter Gather Cook team was our guide and he led us from our campsite to our final destination: the highly anticipated Foragers Arms.
From the get-go, we learnt that we were already surrounded by edible plants, the first being ground ivy. Our guide picked some leaves and passed them around for us to investigate. Touching, smelling and feeling the leaves gave us a greater appreciation of this plant while we were educated on how it can be prepared and cooked, and what characteristics to look out for. We all plucked some of the herbs for our communal foraging basket before heading further up the trail and onto the next plant.
Being outside in nature, in the company of strangers, creates an experience unlike anything else I’ve participated in before. It combines the fun of camping trips with family while being treated to quality food and ingredients. My time foraging and camping in the great outdoors felt like a new definition of fulfilment: connecting with nature and others, learning something new and simply being.
How to do it
The Foragers Arms is part of a series of hiking experiences by the Columbia Hike Society.
To book your foraging experience in the South Downs, go to huntergathercook.com.
Read more: A green e-bike tour of Sussex’s vineyards
