Autumn Fungi Walk and Wild Food Picnic, Loch Lomond

£35.00 – £75.00

Thursday, 15 September 2022
11.00 - 15.30

A guided forage exploring the fascinating world of wild fungi with Scotland’s leading wild food educator. Includes a wild food tasting picnic in the forest afterwards. Venue is Cashel Native Forest Centre, which is less than 1 hour’s drive from Glasgow.

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Description

A guided foray exploring fungi, with a wild food picnic in the forest afterwards.

September is high fungi season in SW Scotland and this event is designed to make the most of it. Over the course of about 1.5 miles of easy walking over 3 hours we will explore the fascinating world of fungi. While our focus will be on wild mushrooms, we will not ignore the delightful array of edible woodland, and hedgerow plants that we find along the way. Novices and experienced foragers and fungi fans looking to increase their repertoire will enjoy this event.

This event is run in association with Cashel Forest Trust, who are working to restore Scotland’s native woodland. 10% of ticket price goes to support their work. Click their logo to learn more.

Family friendly – 1.5 miles easy walking for all ages. As with all Galloway Wild Foods events, this walk is guided by Mark Williams who has been teaching about fungi and foraging for 30 years.

Meeting place: Cashel Native Forest Centre, Balmaha, nr Drymen. G63 0AW . Ticket holders will be sent full details of the meeting place in the week before the event.

Date: Thursday 15th September 2022

Start: Arrive in time for an 11 am start

Finish: Around 3.30 pm

Expect: Up to 1.5 miles gentle walking on well made paths over 3 hours, with foraged treats and tasters, followed by a wild food tasting picnic

Learn:

  • The important role fungi plays in nature
  • How to go about identifying important families and species of fungi
  • How to home in on the most rewarding edible species
  • How to recognise dangerously poisonous species
  • Medicinal and utilitarian uses
  • Sustainable harvesting practices
  • Preservation and cooking techniques
  • Key resources for taking your personal learning forward
  • Other autumn woodland wild foods

Please note: While this location and date have been selected to maximise our chances of encountering n illuminating range of fungi, due to the fickle nature of mushrooms, I cannot guarantee what we will find.

Eat/drink: Due to Covid 19 social distancing measures, I have adapted my usual wild cookery session at the end of this event so it is now more like a picnic, with pre-prepared boxes of wild treats for each person that serves as both a tasty meal and a demonstration of how to use and prepare some of our finds. Expect wild mushroom paté, chanterelle tart, pickled wild mushrooms, mushroom tea, ferments, tipples and lots more. All dietary requirements can be catered for – there is an opportunity to add your requirements when you book.

A typical autumnal wild food tasting picnic, individually packed in recycled and compostable boxes:
Chanterelle and parmesan tart, cep & laver pastry, garnished with ramson capers & pickled fairy ring & saffron milkcap mushrooms
Eight mushroom paté with salted ramson buds
Smoked egg coated with cep powder, dried fermented wild garlic powder & truffle paste
Hedgehog mushrooms and marsh samphire pickled with wild spices
Cep arancini.
Hot smoked duck & Venison salami with pickled chanterelles& pineapple weed, beetroot fermented with juniper and Sweet elderberry vinegar. (Vegy/Vegan options available)
Wild herb, goat’s cheese and hazelnut pesto with fermented wild garlic

Bring: 

Essential: Stout footwear, weather-appropriate clothing, drinking water

Optional: A small basket or cloth bag, notebook, camera, fungi field guide if you have one

Please read the IMPORTANT INFORMATION tab on this page before booking and again before setting off for the event.

Please note: I do not recommend this event for children under 12 years old. Sorry, no dogs unless by prior arrangement.

Views over Loch Lomond from Cashel Forest

Please read the following information before booking a Galloway Wild Foods event.

The general event location is provided in the event description. For general information on visiting Galloway for events, see here.

Detailed event information, including exact meeting place, will be sent to the email address you provide on booking. It is important that you add mark@gallowaywildfoods.com and markleewilliams@googlemail.com  to your email contacts/whitelist or the information email may get caught in your spam filters.

The information email will be sent in the week before the event – sometimes as little as 3 days prior to the event. There is no need to badger me for it – I will send it! If you haven’t received it by within 3 days of the event, check your spam folders. If it isn’t there drop me an email – mark@gallowaywildfoods.com.

Galloway Wild Foods is under no obligation to refund, rebook or reinstate vouchers for no-shows or cancellations within 14 days of the event. If I can refill the place at short notice, I will pay a full refund (or reinstate vouchers) less 10% to cover admin & PayPal fees.

If you cancel or amend a booking giving 14 days or more notice, you will receive a full refund (or reinstatement of voucher) less 5% to cover Paypal fees.

In the unlikely event that an event is cancelled by GWF you will receive full refund, exchange or voucher.

Galloway Wild Foods is not liable for any travel, accommodation or other costs you might incur if an event has to be cancelled.

The only weather that causes events to be cancelled is dangerous wind. In these instances you will be notified as early as possible.

Please provide  the following information for all members of your party in the “Additional Information” box on the payment page :

  • Relevant medical conditions
  • Mobility issues
  • Eating restrictions – differentiating between preferences (e.g. vegetarian), intolerances (e.g. gluten intolerance) and serious allergies (e.g. peanut allergy), and clearly stating if an allergy is potentially life-threatening. All requirements can usually be catered for, but these differentiations are required for risk assessments.

Please ensure that  all members of your party come suitably dressed for the weather, season and event.

On all walks, for your comfort and safety, walking boots/wellies, waterproofs and spare clothes are necessary. I always recommend wellies for coastal foraging events – you are likely to get wet feet if you don’t have them!

Please bring your own drinking water.

Your learning and enjoyment may also benefit from bringing a camera, notebook, field guide, small basket/cloth bag. Feel free to bring along any of your own wild food preparations to share and talk about.

Some events are not suitable for dogs. Please check with me by email if you wish to bring a dog on an event.

Please contact mark on mark@gallowaywildfoods.com if you have specific questions that are not answered here, or if you are running late on the day.

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