Look out of your window, walk down a country path or go to the beach in Great Britain, and you are sure to see many wild species that you can take home and eat. From dandelions in spring to sloe berries in autumn, via wild garlic, samphire, chanterelles and even grasshoppers, our countryside is full of edible delights in any season.
John Wright is the country's foremost expert in foraging and brings decades of experience, including as forager at the River Cottage, to this seasonal guide. Month by month, he shows us what species can be found and where, how to identify them, and how to store, use and cook them. You'll learn the stories behind the Latin names, the best way to tap a Birch tree, make rosehip syrup and cook a hop omelette.
Fully illustrated throughout, with tips on kit, conservation advice and what to avoid, this is an indispensable guide for everyone interested in wild food, whether you want to explore the great outdoors, or are happiest foraging from your armchair.
John Wright is a naturalist and one of Great Britain's leading experts on fungi. His publications include books on how to forage in hedgerows and seashores, on the delights and perils of gathering fungi and mushrooms, and how to make your own booze, all published in the popular River Cottage Handbook series. His books include The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names (Bloomsbury, 2014) and A Natural History of the Hedgerow: and Ditches, Dykes and Dry Stone Walls (Profile, 2016).
"He writes so engagingly that it's hard to imagine that actual foraging can be more attractive than reading his accounts of it. [...] the splendour of his book, which is a treasure. It is beautifully produced, designed and illustrated."
– John Carey, The Sunday Times
"John Wright writes as though he's talking directly to you, a good friend in the same room. His harvest of fascinating information is worn lightly, with funny, whimsical observations [...] this wonderful book should be well-thumbed by anyone who is interested in the natural world."
– BBC Countryfile
"A hugely useful, well-illustrated and often funny book"
– The Times