Nettles and dandelions might be some of gardeners’ worst enemies, but for one man they’re the foundations of a hearty meal.
Stuart Bates has taught himself how to survive on what he can forage from land around Glossop.
The 25-year-old admin officer has already perfected a nettle and potato curry, dandelion root coffee, and dozens of other dishes, drinks and preserves using berries, plants and fungi found growing wild around the town.
Now he’s set up the Glossop Wild Food and Fungi group to share his knowledge with others – and help make people aware of just what’s growing in their garden.
Stuart, of Charles Street, said: "I’ve always been interested in cooking and when I was younger I was in the scouts which taught me a lot more about being outdoors.
"I’ve managed to teach myself what I know from borrowing books and going on the internet and I’ve managed to meet up with other people too.
"There are a lot of people who are interested in cooking and in local food and I want to share what I know."
While it is illegal to take food that is being purposfully grown and there are other restrictions about foraging on private land and in national parks, Stuart says that there are plenty of easy pickings along footpaths and riverbanks, as well as clumps of nettles and other weeds at the bottom of most people’s gardens.
He said: "When I first got interested, I thought ‘I’m living in Glossop, there’s not going to be that much around’. But when I started going out and actually looking I was surprised how much I was finding. And if you have a garden, there’s always something to eat."
Stuart is now looking for like-minded people with any level of experience of wild food to get together for walks and cooking sessions.
Anyone who would like to find out more can get in touch with Stuart by emailing glossopwildfood@gmail.com
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Oh dear, wonderful stuff for Mr Bates, but...
... the Tory party (not the irrelevant Libdems, they don't know what day it is), will be signing Stuart up to write a pamphlet, encouraging the many thousands of families they have consigned to the scrap-heap, to forage, scavenge and eventually beg, for food and sustenance. And no doubt they will charge for the tome.
This will be followed by a course on how to build a family dwelling, using only what can be found in the cultured gardens of the mistresses of cabinet ministers, some ConDem manifesto pledges, and defaced David Cameron posters (particularly the funny one, where he addresses a grateful nation with: 'We are all in this (crap) together'.
Building work to commence, once the 'Coalition' (sic) gets it's backside kicked in the May elections.
Could you make a curried grass cuttings? Or a slug pie? Custard Worms anyone? You can eat my garden weeds anytime.
There are great things to eat at the edge of MY garden.
Its called the dragon Bowl Chinese takeaway
If he cares to stroll around my local streets during the weekend he will find enough food, albeit restricted to chips, curry , fried chicken and kebebs, to keep him fed for weeks.
The good life
The edge of my garden contains a wonderful selection of dog eggs left by a philanthropic neighbour and his furry companion...
I made some nettle beer once, very nice it was too. Might have a crack at some Blackberry wine later this year.
he looks like he needs a good hearty meal!
well done Mr Bates i eat nettles once a year as a cleanser and would give the two recipes I have if anyone is interested. Apart from food plants have wonderful healing properties. I suffered from very bad haemorrhoids and tried many creams without success even visited the Dr. who gave me a miracle cream which did not work. Then I discovered Horse Chestnut tablets and a cream which gave me instant relief from really bad itching now I am free of this unpleasant ailment.
very interesting will be looking out for more information i.e. recipes etc.janet thomas rochdale