Service Description

THE 2024 MUSHROOM FORAGING SEASON HAS NOW CLOSED. TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN 2025 DATES ARE ANNOUNCED PLEASE EMAIL chloe.gourmetgatherings@gmail.com We will wander through ancient Welsh woodland spotting, identifying & learning about the incredible variety of shapes, colours, reproductive & growth strategies, habitats, ecological roles, communities and chemical communication, medicinal applications, and all things magical about the incredible fungal kingdom! I will take you to some of the richest mushroom grounds in South Wales where we can encounter a fantastic variety of both prize edible and inedible, but no less fascinating, amazing species! Before each forage, I spend at least 2 days scouting to ensure I can show you the most variety and abundance, to teach you as much as possible about these remarkable organisms! Once you sign up to a session, you will receive email confirmation of your booking, the exact meeting location will be shared the day before at the latest, after I have completed scouting, but it will always be within 20 minutes of Chepstow. My aim is to share with you the incredible diversity of the fungi kingdom thriving in Welsh woodlands, and to equip you with the skills to begin identifying mushrooms you come across in future. This offering is not intended as a group mass harvest of wild mushrooms, we will not be gathering any to take home, in line with the latest Natural Resources Wales woodland authority regulations. The price you pay includes a fixed percentage payment to NRW for permission to explore on their land, which goes towards the upkeep and protection of their precious forests. As the season is so short, mushroom forages will go ahead regardless of poor weather conditions such as wind or rain, unless it becomes dangerous to do so. With climate change we are experiencing hotter, drier Autumns. If there is a drought, most fungi cannot fruit. If that occurs, or a mushroom forage is cancelled due to any other prohibitive weather conditions, you can retain credit and will be given priority for future forages. 2 children aged 14 or under are welcome to attend free of charge with a paying parent/guardian. Please note that these forages involve hours of walking, albeit not strenuous, but appropriate fitness and mobility levels are required for uneven, often muddy woodland terrain, with overhanging branches & thorny bracken, so please dress appropriately. GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE ON VOUCHER PAGE!