Foraging Day With Masterchef Winner Mat Follas

We meet for coffee or tea then spend the day exploring the nearby hedgerow, fields and coast, finding a variety of wild plants, herbs and seaweed. There'll be a snack break for a pastry (provided) and we have a late lunch, where Mat will host a simple three course lunch. There will be a talk about making Gin and liqueurs and some will be offered to taste with lunch.

The restaurant will use foraged ingredients in your lunch, these will change with the seasons but examples include;

Wild Garlic pesto

Hogweed and Citrus brownies

Elderflower and berry mess

Mat has over 30 years experience teaching survival skills and food foraging, combined with over 10 years as a professional chef, 3 published cookbooks and a Science degree, you can expect a breadth of knowledge few others possess. Only Mat takes the courses in person.

Mat will talk about how we can use this wonderful bounty in cooking, brewing wine, making a sourdough yeast starter and bread, fruit gins and liqueurs. His Mure blackberry liqueur recently won a Great Taste award and you will be given some to try with your lunch.

Courses run March to October

Discounted from list price of £145 to £69.95 for NotontheHighStreet sales.

The countryside act says that foraging the 4 F’s from common land is acceptable so long as it is for personal consumption only. The 4 F’s are fruit, foliage, flora and fungus, during a course we only look and try wild plants for your education, and fun, we do not allow collection of plants to take home. We will not generally teach fungi apart from general information as we do not consider a day's course enough time to learn the complexities of this fascinating subject safely.

LOCATION: Starting near Bridport, Dorset and finishing in Sherborne, Dorset

DURATION: 10am start, 4pm finish (approx). This course runs from March-October. Please check availability if a particular date is required as we cannot guarantee there will be spaces.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

It is a relaxed day and Mat will adjust to the group's interests on the day to make it as personal to everyone as he can. Please wear sturdy shoes or wellies. Each excursion is dependent on what's in season, what wild foods are available and, of course, the weather.

We talk about making wines and flavoured spirits (ie Sloe Gin) on the course and a taste of our own award winning Mûre blackberry liqueur will be offered over lunch.

A car is required for transport between locations, Mat cannot give you a lift as he is not insured to carry passengers even if he sometimes uses an ex London Taxi as transport.

Please note, for safety reasons we do not accept children under 12 on this course.

Book on our bookings website, see matfollas.com for more details.

Lunch is prepared by the team at the restaurant, we are happy to cater for most dietary needs and intolerances, please let us know when booking.