Alicia Upton – Bangers & Balls – Page 2 of 4

12/11/2021

Bonkers for Conker Detergent: The Sustainable Soap that Grows on Trees

If we told you that soap grew on trees, you’d probably think we were crazy! Well, it may sound bonkers, but conkers are just that. Conker soap is a favourite of zero waste bloggers and forest foragers alike. It’s a great way to make use of an abundant natural resource and cut down the chemicals […]

27/10/2021

Champion Chestnuts: Forage and Roast Your Own With Our Quick and Easy Guide

Todays seasonal spotlight is one very close to my heart. When I was a child, my parents had three huge chestnuts that towered over their garden. As soon as the shells ripened and fell, I would spend autumn weekends in the garden, collecting the nuts to roast on the fire. I would use my wellies […]

15/10/2021

10 Top Tips for a Spooktacularly Sustainable Halloween

Halloween is the second-largest holiday in the UK, with tens of millions of Brits donning a costume and getting spooky. For kids young and old, it can be a highlight of the year- who doesn’t love free sweets and fancy dress! But, as with any large scale celebration, there can be a cost. For the […]

13/10/2021

Barmbrack: Haunting Irish Halloween Traditions You’ve Never Heard Of

Few cakes come with credentials as astounding as Brambrak. It’s a traditional Irish Cake with a sizeable claim to fame- one slice will reveal your future.

Come Halloween, a Barmbrack would be baked, sliced and served amongst family and friends in almost every Irish home. But unlike a simple sponge, this cake had a mystical twist. Buried within the fruit-filled cake hide a number of charms- the baker’s tools of divination. To find one within your slice was to steal a glance into your future.

08/10/2021

How did Rosehips Help Us Win the War?

When it comes to flowers, there are few the brits love quite as much as the rose. Its beautiful blooms and breathtaking scent have enthralled the hearts of the nation for over half a millennia (since the Tudor Rose became our nation’s emblem), despite the bite of its sharp thorns. This love is shown in […]

30/09/2021

Lifting the Lid on a Kitchen Classic: Why Nutella is a No-Go

When it comes to hedgerow foraging, one of our favorite seasonal gems is the humble hazelnut. It’s deliciously nutty and fantastically versatile- a true treat. This week’s recipe centers around this hedgerow hero, pairing it with silky smooth chocolate- a true match made in heaven. For those of you yet to buy our latest bestseller: […]

25/08/2021

Blessed be the Fruit? Blackberries and Beelzebub

A berry-laden blackberry bush is an iconic symbol of the end of summertime. It seems to soften the blow of autumn’s ceaseless approach- a sweet treat gifted in commiseration for the return of dark, cold days. A single bush will attract a whole village- suited commuters, sullen teens and sprightly children all stopping a moment […]

05/08/2021

Pop your Cherry with our Forgaing Fairystories.

The cherry tree is perhaps best recognised as an icon of spring- it’s lightly pink or white blossoms arriving around easter, marking the festival of rebirth and new beginnings. It has become a global favourite, with people the world over waiting with bated breath for the jaw-droppingly beautiful explosion of blossom. As many beautiful blossom […]

29/07/2021

Foraging Fairytales: Bilberry Sunday

What are your plans for this weekend? Well- drop them all. It’s time to fall in love. The Bilberry is known by many different names across Europe. In Ireland, the small blue-black berries are known as Rachóg, Whorts, Hurts or Heatherberries. In the UK, Bilberries are a rarer foraging find- best picked on a day […]

14/07/2021

10 Remarkable Reasons to get out and Forage for Seaweed

Have you ever foraged for seaweed? Maybe you’ve thought about it, but not known quite where to start. I know the feeling. I was initially hesitant to forage seaweed. Despite their beauty (have you ever seen a kelp forest?), it’s easy to be put off by the dead clumps of seaweed that wash up on […]