Blog – Bangers & Balls

26/05/2021

Foraging Fairytales: Nettles – Love or Hate?

Sign up to our mailing list here to receive seasonal recipes and foraging inspiration delivered straight to your inbox. Are nettles the marmite of the foraging world? Since the beginning of time, we have had a love-hate relationship with these amazing plants. Rubbing up against them with a bare leg definitely makes me share an […]

21/05/2021

Debunking Outrageous Sugar Myths: You will be Shocked at what you will Discover.

The myth: Sugar is evil, it should be avoided at all costs and replaced with natural sweeteners. Imagine a caveman. A stone aged hunter gatherer, struggling to survive after a long hard winter. It’s early spring and although there are plenty of flowers and blossoms, we are well and truly in the hunger gap and […]

19/05/2021

Foraging Fairytales: Wild Garlic

Also known as: Bear’s Garlic, Gypsies Onions or Ramsons/Ramsins. When it comes to wild garlic, I just can’t get enough. Since first scouting it in March, I’ve spent many a walk lining my (now lightly fragranced) pockets with bushels of the stuff. Unfortunately, the season is coming to an end, so I’ll be spending evenings […]

14/05/2021

The Wonder of Woodlands: Stress Relief and a Strong Drink

How do you quiet your mind? Stress relief comes in many forms- exercise, meditation, forest bathing are all amazing ways to quiet your mind and connect with yourself. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t occasionally indulge in less constructive forms of stress relief- a strong drink. But there’s a reason people flock […]

13/05/2021

The Coppicing Cure: Woodlands and Wellbeing

As we’ve been learning this week, nature is one of your biggest allies in getting yourself out of a slump. Walking, forest bathing- even living near trees is enough to boost mood and lower stress. But unless you’re lucky enough to live in the Bahamas, the chances are you’re no stranger to the gloriously wet […]

13/05/2021

7 Fascinating Facts About Woodlands and Wellbeing

Our society is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of getting outdoors. Many of us have flocked to natural places during the pandemic- finding solace from the stress of nationwide lockdown in local greenspaces. In fact, 45% of people reported that getting out in nature has helped them to cope throughout the pandemic. We can […]

12/05/2021

Foraging Fairytales; The Legendary Birch Tree

The changing of the seasons is the most magical time of the year. As we gently say goodbye to Spring and hello to Summer which starts on the 21st of June we notice little signs that the ‘Hunger Gap’ will soon be over, giving way to the ‘Time of Plenty’. We’ve filled our foraging basket […]

07/05/2021

The Land of Milk and Honey

Last week we opened the lid of the honey pot and were shocked to find that not all was as it seemed. As we continue our journey towards Foodtopia we dive into the milk lake and you will be surprised by what we found. Does the Dairy industry deserve the bad press that it gets? […]

07/05/2021

Foraging Fairytales: Small But Mighty Violets

The violet is small but mighty- bringing fear to farmwives, luck to the Irish and revolution to the French. Who could imagine that such a small flower could have such a rich history! Let’s begin with the Greek Goddess Persephone. Persephone was gathering violets for her mother Demeter (Goddess of the Earth) when Hades, entranced […]

06/05/2021

Wild Violet Foraging: The Secrets to Success

Up until a week ago, I hadn’t the foggiest how to find a violet. I wasn’t even sure what they looked like! But having spent some time scouring the countryside (thankfully my friends don’t mind waiting whilst I examine random leaves and flowers while we walk) I’m seeing them everywhere. What do Violets look like? […]