If you're looking to try foraged food in Edinburgh, then these are the best places to visit.
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Head chef Paul Wedgwood champions foraged produce on his menu and has been a fan of the outdoors since he was in the Scouts.
Paul and the team at Wedgwood are now offering diners an opportunity to head out with him on a foraging trip before enjoying a multiple course wild menu back at the restaurant on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
The first excursion of the year was on 28 April, with more dates to be revealed throughout the year. On this one-day course, guests will discover more about what's in season and discover how to identify edible leaves, fruit and fungi.
After a morning in the wilds of Midlothian you’ll return to the restaurant to dine on a menu inspired by the mornings identifications.
Starting around 9.30am, guests will meet in the restaurant for a coffee, safety briefing and introduction to foraging before being driven to the location.
After identifying what's in season, and finding out more about how and where to forage, guests will return to the restaurant to enjoy the fruits of their labour, beautifully presented in a wild lunch menu, with paired wines.
Wedgwood the Restaurant has been thriving for 12 years, and is nominated for a number of accolades at this year's Edinburgh Restaurant Awards.
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This dynamic duo are back with their dining pop up at Dalriada in Portobello.
With selected dates from now until November, Head chef Rupert Waites and creative partner Tom Chisholm invite diners to to join them on their foraged journey of wild flavour flavours through a nine course tasting menu that shows off the best seasonal ingredients from the sea, fields and hedgerows.
The idea for the on-going pop up came from Rupert and Tom as they often used their extensive foraging knowledge and hospitality experience to host occasional dining experiences, inspired by nature throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Paired drinks on the night will come from resident mixologist, Miran Chauhan, along with a specifically curated wine and drinks list.
Look out for Aelder, a delicious wild elderberry liqueur with a whisky base which was created by Tom and Rupert and launched in 2016.
Picture: Forage and Chatter Facebook
Located in the city’s west end, Forage and Chatter has gained a reputation for its innovative menu which features exciting Scottish ingredients and a plethora of foraged and local ingredients.
Dishes include: Cured Trout served with beetroot, horseradish, lime and wild garlic; Beef Sirloin, with shallot, potato and sweet cicely gremolata and Chocolate Moelleux served with poached pear, pear and lime sorbet.
Picture: Timberyard Facebook page
Housed in a 19th century warehouse, which was recently known as Lawson’s Timber, is this acclaimed, family-owned restaurant.
Chopped logs and solid wood tables reflect the building’s past, coupled with a new wood-burning stove and tartan throws.
An on-site growing patch provides the kitchen with fresh herbs and edible flowers, while butchering and smoking of meat also takes place onsite.
All produce is from artisan growers, breeders and foragers and the restaurant has won AA Hospitality’s Scottish Restaurant of the Year award, as well as receiving three rosettes from the AA guide.
Picture: Interior shot of Fhior
After leaving Norn last year, chef Scott Smith opened Fhior (adapted from the Gaelic for 'true') in the city's Broughton Street.
The menu at Fhior relies on the trusted team of local suppliers and foragers who visit the kitchen daily.
Scott's ethos of sourcing and producing clean flavours in the food is evident in the menus and anything seasonal that isn’t used is preserved through fermentations, tinctures and drying.
In the future Smith also plans to make his famous beremeal bread, which A.A. Gill called “divine”, available for customers to buy alongside his own produce and local art to take home.
Find out more about where and what to forage at these events in and around Edinburgh...
Alison Henderson is hosting this seaside foraging day at Tyninghame Beach, where visitors will focus on saltmarsh, dunes, the sandy shore and seaweed identification and then enjoy a fire cooked lunch on the beach.
Friday 24 - Sunday 26 May from 12pm; tickets:
Wild Food UK have planned a full weekend of spring foraging in Penicuik, less than 10 miles from the centre of Edinburgh, and less than 5 miles from the A270 ring road south of the city.
The two and a half hour walk will be around the Flotterstone area of the Pentlands, and will include information on edible and poisonous spring shoots, plants, flowers and hopefully mushrooms.
