Foraging Courses in Newcastle and Northumberland

Jason Irving discussing the identification of a crab apple tree and the uses of the fruit on a London foraging course
A selection of edible wild flowers in summer: mallow, vetch, ox-eye daisy, nipplewort, dandelion, dog rose, white dead nettle, rosebay willowherb, pineappleweed and white cover.
Thermos of elderflower tea and a box of samples of wild food
Group enjoying foraged herbal tea at the end of a foraging course

Foraging & Herbal Medicine Courses in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Northumberland – Coming Soon for Spring 2026

Come along to a wild food walk and learn which plants you can and can’t eat, where to find them and how to prepare them.

My Newcastle and Northumberland foraging courses will equip you with the skills to:

  • begin identifying wild plants yourself
  • forage sustainably
  • understand the risks and benefits of using plants for food and medicine
  • prepare your own wild food and medicine at home

Hopefully going for a walk will never be the same again as your eyes are opened to the diversity of plant life that surrounds us everywhere we go.

Click the links below for more details and to book via eventbrite.

Upcoming dates

Saturday 27 June Heaton Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Overview

Take a guided walk through Heaton Park and learn some of the many different wild plants that can be used as food and medicine.

In this 3 hour foraging walk you will be introduced to some of the many different plants that grow all around us and learn how to safely and sustainably use them as food in a variety of dishes, drinks and preserves.

Led by experienced forager, herbalist and ethnobotanist Jason Irving, this course will equip you with the skills to begin foraging yourself and to take the first steps towards learning more about the wonderful world of weeds.

We will cover practical plant identification, safety and sustainable harvesting, while discussing some of the diverse cultural history, folklore and scientific research associated with using plants and fungi as wild foods.

Hopefully going for a walk will never be the same again as the diversity of plant life that surrounds us everyday is opened up to you.

The walk will conclude with 30-40 minutes where we sit, with time to share foraged cordial, tea and a snack, and discuss what we learned and answer any further questions you may have.

Course Leader

Jason Irving is a trained forager, herbalist, ethnobotanist and historian, who has led foraging courses for over 14 years.

For 3 years he worked as a full time forager in Kent supplying restaurants, he then moved to London to study herbal medicine, and worked at Kew Gardens for three years.

He has led hundreds of foraging courses in parks across London, working with restaurants, bars, community gardens and artists. He recently moved back to Newcastle, where he grew up.

Jason has an MSc in ethnobotany taught at Kent and Kew, and recently completed a PhD on the history of medicine, botany and empire in Jamaica. He is a visiting lecturer in botany at Betonica School of Herbal medicine.

Since he was a child, Jason has been passionate about finding and identifying wild plants and fungi and learning their many uses as both food and medicine throughout history.

He has a wealth of personal, professional and academic experience studying and teaching about the used of wild foods and medicines – knowledge that he is always keen to share in an engaging, accessible and informative way.

Details

Details on where to meet and what to bring will be emailed to attendees one week before the course starts.

Tickets

Children under 12 are free. Please email if you would like a concessionary rate.

Questions?

Please email me with any questions you have about the day and bookings: Jason@foragewildfood.com.

Register on Eventbrite

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