Come and spend the morning in the company of Nick Phillips, renowned forager, founder of the gourmet mushroom farm Grown Up Mushrooms, and accredited member of the Association of Foragers. Nick has over 14 years experience foraging mushrooms, educating others about the natural environment and how it can sustain us, and also grows his own mushrooms commercially. He is the original West Dorset Forager.

Experience

11:00 - 11:15 Arrivals, Coffee & Welcome

We kick off with great coffee and tea, and a little time to mingle with your peers.

11:15 - 12:00pm Morning Session I

Get settled in as Nick chats to us about growing up in the shadow of Colmers Hill with his grandmother, where he began his lifelong dedication to ancient woodlands and practicing and teaching sustainable foraging. We will then get started with the first of our very own mushroom growing kits, building a mushroom log from scratch, to be located outdoors in your garden, learning how to get the best from your log and obtain your own crop of beautiful edible fungi.

12:00 - 12:15pm Break

Time for a short break - explore our garden and the adjoining Town Mill - a pre-Doomsday water mill that still mills heritage grains today.

12:15 - 1:00pm Morning Session II

In our second session, we will start building our second mushroom kit - for indoor oyster mushrooms. We will also learn about cooking mushrooms, foraging fungi, tips on identification, Nick's top recipes, nutritional information, mushroom folklore and more...

1:00 - 1:15pm Break

We will then break prior to lunch with a glass of wine or beer. It's a good moment to explore the potter, silversmith, art gallery and micro-brewery who share The Town Mill with Strawberry Tree.

1:30-2:30pm Lunch

Settle down to a hearty lunch incorporating some 'mushroomy' creations and enjoy great conversation around the table as we review what we have learned. When we’ve cleaned our plates and emptied our glasses it'll time for goodbyes - but you'll be taking home your own mushroom log and grow kit course notes and newly found knowledge to continue your mushroom adventures at home...

Please note that the above timings are approximate.

To book your classes or talk to us, please call 01297 445757

or contact us here.