Flavour Fred Events

Flavour Fred Events Showcasing wild flavours and their history across the UK. Events (London/Sussex) Wild Food & Drink Please see https://www.flavourfred.com/private-hire/

Other than my own events and drinks available at www.flavourfred.com. I also really enjoy bespoke sessions and provide private booking via the contact form below. So, if you are looking for a special and memorable experience incorporating foraging for flavour, preservation techniques, fermentation, wild booze and the history surrounding them then I have plenty of options and ideas to make a memorable event. Whether its a get together, dinner party, corporate event, team-building or even bartender & chef staff training sessions I’d love to hear from you.

28/09/2026

BLACKTHORN — HISTORY

One of my favourite things about sloes is that there is so much more to them than sloe gin.

The wild yeast naturally found on the fruit is something I’ve been using for years. I infuse it into water, feed it flour and keep it going — eventually using it to make bread.

We didn’t always have isolated, controlled yeasts for brewing and baking. In the mid-1800s, Louis Pasteur’s work helped establish that fermentation was caused by living microorganisms, paving the way for the controlled yeasts we use today.

Before that, people relied on the wild yeasts naturally present around them.

PROPERLY BLETTED SLOE GIN

Then there’s the obvious one — sloe gin.

This year I waited until the sloes had properly bletted.

Bletting is a natural process where the fruit begins to break down and soften. As this happens, complex carbohydrates are broken down into simpler sugars, changing the flavour and sweetness of the fruit.

So rather than adding sugar, I wanted to see what the fruit could do naturally.

I treated the sloes almost like an ice w**e, allowing the naturally developed sugars and concentrated fruit flavour to do the work.

No added sugar. Just properly bletted sloes.

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🍄‍🟫FUNGI FOCUSED FLAVOUR FORAGING WALKS - STANDING HALL, near Crawley 🍄 (NEW SITE)📅 24/10 - 8/11 - 28/11 - 13/12LINK IN...
25/09/2026

🍄‍🟫FUNGI FOCUSED FLAVOUR FORAGING WALKS - STANDING HALL, near Crawley 🍄 (NEW SITE)
📅 24/10 - 8/11 - 28/11 - 13/12
LINK IN BIO / www.flavourfred.com/walks
(Ticketed Event)
📍Standing Hall, near Crawley, closest train is Three Bridges

From September 2026, I’ll be running my Flavour-Led Foraging Walks at the beautiful Standinghall Estate – a family-run estate nestled within the High Weald National Landscape. This exclusive private estate is home to ancient woodland, open glades and an abundance of edible plants and seasonal fungi, making it the perfect place to explore the flavours of the wild.
Although it feels a world away from the city, Standinghall is easily reached from London. The estate is just a few minutes from Three Bridges railway station, close to Gatwick Airport, and offers free on-site parking for those travelling by car.
Each walk is a relaxed and immersive outdoor experience where you’ll learn to identify wild edible plants and fungi, discover their history and uses, and enjoy tasting the landscape along the way.

What to expect:
* Guided Flavour-Led Foraging Walk through a private estate.
* Seasonal wild edible plants and fungi.
* Expert identification, sustainability and safety guidance.
* Tastings of wild ingredients where available.
* Free on-site parking.
* Easy access from Three Bridges station and Gatwick Airport.
* A peaceful countryside experience less than an hour from central London.

Visitor Information
As this is a brand-new venue, a dedicated toilet block is currently being built and will be available in the future. In the meantime, we recommend using the facilities at Tulleys Farm or the nearby Cowdray Arms, both just a few minutes from the estate before you arrive. (standinghall.co.uk)

25/09/2026

PESTLE PUFFBALL
(Lycoperdon excipuliforme)

Puffballs create a puff of spores as they age. The name “Lycoperdon,” meaning “wolf’s fart,” suggests that the fungus spreads its seeds by letting out a plume of spores and waiting for a passing animal to stand on it.

Unsurprisingly, the fungus is pestle-shaped with an outer layer of spiny, crumbly skin (ectoperidium). When young, it’s a creamy grey colour that browns with age. The inner layer, or endoperidium, is ochraceous, papery, and thin. The inside is like a white marshmallow, all spongey with a strong mushroom aroma.

Once the fungus starts developing its spores, the inside turns brown and powdery. The top of the pestle shape, the endoperidium, opens up right on the tip and starts releasing its spores. It really wants to be stood on to eject a large amount, looking like a fart.

I often see puffballs along the edges of paths as I walk in groups. They’re found on soil and prefer woodlands. When pure white inside, all puffballs are edible, and I love eating them. However, given their spongey nature, cooking them in a pan with oil or butter often results in them soaking up so much oil that they’re almost inedible. It depends on how much oil and butter you like, I suppose.

I find the BBQ cooking of puffballs is fantastic. You can brush them with flavoured oil or butter (I had a giant puffball for this video). Just be careful if there’s any discolouration, as it won’t taste good. There’s also another reason to avoid puffballs if the inside isn’t pure white or shows layers. Some fungus grow out of a universal veil or “egg sacs” in the ground and on stumps. The Amanita family, which is shown in the video at this stage, poses a risk, especially the white destroying angel. However, you’d notice the structural differences on inspection. As always, it’s important to properly identify any fungus you’re considering eating.

📹 .content.strategy

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT10 of my favourite spots1. Porcini (Boletus edulis): choice edible very versatile2. Hen of the woods (G...
25/09/2026

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT
10 of my favourite spots

1. Porcini (Boletus edulis): choice edible very versatile
2. Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa): choice edible large strong mushrooms aroma with yeast like aroma and do a dance when you find it (Maitake)
3. Hedgehog fungus (Hydnum repandum): choice edible that is easy to ID meaty and often in large rings
4. Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispa): choice edible big cleaning job though
5. Violet webcap (Cortinarius violaceus): OBSERVE IT’S BEAUTY - DO NOT PICK AS RARE IN THE UK. Absolutely stunning. A lot in this family are poisonous
6. Orange oak bolete (Leccinum quercinum): choice edible that must be cooked well. Size and denseness is choice versus other Leccinum
7. Death cap (Amanita phalloides): DEADLY POISONOUS and always gives me a shiver when I find my first one each year.
8. Saffron Milk Cap (Lactarius deliciosus): choice edible great salted with juniper mycorrhizal with pines
9. Horn of plenty (Craterellis cornucopiodes): choice edible, stunning other names include trompete de la mort (trumpet of the dead) as dead bodies under the ground are playing them. That’s cool
10. Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria): see post a couple days ago but the world’s most photographed fungi. Poisonous but also can be processed for medicine, food and asking your ancestors key questions.

It is hard to overstate the value of nature. Skills developed, knowledge gained and fun had in the wild will prove immensely valuable in every aspect of your life and work. Time spent outdoors and connecting with nature will change your perspective and enhance your sense of wellbeing.

As humans, our senses were developed first to assist us in hunting and gathering. Our perception of colour helped us pick the ripest fruit and tell the poisonous from the tastiest berries. The powerful link between smell and memory helped us remember those plants we had eaten safely before, and those we had been taught to fear. Your body hasn’t forgotten this: wild plants still provide a vivid and delicious feast for the senses.

favourites walks being beingoutside getoutside getoutdoors nature fungi

🌳FUNGI FOCUSED WALKS IN SUPPORT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST 🍄‍🟫📍 Brede High Woods (near Rye), East Sussex📅 31st October - 15th...
24/09/2026

🌳FUNGI FOCUSED WALKS IN SUPPORT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST 🍄‍🟫
📍 Brede High Woods (near Rye), East Sussex
📅 31st October - 15th November - 20th December (also Christmas special)
(Ticketed Event)
www.flavourfred.com/walks or link in BIO

Join me for a beautiful 2.5 hour walk through the beautiful, ancient & protected Brede High Wood, East Sussex.  This guided 2.5 hour walk to learn about plant & fungi identification, history, folklore, responsibility, soil heath & much more. This location & session is authorised by the Woodland Trust in order to demonstrate the importance of the site and to teach respectfulness and responsibility to the diverse & complex relationships happening in nature all around us. Snacks and Flavour Fred tasters also provided along the way.

Brede means ‘broad’ in Old English and probably describes the lower reaches of the river valley while ‘High’ refers to a ‘hay’ or grassy enclosure, probably a pasture.

Once part of the Weald’s iron smelting industry, Brede High Woods’ historical influence is present throughout the site today.  There are saucer-shaped bell pits from iron ore extraction, boundary banks and ditches, sunken lanes and the sites three farms – Brede High Woods holds fascinating evidence of centuries of human activity.

Full instructions for the day are provided a few days prior. I also provide in-depth follow up with of what we have seen, links to resources online, book recommendations and more.  This is NOT a gathering course but purely identification where many rules exist in public places about foraging.  All of these legalities  will be explained on the course itself.

Concessions upon request.

🧚‍♀️🧚Green Elf Cup / Green Wood Cup🧚🧚‍♀️(Chlorociboria aeruginascens)This incredibly beautiful Chlorociboria aeruginasce...
24/09/2026

🧚‍♀️🧚Green Elf Cup / Green Wood Cup🧚🧚‍♀️
(Chlorociboria aeruginascens)

This incredibly beautiful Chlorociboria aeruginascens is a common sight at the moment on dead branches turning the wood a turquoise as it permeates the wood. It’s a great indicator of the work being done my the fungi as the branching mass of hair-like hyphae cells known as mycelium decay the substrate and shows it off with its wonderful colour.

The fruiting bodies resemble cups and obviously woodland elves use them like goblets to drink out of. They cannot be seen here. Just the important work being done (decay).

The Fungi kingdom is split into two basic groups being basidiomycetes and ascomycetes. Basidiomycetes form and release their spores from on specialised cells called basidia. These are found on the underside of gills and toadstools as well as from pores on boletes & brackets. Ascomycetes produce their spores from “asci” that cover their spore releasing surface. So here on the surface of the cups you will find asci which are best thought of as a sack of spores that release when ready.

📸 Henok Girma

24/09/2026

Sloe “Not” Olives

*I weighed the glass kilner and zero’d it so I knew the weight of the washed sloes and the water before calculating the 5% salt (total weight of washed sloes and water.

I ferment the firm sloes in a clean Kilner with a 5% salt brine — 5% of the combined weight of the sloes and water. Leave them for about a week, giving them a little burp as they ferment, and that’s it. I keep the sloe “olives” in the fridge, using them for tapenade or other items.

The result is fruity, tangy and fermenty goodness, with absolutely none of the astringency you’d expect from a fresh sloe.

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🍄‍🟫 FUNGI FOCUSED FLAVOUR FORAGE AT THE GRANGE HAMPSHIRE 🍄‍🟫📅 1st November - 21st November - 12th December(Ticketed Even...
23/09/2026

🍄‍🟫 FUNGI FOCUSED FLAVOUR FORAGE AT THE GRANGE HAMPSHIRE 🍄‍🟫

📅 1st November - 21st November - 12th December
(Ticketed Event)
Book at www.flavourfred.com/walks or in BIO

Join me at The Grange Hampshire, a stunning estate of ancient woodland, streams, hedgerows and open countryside, for a seasonal exploration of the wild flavours growing all around us.

This isn’t a survival course. It’s foraging through the lens of flavour.

Together we’ll discover the plants, fungi, flowers, fruits and seeds that have shaped cuisines, medicines and traditions for centuries. You’ll learn how to identify wild ingredients safely, understand the risks and regulations surrounding foraging, and gain confidence recognising edible species and their lookalikes.

Along the way we’ll discuss:
🌱 Seasonal wild ingredients and their best culinary uses
🍄 Edible fungi and how to identify them responsibly
🫙 Preservation techniques including syrups, ferments, pickles and more
🌿 How to create exciting wild flavours at home
🍴 Tasters featuring seasonal wild ingredients

Whether you’re a complete beginner, keen cook, gardener, foodie or nature lover, you’ll leave with a new way of seeing the landscape around you and plenty of inspiration for your own kitchen.

Every season offers something completely different, making each walk a unique experience.

🎟 Tickets via the link in my bio or at flavourfred.com/walks

Private bookings, wild food experiences, corporate away days and wild pizza events can be organised throughout the year. Just get in touch.

23/09/2026

🍄🍄 FLY AGARIC 🍄🍄
(Amanita Muscaria)

The Fly agaric is a stunning mushroom which has connections to Christmas, Fairytales, and many more. The most commonly photographed and visual association with mushroom.

However this mushroom has been used for thousands of years in rituals to achieve a higher state of consciousness, reach other realms, and find answers from nature by using this magical mushroom.

Without a deeper understanding I do not advise anyone use Amanita musicaria for edibility or medicine. Fresh A. muscaria typically contains 258 to 471 ppm of ibotenic acid within the entirety of the fungi. Nearly all the ibotenic acid concentrated in the caps, and very little muscimol present. Typically, the ibotenic acid to muscimol ratio of fungal cap tissue would be 9:1 or greater in fresh samples.

Ingestion of Ibotenic acid exhibits GABAergic effects of somnolence, hallucinations, irritability, dizziness, and delirium as well as glutaminergic effects of hyperactivity, ataxia, hallucinations, myoclonus, and seizures within 2 hours.

Many convert the Ibotenic acid to muscimol through decarboxylation, a process that can be initiated by drying. This conversion is sometimes used to lower the toxicity of Amanita muscaria mushrooms, as muscimol is less toxic than ibotenic acid, though it retains psychoactive effects.

Report of slowing the heart down through microdosing is an effect with people using it for anxiety, stress, addiction, insomnia and more.

Topically it has used for pain relief, inflammatory skin conditions & wounds and bruises*

**IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO PROCESS THIS MUSHROOM PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK**
You will find links below to reports and sites with information on fungus and the compounds at work.

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inedible edible cure microsdose mushrooms mushroom fungi fungus funghi treatment outdoors traditions getoutside getoutdoors flyagaric 🍄 🍄🍄🍄 🍄🍄 fairytale aliceinwonderland mariomushroom

22/09/2026

SCARLET A LOVELY AND OCCASIONALLY FRUSTRATING DOG

Scarlet, my lovely and occasionally frustrating dog, sometimes accompanies me filming and other times she doesn’t. She’s not particularly interested in the footage but does enjoy the woodland surroundings and occasionally finds a stick or something else to fetch. While she’s a wonderful companion, it can be quite frustrating to take her out when I’m trying to discuss mushrooms plants and other topics.

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