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 memora

ble 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.

13/06/2026

Stinkhorn mushroom - Witches Egg Stage
(Phallus Impedicus)

The common stinkhorn stinks to attract blowflies amongst other flies/insects with its smell of rotting meat. It’s quite easy to find based on the stench but also the evidence of a badger sett nearby is normally means I feel like I might stumble across it.

So here we have the witches egg where the ph***ic mushroom erupts out of. When sliced open has the mixture of colours and textures that when placed in front of your eyes looks like those in many books/films/series about witches.

Blowflies and other insects are attracted by the smell but the mushroom has another plan to spread its spores. It’s the slimy gleba (on top means “lump”) holds the spores. So essentially the flies and insects that chow down on the stinking slimy spore packed gleba take it to their next stop as well as have many spores in the process sticking to their legs from the gel on the stinkhorn. Next stop some faeces of a dead animal.

Often referred to as Charles Darwin’s granddaughter remarked in her 1952 memoir “Period Piece - A Cambridge Childhood” how Henrietta “Etty” Darwin, her Aunt (Darwin’s daughter), would go out into the woods, remove these ph***ic mushrooms and burn/destroy them. This was done to protect the morals of the maids.

You’ll also find it referred to as “deadman’s cock” or “prike mushroom”. From John Gerard author of Gerard’s Herbal, 1597.

Part of the inside is edible and some eat it for the radish like flavour (raw) but I’m not a fan.

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YELLOW SWAMP BRITTLEGILLRussula claroflavaA lovely early surprise! 🍄I wasn’t expecting to find a solitary Yellow Swamp B...
12/06/2026

YELLOW SWAMP BRITTLEGILL
Russula claroflava

A lovely early surprise! 🍄

I wasn’t expecting to find a solitary Yellow Swamp Brittlegill quite this early, but here seen glowing amongst the damp ground like little yellow beacons.

Russulas are one of the most diverse mushroom genera you’ll come across, with over 250 species recorded in the UK and more than 750 worldwide. They appear in an incredible range of colours and are characterised by their unique round-celled structure, which gives them their famously brittle nature.

When identifying Russulas, I look for several key features: a stem that snaps cleanly like a stick of chalk, a cap skin that can often be peeled back, and white brittle gills that crumble and flake rather than bend.

As always, caution is essential. White-gilled mushrooms can include some very dangerous species, so before considering a Russula, ensure there is no bulbous base or volva present, as these features may indicate an Amanita species—the group that includes the Death Cap and Destroying Angel.

One of the more unusual identification techniques used within the Russula genus is the famous “nibble and spit” test. Only when you’re completely confident you have a Russula, a tiny nibble can reveal whether the flesh is mild or develops a fierce peppery heat. Some species are incredibly hot and spicy! Regardless of the result, spit it out and remember that wild mushrooms should always be properly cooked before eating.

For now, I’m just enjoying seeing these beautiful yellow mushrooms appearing ahead of schedule and wondering what other fungal surprises the season has in store.

09/06/2026

Meadowsweet AKA Queen of the Meadow, Meadsweet or Mead Wort
(Filipendula ulmaria)

The shimmering glow of meadowsweet flowers looking like lightbulbs in the distance helps me spot on of my favourite ingredients with its haze of pale creamy/yellow swiftly followed by the strong aroma.

Personally I love the strong perfume of vanilla/almond/floral that comes the flowers and the leaves have a cucumber like flavour so I often used for raita, tzatziki and cacik or other items that may use cucumber freshness.

Meadowsweet AKA Queen of the Meadow, Meadsweet or Mead Wort makes it pretty clear it’s been used historically to flavour mead but also wines, beers and more. I’m going to be distilling it with my pine honey wine later this week to see if I can create a faux meadwort distillation on my rotovap. It distills under vacuum so I can keep delicate flavours. Looking to create a wild faux meadowsweet mean spirit. I decided this after my day out with .mes x last week

When looking for Meadowsweet it loves a damp meadow. The giveaway red stem and a lot smaller leafs in between the larger bi-lateral leaves on each stem along with the aromas makes it a difficult one to get wrong.

This plant is also packed with Salicylic acid. Some may know this as a treatment for those with oily skin. But more noteworthy is that Acetylsalicylic acid can be synthesised from Salicylic acid and is more commonly known as Aspirin. This was done by Felix Hoffmann in 1897 for Bayer Pharmaceutical. The compound is found in Willow bark called salicin and the name comes from the Latin for Willow which is Salix.

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08/06/2026

PINEAPPLEWEED
Matricaria discoidea

One of the easiest wild plants to identify, and one that’s guaranteed to make people smile.

Give the flower heads a rub and a sniff and you’ll be hit with a surprisingly strong aroma of pineapple. Most people don’t smell pineapple until it’s mentioned, then suddenly it’s impossible to ignore. It’s one of my favourite plants to introduce people to when foraging.

Also known as wild chamomile or disc mayweed, Pineappleweed is one of Britain’s most successful introduced wildflowers. It arrived in the UK during the late 19th century and has since spread across the country at an incredible rate. Some believe the rise of the motor car helped its expansion, with seeds travelling in mud stuck to tyres and being dropped along roadsides and pathways.

Look along pathways, compacted ground, parks, field edges and urban spaces from now until around September and you’ll almost certainly find it.

The feathery leaves and densely packed yellow-green flower heads make it easy to spot. Unlike many mayweeds, it has no white petals, just little pineapple-scented domes dotted across the ground.

I love using the flowers for teas, syrups and desserts. One day I’ll perfect the ultimate wild Piña Colada using Pineappleweed, ideally while dipping my feet in a paddling pool and pretending I’m somewhere tropical rather than standing in a British park.

A fun fact: Pineappleweed is native to north-eastern Asia and north-western North America, where it has a history of medicinal use. It’s also incredibly resilient, thriving in heavily trodden paths and compacted soils where many other plants struggle.

Have you stopped to smell Pineappleweed yet?

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07/06/2026

🖊️MAKING MEDIEVAL INK 🖊️
Oak Galls

Oak apples / oak galls are always a great talking point along the way on my walks. Created by an oak gall wasp whose eggs are laid on parts of the oak tree, more often twigs. The tree responds to the eggs by producing growth around the egg. The wasp has developed a very interesting method for the larvae to grow into a wasp and fly away

There are a large number of species that do this (Biorhiza pallida, Andricus kollari - are the most common recognised on walks as “oak apples”). This is a pretty cool process and the process of making ink from these oak galls is a really great thing to do.

The oak galls are really high in tannins so by grinding them up and placing them in rain water then left over night is the start of the process. Typically the tannins were extracted by fermentation and then mixed with iron rust to create an ink. I simply use rust and rain water and it works fine. If you don’t want to collect rust you can buy iron sulphate from a garden centre.

Documents such as the Magna Carta were written in oak gall ink which was used up until the 20th century. A little video on this for this mid-week I think.

Documents such as the Magna Carta were written in oak gall ink which was used all the way up until the 20th century. This is one of many items that to me have been “foraged” and nowadays not event thought about that much.

🌳🌲WALKS IN SUPPORT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST🌱🌸📍 Brede High Woods (near Rye), East Sussex📅 2026 dates 25/7 - 13/9 - 31/10(Ti...
03/06/2026

🌳🌲WALKS IN SUPPORT OF THE WOODLAND TRUST🌱🌸
📍 Brede High Woods (near Rye), East Sussex
📅 2026 dates 25/7 - 13/9 - 31/10
(Ticketed Events & Gift Vouchers Available)
Link in Bio or www.flavourfred.com

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.

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 will allow you to leave with a safe starting point for identifying your own wild ingredients.  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

02/06/2026

SALT MARSH FAVOURITES 🌊

Salt marshes are some of the most productive and fascinating habitats in Britain, but they’re also places that deserve respect. Soft mud, hidden channels, fast-rising tides and difficult terrain can quickly turn a pleasant forage into a dangerous situation. Always know the tides and never venture into unfamiliar marshes without proper knowledge.

Three of my favourite edible salt marsh plants:

🌸 Sea Aster (Tripolium pannonicum)

A plant that always surprises people with its flavour. The leaves have a unique taste that’s difficult to compare to anything else, with a pleasant succulent crunch and a fresh coastal character all of their own. In late summer it’s decorated with beautiful purple flowers surrounding bright yellow stamens, bringing colour to an otherwise green landscape. Traditionally valued as a wild vegetable, it’s also a useful source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C and provitamin A carotenoids.

🌿 Sea Coriander (Triglochin maritima)

One of the more unusual flavours you’ll encounter on a salt marsh. Despite the common name, it isn’t related to coriander, but it has a wonderfully aromatic character that can remind some people of coriander, celery, spices or even curry-like notes. It’s a real conversation starter on the plate. Worth noting that, as discussed by , stressed plants can contain elevated levels of cyanogenic compounds, so correct identification and sensible harvesting are important.

🦪 Sea Purslane (Halimione portulacoides)

An absolute favourite of mine. Thick, silvery-green leaves with a satisfying crunch and a lovely salty hit that reminds me of oyster leaf. It’s one of those plants that instantly captures the essence of the coast. I also love infusing it into spirits, creating a wonderfully savoury, briny character that works brilliantly as a “dirty martini” alternative.

The salt marsh is full of incredible edible plants, but as always, learn the habitat before you learn the harvest.

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01/06/2026

Tarragon Oyster
(Pleurotus eusomus)

One of Britain’s lesser-known native oyster mushrooms, and a fairly rare find in the wild. At first glance it looks much like other oyster species, but give it a sniff and the reason for its common name becomes obvious. Fresh specimens often carry a distinctly herbaceous aroma, reminiscent of tarragon, anise or fennel.

It’s also an excellent edible mushroom with a firm texture and rich flavour, making it one of my favourite native oysters.

As this species appears to be uncommon across much of its range, I recently provided a wild specimen to to be cloned and preserved. The aim is to safeguard these local genetics and make them more widely available through cultivation rather than relying on wild harvests.

The good news is that you can already buy cultivated Tarragon Oyster Mushroom grow kits from in London, and liquid cultures from an existing clone helping bring this unusual native species onto plates while reducing pressure on wild populations.

A beautiful example of how fungi conservation and food production can work hand in hand. Protecting genetics, increasing awareness, and giving more people the chance to experience one of Britain’s most aromatic oyster mushrooms.

Have you ever come across this species in the wild?

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31/05/2026

Herb Alexander aka Alexanders / Horse Parsley / Black Lovage
(Smyrnium olusatrum)

This plant splits the crowd due to its strong aroma especially when in flower. I spent the day gardening near the sea and have fermented the whole plant and with permission the roots along with the previous year’s seeds. They are tasting delicious and I do like them and often use the root in distillations and the unfurled flower head like broccoli florets the seeds as a spice like black pepper on steroids.

** care must be taken with this family as mentioned in a few videos including deadly Poison Hemlock, Hemlock Water Dropwort and more…

A member of the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) often referred to as the umbellifers or carrot family. Historically known to grow closer to the sea in the Mediterranean & Atlantic but does love growing inland. Introduced to Britain by the Romans and known as the “Pot Herb of Alexandria”. It divides the crowd as its strong celery and another potent fragrance is not always appreciated. It’s fragrance is said to smell like sap resin myrrh (gathered from Commiphora myrrha) which is how it gets its scientific name as “Smyrnium” being the Greek for myrrh, “Olus” meaning pot herb & “atrum” meaning black referring to the seeds which I’ve used to flavour my ferment.

Similarly with its flavour - a marmite plant some say. Known to Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder, its roots are diuretics, its leaves make a healing juice for cuts and its crushed seeds were a popular condiment.

With its glossy green to dark green leaves with an oval shape to each that are in a group of 3 with blunt serrations. The umbel flower/seed heads that have a strong aroma tempting in flies to pollinate over bees once pollinated green bulging seeds form that are eventually black. The stem is like a rounded celery stalk and often with a purple gradient. It loves it by the coast along roads, cliffs and much more but does grow inland.

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29/05/2026

GREATER BURDOCK
(Arctium minus / Arctium lappa)

(Old Video from 2023 )

Most people think of the fermented root drink Dandelion & Burdock when mentioning this very common plant. The fermented drink started its life off as a mead light mead back in the Middle Ages. Nowadays a carbonated soft drink.

The root is often sought after especially in hunter gatherer times due to its carb content when compared to what else was available. It has a tap root that can be up to 1.5m so a valuable find. Be careful though as depending on where it grows you could expel more calories getting it out of the ground than are within it. Hence finding sandy soils or turning soils regularly makes collection easier…. leading to farming I imagine.

Nowadays when I collect I often will ask organic farmers as it grows so commonly on the sides of fields. However if you were in Japan it is farmed and is called “Gobo” and praised for its dense nutrients and anti-oxidants. I had it braised, fried, sliced extremely thing and pounded into a pulp. The main issue is it’s quite fibrous so cutting across the root is advised. The best time is at the end of the plants first year end of summer and before it bolts in spring.

The leaves are useful to cook in but bitter so I lay more fragrant leaves within and use to steam “en papillote” style when cooking outdoors.

I would also say it’s probably the best wild toilet paper out there.

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