Herefordshire, Drovers Rest Foraging Courses

The Drovers Rest is a beautiful 16th century organic farm, nestled in the Golden Valley at the foot of the Black Mountains. The farm is surrounded by 200 acres of  ancient woodland, riverside and common land boasting spectacular views. 

Over the years we have built up a special relationship with the owners, whose mission is to re-wild their land and share it with their guests.

Drovers Rest lies on the border of Herefordshire and Wales and is within easy reach of Hereford, Brecon, Builth Wells, Abergavenny & Ross on Wye. Expect a slightly hilly walk, but the foraging habitats here are absolutely fantastic. 

Our Foraging Courses begin with a short introduction to Wild Food UK, what to expect from your day and a brief summary of the general countryside codes, including our Foraging Code.

Heading off at a leisurely pace around the grounds, your instructor will teach you how to safely identify the different species of edible and poisonous plants and mushrooms that you discover. This exploration will take about 2.5hrs, during which we’ll take a break for a homemade refreshment, such as our warming Hogweed & WildGarlic Soup or Elderflower Champagne!

After the walk we will end the day with a tasty wild food meal. This will include a selection of foraged homemade treats created by your instructor, and a dish made with what we have collected during the walk. All of our food is seasonal, so what you are served depends on what is growing at that time of year. In Spring we will be making use of the fresh wild greens and in Autumn, the array of tasty wild mushrooms that the area has to offer.

You will receive a comprehensive set of Wild Food UK ‘Course Notes’ a few days after your course. This email will contain links and articles relating to the plants and mushrooms we discovered or discussed during the day.

Please allow yourself an extra 10 minutes to find The Drovers Rest, as it is ‘off the beaten track’.

If you would like to experience a Wild Stay, Wild Feast or even Wild Wedding, find out more about the cabins, posh glamping or stone cottages dotted around the farm at The Drovers Rest.

Drovers Rest
Off Watery Lane
Hay-on-Wye
Herefordshire
HR3 6AG

We will meet in the courtyard. Please do not drive your car into the courtyard itself, but turn left into the car park as you go in and park in there. Please note that the post code does NOT get you here, so be careful following directions using Google maps. As you approach, you will find brown tourist signs that are clearly signposted to The Drovers Rest. Their lane is a no through road into the woods. Please allow yourselves an extra 10 minutes to find this well-hidden venue.

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