The Land Will Provide

A festive winter picnic with Isle of Wight forager Alex Richards

- Richard Budd

A lex Richards interest in foraging began six years ago when she started growing her own fruit and vegetables on her allotment. The self-confessed Caulkhead, whose parents and grandparents were also all born on the Isle of Wight, became intrigued about what weeds she could also eat. She started to read around the subject and attending foraging courses in Hampshire and Dorset as no-one seemed to be doing anything on the island. Ever since foraging has inspired her home cooking. “Foraging opens the doors to flavours you can’t get elsewhere,” she says. “It’s not about going out of your way to find wild food – it’s about incorporating it into your life, so whenever you are out and about you are being offered more flavours, more good, more opportunities and a greater sense of place.”