Men’s Pie Club, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, and foraging specialists Northern Wilds collaborated to create a series of outdoor culinary adventures designed to bring people together, improve wellbeing, and highlight the natural larder of Northumberland’s landscapes. 

The sessions were supported through VONNE and the Legal & General Health Equity Fund, which backs community projects that improve health and social connection.

Founded in 2018 through Food Nation CIC, Men’s Pie Club (MPC) uses the power of food and friendly conversation to support men who may be experiencing loneliness or poor mental health.

While MPC is best known for its pie‑making sessions, the recent workshops swapped pastry for plants -introducing members to edible wildflowers, seaweeds, herbs, and common weeds.

Jo Burke, Nature and Wellbeing Officer at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, says:

“It was wonderful to welcome the group to our Hauxley reserve to showcase just how great it is. The event enabled us to chat about foraging ethically, before delving deeper into the rich North East plant folklore and traditional uses of certain plants. 

“The sessions’ benefits to wellbeing were brilliant - from spending quality time in nature, being active together, forming new friendships, to sharing absolutely delicious dishes created from the foraged ingredients.”

One Men’s Pie Club participant says:

“What a wonderful day out! The sun shone! A great walk around somewhere I’ve never been to. So beautiful and lots of bird life. Learning about plants and how they have been used through time. And how to cook them now! To taste them was extraordinary.” 

Ollen Wolfendale, Programme Coordinator at Men’s Pie Club, adds: 

“The guys from Men’s Pie Club and our Xtra Ingredients Project had a fantastic experience learning how to forage sustainably. They attended multiple events and loved the variety and knowledge shared by Northern Wilds.

“These workshops helped participants connect with the Five Ways to Wellbeing, and the feedback has been full of gratitude. One member even asked how to grow garlic mustard at home because he enjoyed it so much.”

Louise Thompson, Foraging Expert at Northern Wilds, says:

“Working on the Hauxley reserve provided me with the opportunity to inform the group how precious our natural habitats are for all living beings - man and bird alike, as well as giving me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience of how nourishing our landscape can be for both body and soul.”

The sessions were conducted with full permission from Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumberland Estates and Natural England. 

Ethical foraging practices must always be followed, and protected sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Nature Reserves should be avoided unless the correct consent can be obtained. Also uprooting plants without landowner consent is illegal, and commercial foraging or entering private land without permission is prohibited. Providing members of the public abide by these laws and ethical practices, foraging in the UK is legal for personal non-commercial use. 

Foragers should follow the 4 F’s rule - only taking reasonable amounts of fruit, foliage, fungi, and flowers for personal use, but always leaving plenty for wildlife and future growth. 

Above all, safety is essential: no one should eat a plant unless they are 100% certain of its identity.

More information on foraging laws can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69/contents www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/contents