SCOTLAND’S natural larder will be celebrated next month with events including a Drunken Botany Safari.
It is part of the country’s annual wild food celebration which returns this year with a focus on responsible foraging, boozy botany and coastal flavours.
Since its launch in 2019, the Scottish Wild Food Festival has become a focal point for the UK’s wild food scene and this year moves for the first time from its traditional autumn slot to spring.
With support from Scotland Food & Drink’s Regional Food Fund, Forth Valley & Lomond Youth Local Action Group and The Association of Foragers, the festival invites curious eaters, nature loving families, adventurous chefs and wild food lovers of all ages to reconnect with Scotland’s natural larder.
As there is an upsurge in interest in wild food, the festival will also address the key tension of balancing increased participation in foraging in recent years with sustainable and ethical harvesting.
“We’re at a tipping point. Foraging is no longer niche as it’s on cocktail menus, fine dining plates and Instagram feeds,” said Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods who’ll be leading the festival’s popular Drunken Botany Safari.
“That’s brilliant as it reconnects people with nature but it also brings responsibility. Festivals like this are crucial for sharing how to forage with knowledge, care and respect.”
The Drunken Botany Safari is a two-hour foray into wild mixology with intriguing concoctions such as bog myrtle bud martinis and elderflower and lemon balm gin fizzes.
For a taste of the ocean, the Coastally Infused Campfire Lunch with Jayson Byles of East Neuk Seaweed will offer of a deep dive into the world of seaweed and other shoreline delicacies.
“Seaweed is Scotland’s untapped superfood,” he said. “This lunch is a celebration of the edible ocean. We’ll be cooking over fire, sharing stories and unlocking how coastal flavours can transform the everyday.”
Other culinary highlights at the festival will include the nightly Wild Banquets – an extraordinary five-course feast made from 100% wild ingredients, hosted by acclaimed wild chef Craig Worrall of 4 Wild Seasons.
“This isn’t just a meal – it’s a sensory experience,” he said. “One that weaves a story of time, place and the seasonality of wild landscapes.
“Every ingredient, whether gathered, crafted or preserved, will be done so with the intention of showcasing the simplicity, complexity and diversity of wild foods in modern cuisine.”
Another standout event on this year’s programme will be the Forager’s Fry Up with wild food cook Lucy Cooke, aka The Wild Cooke. Set around the campfire, this immersive brunch session will allow participants to forage, prep and cook a full seasonal fry up with every ingredient telling a story, from smoky mushrooms to nettle-rich greens.
“Each bite has a backstory,” said Cooke. “This isn’t just about eating – it’s about learning how our ancestors cooked with the land and how we can too.”
Over the two days, festival goers will be able to choose from dozens of hands-on experiences, from medicinal mushroom picking and ancient food preservation techniques to making oak gall ink, weaving cordage from nettles and enjoying wild tea tastings.
For families, the Little Acorns Forest School zone will return with storytelling, bushcraft and campfire cooking, while kids will also be able to join in herbal bath bomb workshops, mask making and enjoy a gentle foraging wander with Lucy Cuzzocrea of Wild Roots Foraging.
Other leading voices in wild food, such as Szymon Szyszczakiewicz of Foragerium will run sessions on wild preservation and fermenting, while Fliss Freeborn, author of Do Yourself a Flavour, will teach the art of cooking bivalves on the fire.
Since its launch, the Scottish Wild Food Festival has inspired a wave of similar events across the UK, including the British Wild Food Festival.
However, as the original, Scottish Wild Food Festival co-founder Ruth Glasgow believes it is still unique.
“There is no other wild food festival quite like this,” she said. “It’s not just about food – it’s about healing, heritage and learning to live more lightly on the land.”
The festival will take place in the grounds of Tir nan Og Holistic Centre, Balfron, May 17 – 18.
