Wild Garlic Season is Here – Foraging & Cooking with Nature’s Fresh Gift
Right now, in late April, the lanes and woods around Upper Sapey are filled with the unmistakable scent of wild garlic. It’s one of those lovely markers that spring has properly arrived, and we make the most of it in the kitchen.
Why wild garlic?
Also known as ramsons, it has a gentle garlic flavour – milder and sweeter than shop-bought bulbs – with a hint of spring onion. It grows abundantly in damp, shady spots: along stream banks, in hedgerows and at the edges of our local fields.
We only ever pick what we need, taking just a few leaves from each plant so the patch can keep thriving for next year. It’s proper sustainable foraging, done with respect for the countryside that surrounds us.
How we use it
The leaves are at their best young and bright green. In the kitchen we turn them into:
Wild garlic pesto – blitzed with local nuts, Parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative), and good olive oil. Perfect tossed through fresh pasta or served with grilled meats.
Soups and sauces – a handful wilted into a potato or leek soup, or stirred into a butter sauce for fish.
Garlic bread & focaccia – chopped leaves folded into dough or mixed into compound butter.
Seasonal specials – you’ll often find it in our spring risotto, with scrambled eggs at breakfast, or as a vibrant green oil drizzled over dishes.
It brings a genuine taste of the surrounding countryside to the plate – the sort of ingredient you can’t buy in a supermarket.
A proper local ingredient
Living on the Worcestershire-Herefordshire border means we’re spoiled for foraged produce. One of the team will often nip out for ten minutes in the morning and come back with enough for the day’s service. It’s as fresh as it gets, and it changes with the seasons – once the flowers appear the leaves become a bit stronger, then it’s gone until next spring. That’s the joy of cooking this way.
If you’re staying with us over the next few weeks, keep an eye on the menu. Wild garlic will be making regular appearances while it lasts. And if you fancy trying some yourself, just ask – we’re always happy to point you toward the best spots (and remind you of the basic foraging rules).
Book a table or a lodge stay while the season is at its peak. There really is nothing quite like the taste of the countryside on your fork.