The Green Green Grass

LYNCHPIX

On a bitterly cold Friday morning, I headed deep into the Kent countryside to the village of Chartham where I was due to meet “The Forager” Miles Irving. His living is a particularly interesting one- he earns a crust & puts food on his own table by literally putting foodstuff on the tables of some of the country’s top restaurants. He & his team are the guys that source & pick wild mushrooms, seaweed & other delights coveted by the Michelin starred big boys of the industry. I arrived at his farm bright & early.

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We stepped into his world through the rather impressive door above into a hive of activity, but rather than being the chaotic & messy hippy-like atmosphere i’d expected, it was a well organised, well oiled machine that we stepped into…

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We were surrounded in produce all boxed-up ready for distribution all around the country. An amazing array of grenery from fresh sorrell & cress, to delicate mushrooms.

Then it was our turn. We pulled back on our layers of clothing heading out with Miles to get our hands dirty & spend the afternoon out in the wilderness doing what he does.

After a short drive, we arrived at one of Miles’ favourite local foraging spots & before long, he was pointing out edible delicacies all around us.

It seemed like literally everywhere I stepped, I was stepping on something edible. I looked behind me & Miles was on the deck with his secateurs cropping some bitter cress from the ground.