Where can you find wild oyster mushrooms in London? How much yew is too much? And if you’re out of orange tic-tacs, which seeds should you nibble instead?
These are just some of the questions that the OG team can now answer after an extraordinary day frolicking through Hampstead Heath with George Fredenham (AKA, Flavour Fred), an expert forager and endless encyclopaedia of the natural world. Our staff may know a thing or two about shipping and aviation, but last Monday for our big team day out we went out into nature to get back to the basics – and learnt just how complicated they are.
Starting off at Kenwood House, the OG team wiggled its way in George’s wake through the maze of the Heath picking up an astounding amount of knowledge about the plants and fungi on display — if you know where to look for them. More than just a walk in the park though, the tour was also a meander through history and culture. While giant hogweed is not to be messed with, the seeds of its smaller cousin common hogweed, when crushed, will release odours of orange and cardamom and are used in traditional Persian cuisine.
This was my first time taking a foraging class and I’ve definitely learned so many new things I never thought I would. It’s almost unbelievable to think how rich our natural world is, and just how much there is to discover.
Aqila K. Indra, OG Project Assistant
Hemlock was both used in ancient medicines, and as a Phoenician means of euthanising the old, famously sending them out with a creepy grin. By the same token, to our horror we learnt that 50g of yew leaves can be fatal — but that it has also had traditional healing qualities. As George said, “when there’s a poison, there’s often a medicine”.
But the star of the show was ultimately the fungi. Who knew the Heath had so many varieties on offer? Black fungi, red fungi, fungi that zombifies ants to do its bidding, fungi pickled and served on hummus and sourdough with a chili and red current preserve (courtesy of George).
Our first fungus of the day was the Artist’s Bracket, a parasitic variety that grows on trees and whose uses span tea, to medicine, to leather. We also learnt where to find wild oyster mushrooms and how to spot King Alfred’s Cakes, a charcoal-y species named after the old monarch’s kitchen calamities during a Viking invasion. George had insisted we weren’t embarking on a Bear Grylls trek, but if we ever need to light a fire with only King Alfred’s Cakes to hand, we’d know what to do.
Going foraging in London was eye-opening experience for me. I do a bit of foraging myself having always lived in the countryside, but I never thought there could be so much to find in the city! The oyster mushrooms were a definite highlight. It was also a great way to get to know colleagues and spend time together on a lovely sunny afternoon.
Zuzka Majcova, OG People & Culture Manager
Besides being a virtuoso of nature, George also knows that trekking round the Heath can be thirsty work and came prepared with some aperitifs. A spray of his home brewed elderflower and rum infusion and another of spruce cane syrup left us pining for more. Before leading tours, George spent ten years as the proprietor of a St Albans gastropub specialising in foraged ingredients. The snacks we had along the way certainly made for a spot of fine dining out in the wilderness.
Spending your days wading through climate law, international negotiations and the techno-economics of green hydrogen, you can lose sight of the natural world in which our work is ultimately rooted. Indulging in the miracles that nature delivers even on the Heath, just a green pocket in London’s urban sprawl, was truly a grounding experience. A huge thank you from the whole team to George!
If you’re keen to try your hand at foraging too, get in touch with Flavour Fred to book yourself onto a course!