Forage & Feast
Course Overview
A heavenly day for food and drink enthusiasts, led by former River Cottage head chef, Tim Maddams. On this one-day culinary experience, we will take a walk on the wild side, foraging for seasonal goodies in the grounds of the Catton Hall Estate. While out walking we will enjoy an al fresco cookery demonstration, and learn the art of hot smoking whilst enjoying paired drinks.
After our forage, we will return to the cookery school for a cookery demonstration, a short hands on cookery session and then a long leisurely 3-course lunch with paired drinks.
Tim’s passion for local, seasonal food will leave you inspired to make the most seasonal food and ready to recreate dishes at home.
£125.00
New – 2020 Menu – We look forward to welcoming back regular customers and new foraging friends. The day includes:
Forage Walk
A walk around the Catton Estate finding different foraged goodies to be used in the day
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In the woods…. Demonstration & tasting
Local Yoxall cider
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Hands on Cookery Session
Wild garlic and nettle scones to take home with you
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Demonstration Dish in the Kitchen
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3 Course Lunch
Starter – Roast line caught cod fillet, sea beet, cockles, rock samphire
Polgoon Bacchus white wine
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Main – Slow cooked wild rabbit, wild garlic polenta, egg yolk, chorizo spices
Organic Claret
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Dessert – Alexanders fritters, toffee sauce, Alexanders ice cream
Pedro Ximénes – PX Sherry
We recommend that participants on this foraging course organise a taxi / collection if you wish to enjoy all the paired drinks.
(Please note, we reserve the right to alter the dishes covered in the course, given the seasonal availability of some ingredients. We may also need to do so occasionally to meet the dietary requirements of our guests, as well as seasonal availability). (Vegetarian and Vegan menu available below – please notify us when booking if you would like this).
Your chef tutor
This interactive day will be led by Tim Maddams, former River Cottage Head Chef before becoming a freelance chef, writer, presenter, and cookery teacher. He is a regular on high profile shows such as BBC Food and Drink and Sunday Brunch on Channel 4.
Tim writes numerous newspaper columns and published the ‘River Cottage Game Handbook’, which is a bible for anyone looking to learn more about game and how to make the most of different species throughout the seasons.
| Forage & Feast | 10:00 – 17:00 | ||
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| 1 | Welcome, Meet & Greet
Arrive for a freshly brewed tea / coffee with some home-made bread or biscuits whilst meeting your fellow foragers and Tim Maddams your chef for the day. |
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| 2 | Foraging in the Catton Estate
We’ll head over the road for a walk into the Catton Estate, a privately owned estate in the beautiful South Derbyshire countryside with the River Trent running through it.Tim will have his foraging basket & introduce you to different seasonal wild food.From horseradish on the roadside through to wild chervil, Elder, Wild celery and other seasonal food you can expect to find 10-20 different varieties on your walk. |
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| 3 | Al fresco Hot Smoking
Whilst outside in the woods we will touch on the basics of hot smoking, smoking some delicious wild trout and enjoying in the woods with some local cider or foraged cocktail.The perfect way to spend a Saturday, with other passionate foodies. |
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| 4 | Return to the kitchen
Tim will (hopefully!) bring back a basket full of different foraged herbs, some of which will be used in the afternoon’s cookery.We will begin with a hands on cookery session making something that you will take home with you. Dishes before include Wild Garlic Focaccia, Nettle Soda bread or wild garlic pesto. |
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| 5 | Demonstration Dish
Tim will share his passion for local, seasonal food with a quick demonstration dish, previous dishes include Clams in cider and green eggs & ham.Tim’s style of cuisine is simple, delicious and bang in season.Refreshingly simple and suitably delicious. |
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| 6 | Lunch
We’ll break for lunch in our dining room where Tim will cook a three course lunch for you all based around wild food. Popular dishes in the past include Clams in cider, WIld Venison with nettle puree and Rhubarb cake with rhubarb parfait. |
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| 7 | Paired Drinks throughout the day
Each dish throughout the day (al fresco cooking demonstration, hands on cookery session, kitchen demonstration and your three course lunch) will all be paired with a different drink. Favourites from before include Carbon neutral wines from Yealands, Penderyn Whisky from Wales, local Yoxall Cider from Staffordshire and Two Birds Gin from Leicestershire, served with foraged herbs. |
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| 8 | Home
After a final chance to speak to Tim about his food and his work we recommend that you ask a local friend to pick you up or you have pre ordered a taxi to take you back to the comforts of your home to reminisce on a great day, with fellow like minded foodies and the talents of a superb chef. |
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About your day on our foraging course
Our foraging course takes place on the Catton Hall Estate. On the picturesque Derbyshire and Staffordshire border, we are only minutes from the A38. We also have plenty of free parking.
You’ll have the support of our “kitchen fairies” who’ll ensure you have everything you need. We’ll provide an apron for the day, and all the equipment and ingredients.
You’ll be out and about foraging on the Catton Estate first thing & then enjoy a spot of hands on cookery & some chef demonstrations before sitting down together to enjoy a three course lunch cooked by Tim. Every dish of the day will be paired by a different beverage – spring gin cocktails, local cider & some amazing wines & whisky.
Our day courses run from 10.15am to 4pm. Join the team for early morning refreshments from 10am.
Find and cook your own food
As you can imagine, Tim’s time is much in demand and his Forage & Feast days, in particular, fill up quickly. All equipment and ingredients are provided on this foraging course, along with lunch and refreshments throughout the day. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.
If you do have any allergies, special dietary requirements, or are vegetarian, please inform us when booking onto the course. We will do our best to cater for your needs but do need to know upon booking.
The course takes place at our centrally-located cookery school on the Catton Hill Estate in South Derbyshire which has excellent links to the M6, M1 and M42. There is also plenty of free parking.
Vegetarian / Vegan Menu
Jarvisfamily –
What a super way to spend a sunny day with Tim and the Catton estate team – foraging and feasting – smoked mackerel was delicious and we had such fun making focaccia , then to finish off with a super 3 course meal sitting with tremendous other fellow foodies was just great, will definitely return 🙂