Foraging in Epping, with Caorunn Gin

It’s good to get outside sometimes, away from a life spent wedged behind a screen. In London, that usually means somewhere just as noisy, mind you - a park full of tourists or one by a main road.

Epping Forest doesn’t suffer from either of those problems. It’s huge, so you can get as far away from people and roads as you like. It has full 4g connectivity too, just in case you do want to answer an email or three.

I was in Epping Forest to forage for edible plants. Don’t worry, this wasn’t for my dinner - times aren’t that tough. In fact, we weren’t actually allowed to pick anything at all. I had to make do with a bag of dried fruit pieces for kids. That’s another story.

Hold on, rewind a bit - I can hear all three of you saying - foraging? Why?

Well the good people at Caorunn Gin - cheers guys! - took me and a few others to the woods to learn more about where their ingredients are from: being as six of their eleven botanicals are foraged from the Scottish Highlands. See, to all those PRs out there, I do pay attention!

The guy in charge whose name I forget (but he’s soon to appear on Netflix wrestling crocodiles - I kid you not), marched us around the wood, showing us plants that taste nice, plants that don’t, and plants that will kill you. Disturbingly, there were quite a few of the latter and all within easy reach of ignorant fools like myself. The government should really put up some signs.

I promised the PR folks that I wouldn’t dwell on the deadly plants too much, but they did seem to attract the most interest. What can I say? Give the people what they want!

A proper review of the day will appear on another blog soon - a good full foodie write-up - plus some comments on the meal they fed us afterwards. And no, it wasn’t just made from foraged ingredients, only some. I wanted to share a few pictures of the woods though and what with Bank Holiday coming up and all, some of you might be looking for inspiration as to what to do.

Head to Epping Forest then! Just don’t pick any of the plants - they might do you some harm. I ain’t kidding!

Hidden London | East London Liquor Company

Blogging sends you on some odd assignments.

I say 'sends you' - no one sends you; instead, out of the blue arrives an email offering some sort of trip, visit, and/or possible adventure.

I say 'odd', but I really mean interesting, different, not the usual thing you'd choose to do or even get the opportunity to do.

Last year, I partied on a Paris rooftop, cooked breakfast for the guys at Glenrothes, mixed my own whisky with Glenfiddich, ran the River Wharfe to the Valley of Desolation, and swapped the Northern Line for a week's commute along the golden sandy bay of Playa de La Concha.

Not bad really, when all's said and done.

I've also stayed a bit closer to home, a trip to the East London Liquor Company, for example.

After following Mat for a 'behind the  scenes' shoot for Natural Selection London the day before, we were both back on the same stretch of canal to visit the East London Liquor Company as part of Virgin Experience Days.

Being a one room distillery, the tour was short, but still damn interesting for a geek like me. It was then on to the best part of any alcohol tour, the tasting.

Gin, gin, and more gin. What a way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Unlike some of the other trips, this one is open to everyone. Check out Virgin Experience Days or pay them a visit yourself.

Here's to more trips, travel, and adventure in 2015!

Looking for more to do in London? Check out more in the Hidden London series.

Images: My Instagram.