The Best Coastal Foraging Holiday in Pembrokeshire Wales.
- Soo Hammond
- Feb 27, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 17
Looking for the perfect weekend getaway with your friends and family? Maybe you have something to celebrate a milestone birthday, or you just want to get together with old friends and have a fun time being with each other again.
If you love nature, food and adventure why not join us on our Find Your Wild Coastal Foraging adventure in Pembrokeshire Wales! We offer unforgettable luxury camping and glamping holidays that allow you to explore nature, forage for wild food, and create memories with the people you love.
Our all-inclusive packages include an expert guide, food for the weekend, and a choice of either camping or glamping accommodation -- plus our holidays are dog friendly too! Come experience Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay area with Top of the Woods' Find Your Wild Holidays today.
On a bright winter weekend in November Jon planned a surprise Pembrokeshire adventure for us, a coastal foraging course with the knowledgeable Craig Evans from Coastal Foraging.
On a bright winter weekend in November Jon & I met up with Pembrokeshire's coastal foraging legend Craig Evans and his faithful Golden Retriever Llew (Welsh for Lion) from Welsh Coastal Foraging.
Together they are bringing coastal education and sustainability to the public with his Coastal Foraging Courses in an ethical and accessible way. He also shows the world how it's done through his own YouTube channel.
As foodies, (in Jon's case a lifelong obsession with all things food!) what could be better than heading out for a bit of beach foraging for the day. Craig expertise showed us what wonderful wild produce is available at different times of the year in different habitats. Plus, Jon, Dylan and I got to explore some new places in Pembrokeshire we hadn't been to yet - a complete win! win!
The day started with Craigs taking us to his secret Pembrokeshire locations to start our foraging adventure. We found wild garlic in the woods next to the beach. At this time of year, you need to know where to look for wild garlic as the plants have died back to bulbs, in readiness to pop up in spring. Wild garlic loves a shady and moist spot in the woods, and we needed a little to add to our beach feast for later.
After, gathering our wild garlic we headed off to Wisemans Bridge beach to start the coastal part of the forage. Where we met foraging guests that were joining us for the wild coastal foraging day.
Craig explained that summer is a great time to forage as there are many more plants to choose from, however even in winter you can still find tasty plants like sea radish, rock samphire and sea lettuce for your wild food table.
Rock samphire growing along the beach edge is often found on many a fancy restaurant table!
Craig is not just an expert in foraging, but he has a great knowledge of sustainable issues affecting the Pembrokeshire coastline and its local geology. He explained that the Pembrokeshire coast had once been part of the Caribbean coastline.
At low tide you could see the fossilised jungle floor and tree stumps from that period of history. Interesting stuff!! He even pointed out coal seams from the cliff face along Wisemans beach.
Another great aspect is the Find Your Wild Coastal Foraging camping or glamping holiday is dog friendly too! Dylan the Top of the Woods campsite dog loved coming along for the day and he met his new bestie 'Llew', (which means lion in Welsh) Craig's handsome golden retriever.
Plus, all the glamping accommodation at Top of the Woods campsite in Pembrokeshire Wales is dog friendly!
One of my favourite things I learned was how to forage for razor clams and they are super tasty too! First you find the little holes they create in the sand. Craig will show you what you need to look for exactly. They look like a figure of eight, then pour salt on the hole to bring them to the surface .......
...once they lunge out of the sand grab them firmly & pull them out slowly, another tasty addition to our beach feast later!
We foraged more delights, fresh mussels, limpets and cockles for our Pembrokeshire beach seafood lunch.
Prizing a limpet from its rock...
Jon digging up cockles on a Pembrokeshire Beach
Now we have collected our Pembrokeshire's nature's bounty, it's time to get the campfire lit, get warm and cook up our beach feast on the Swedish fire log!
After being outside all day my hands had started to numb, so having the fire was warming the 'cockles of my heart', or in this case definitely the hands :-)
Time to get the cook on! Good welsh butter, wild garlic, with cockles, limpets, mussels, razor clams, and two different types of snails. Time to eat!
Top tips for a great day of foraging
1. Go with an expert. You will learn so much more, be safe and forage legally.
2. Wrap up & bring layers or sun-cream & hats. Your experience will last approx. 5-6 hours.
3. Bring good shoes. You will be scrabbling over rocks.
4. Bring a bag for your foraged items. Be respectful with how much you take, don't take too much.
Coastal Foraging in Pembrokeshire, Wales Discover the wonders of coastal foraging during your stay at our luxury glamping campsite in Pembrokeshire, Wales. This fantastic experience lets you explore the beauty of the coastline while learning about nature and sustainable foraging. With expert guidance from Craig, you can uncover hidden treasures like edible plants and shellfish, all while soaking in the stunning coastal scenery.
Coastal foraging is a must-do adventure during your stay at Top of the Woods. Explore the magic of Pembrokeshire’s wild coast, and immerse yourself in the natural bounty of the region.
Book your stay today and start your coastal adventure!
Top of the Woods Provides the Best Eco Luxury Glamping & Camping Holidays in Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay in Wales, UK. Sustainable Staycations. Beaches. Nature. Woodlands. Dog Friendly.
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