Foraging in Ireland: A feast or fatal mistake?

Let’s be clear: foraging is not a game of chance. Mistakes can be costly, and in the worst cases, fatal.  And remember, in the great supermarket of nature, there are no refunds

Dr Michelle McKeown: "While many wild plants are delicious and nutritious, others are, frankly, out to get you. Some of the most poisonous species in Ireland look uncannily like their edible cousins."

There’s a certain smug satisfaction that comes with plucking something green and leafy from the wild, popping it into your basket, and imagining you’re some mix of Bear Grylls and Nigella Lawson.

Foraging has become fashionable in Ireland, with chefs sprinkling wild garlic flowers on everything from sourdough to sea bass, and Instagram awash with shots of bramble jams and nettle soups. It’s wholesome, sustainable, and free.