Books Worth Reading #6: 'Food for Free' by Richard Mabey

I first started learning to forage as a young lad. My granddad and my dad would show me various hedgerow nibbles that helped to stem my hunger pains during long rabbit and pigeon shoots. I then I moved to London from Cornwall and put such things aside for a while. 

But then, some 30 years ago I moved out to Buckinghamshire and I've since moved even further into the countryside. And around 15 years ago I got bitten by the foraging bug all over again and treated myself to Richard Mabey's classic, Food for Free.

It's been my 'Bible' ever since and, even though I've since bought other books on the subject, this one is still my favourite. 

I then discovered there was a pocket edition, I bought it at once and it's travelled everywhere with me for over a decade.

It's such a useful little book. For a start it will tell you that those blackberries are safe and delicious while the enticing looking red berries above - Bittersweet Nightshade - are best left alone. Although it's one of the less poisonous members of the Solanaceae family, it will make you feel quite ill. That said, instances of poisoning in humans are rare on account of the fruit's intensely bitter taste. 

But if you had the book you wouldn't even try it!