Lucy Cuzzocrea

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Founder of Wild Roots Foraging

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I live in a beautiful little town called Guisborough, which is at the foot of the North York Moors. I live here with my husband and two little ones. We have an abundance of nature on our doorstep here but I haven’t always had wild food given to me on a plate like this. I lived in central Middlesbrough for many years and have made many an Albert Park pie, after rummaging through the park bushes, my lovely bum sticking out for all to ponder and scratch their heads at, as they innocently walked their Labradors.

It’s easy to think you have to live out in the countryside to get into foraging but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Wild food is all around us, right under our noses. It grows under the guise of “weeds” in our gardens, under our hedgerows, and in our green spaces. Most people are pulling it out, scared of what and why – they don’t really know. Most council workers are spraying it to death with highly toxic compounds – in fear of the many complaints that would surely flood in if they stopped.

I want to change this.

I want to show EVERYONE that wild food is for them and that it is our friend, not our foe. That it’s ok to let nature thrive and be herself. If only people knew the amazing benefits and medicinal powers of each wild plant, fungi and seaweed, we may all have a better relationship with nature, but also with ourselves. And we may just live very differently, indeed. 

And so, it is my intention to do just that. To help spread the good word and empower our communities with the lost knowledge of our ancestors. To reduce our use of plastic packaging and our huge reliance on agriculture for sustenance. Wild food is a million times more nutritious AND one of the best solutions we have available to us to reduce our carbon footprint.

If you would like to find out more, I would love you to join me on a walk in nature. Let me reveal to you the secrets of our ancestors and the immense power that lies within that knowledge.

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Bex Northman

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Foraging Walk Tutor

Serving Cumbria, Northumbria and the Scottish Borders

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There’s nowhere I’d rather be than outside in a woodland, foraging for beautiful wild food and medicine, connecting with the earth and with other like-minded souls.

I’ve been working in the outdoors all of my adult life, mostly as an outdoor instructor but always with a taste of the wild. I also have a deep passion for wonderful flavours, natural remedies, wild booze and bringing people together. Foraging for me is the perfect combination of my passions.

Being a forager is not an end goal, it’s a lifelong journey with something new to learn around every corner (or river bend). It’s a forgotten skill routed in our very DNA and we are just part of the path to awakening it within you.

When I’m not out foraging in a woodland, hedgerow or on the coast, you’ll find me in my kitchen or by a campfire, preparing foods, ferments, elixirs and brews for my family, friends and community. I’d love to share some nourishing wild food and drink with you… I’m a bit of a feeder, so I’ve been told.

So please, check out my courses, I cover Cumbria and some of Northumberland and into the Scottish Borders.

Stay wild, eat weeds and keep foraging.

Bex 

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Hayley Birks

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Foraging Walk Tutor

Serving the Yorkshire Dales

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Hayley’s life is rooted in a deep connection to the natural world. She is passionate about returning to a simpler, more grounded way of living, one that follows the rhythms of the seasons and honours the wisdom found in the land around us.

As a home educator, Hayley weaves nature into everyday life, raising her children with an understanding of the outdoors as both a classroom and a source of nourishment. Much of her time is spent foraging for wild food and medicine, reconnecting with traditional knowledge that has been quietly fading, and bringing it back into modern life in a practical, accessible way.

In the kitchen, you’ll usually find her cooking from scratch, using seasonal ingredients and wild harvests to create food that nourishes both body and soul. She believes that healing doesn’t need to be complicated – often, it’s found in the simple things: fresh air, good food, community, and a slower pace of life.

Through her work, Hayley shares a gentle invitation to reconnect with nature, with ourselves, and with a way of living that feels deeply human.

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Cheryl Havelaar Chapman

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Foraging Walk Tutor

Serving Seaham and Northumberland

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Hi, I’m Cheryl – an enthusiastic forager, nature lover, and slightly muddy-booted wanderer of wild places.

I spend much of my time exploring hedgerows, coastlines, and woodland edges, gathering both food and knowledge from the natural world. For me, foraging isn’t just about what’s edible, it’s about connection, curiosity, and learning to see the landscape in a completely different way.

I run guided foraging walks where I share practical, hands-on knowledge about identifying wild plants, fungi, and coastal edibles, with a strong focus on safety, sustainability, and respect for the land. I love helping people build confidence, turning “I’d never touch that” into “I can’t believe that’s edible!”

Alongside this, I create natural foods and remedies using wild ingredients, from nutrient-rich pestos and herbal teas to mushroom extracts, blending traditional knowledge with modern understanding. I’m especially interested in the medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties of wild plants, and how everyday foraging can support health in a simple, natural way.

At heart, I believe nature is one of our greatest teachers. Whether we’re learning the name of a plant, tasting something new, or just slowing down enough to notice what’s around us, there’s always something to take home, even if it’s not in your basket.

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Ruby Merrick

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Foraging Walk Tutor

Serving Hartlepool

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Ruby is part of nature and is happiest amongst the trees, listening to the birdsong, watching the sun through the branches and following the seasons as Mother Earth wakes, stretches, breathes, and rests.

Connecting energetically to the land,  plant spirits, and all of life therein is how she weaves her magic into walks and workshops.

 She delights in gathering roots, leaves, and flowers for teas. Sharing what she knows, as well as being the eternal student too. There is always something new to learn.

For her foraging is a return, a connection back to our ancestors, and the best gift we can give to ourselves.

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