If you’ve joined one of Ruby’s walks, you’ll know her passion for wild food goes far beyond simply identifying plants. Her walks are about helping people see the landscape differently, reconnect with nature, and rediscover knowledge that has quietly been forgotten over generations.
Based in Hartlepool and exploring the diverse landscapes of County Durham and the North East coast, Ruby guides people through meadows, woodlands, hillsides and coastal habitats, showing just how much food and medicine is growing all around us.
We caught up with Ruby to learn more about her journey into foraging, her favourite plants, and what inspires her to share this ancient skill with others.
So, tell us, who is Ruby?
I am part of nature and happiest amongst the trees, listening to birdsong, watching the sunlight filter through the branches, and following the seasons as Mother Earth wakes, stretches, breathes and rests.
Connecting energetically with the land, the spirits of the plants, and all life around me is how I weave a little magic into my walks and workshops.
I love gathering roots, leaves and flowers for teas, and sharing what I’ve learned with others. At the same time, I’m an eternal student myself. There is always something new to discover and learn.
For me, foraging is a return home. It’s a way of reconnecting with our ancestors, remembering knowledge that has always been there, and rebuilding our relationship with the natural world. I truly believe it’s one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. 🌿
An Interview with our Hartlepool Vegan Forager
How did you first discover foraging?
I was walking with my dogs in 2018 when I spotted mushrooms growing in the grass on the edge of a woodland. They looked just like the ones you find in the supermarket.
I now know I had stumbled upon field mushrooms, and they were delicious.
What was the first wild food that made you think, “Everyone should know about this”?
Learning that yarrow can help stop nosebleeds. And that’s just one plant, for starters.
What’s your favourite plant to introduce people to on a walk?
Stinging nettle, because it gets a bad reputation through fear of the sting, yet it’s such a nurturing powerhouse.
What do you love most about taking people foraging?
Helping people really see and connect with the everyday things that were previously unknown to them.
What’s one thing people are always surprised to learn on your walks?
How much wild food and medicine is growing right under their feet.
Which wild ingredient can you not live without?
Don’t make me choose!
What’s your favourite way to spend a day outdoors?
Listening to birds, talking to nature, and finding something to put in my basket.
What’s special about Hartlepool and County Durham as foraging locations?
They’re so diverse, with coastline, meadows, hills and woodland all to explore. It’s a very abundant landscape.
What do you hope people leave your walks feeling?
That they can begin too. Start small and reconnect with our ancient wisdom.
Tea or coffee?
Hand-blended wild tea and dandelion coffee.
Favourite season?
All of them.
Favourite wild recipe?
Fermented spring greens and wild garlic served with lava cake burgers and a wild leaf pesto.
One wild plant you’d take to a desert island?
I would take a mixed bag of seeds and grow them all.
Most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
Thistle flower.
It was grim.
