WHEN the Day of the Triffids dawns and oil ceases to flow, thus bringing a halt to both the transport system and also emptying the supermarket shelves of purchasable food, when civilisation as we know it ends, Kazz Padidar will likely be your main man.

Foraging has always been his passion, and it is something that he does regularly, teaching the public about local edible plants.

So, is Kazz looking forward to visiting Rockliffe Hall?

Absolutely. I used to forage for Richard Allen in Jersey before he came to Rockliffe Hall and very much enjoyed seeing all the wonderful food creations he presented there. It is great to work with a chef who can see lots of dimensions of flavour in wild foods and has fun experimenting with them.

Have you been to the North-East before?

No, so I am excited to see what the environment is like and to see what foraged food is available. I am a very big nature lover and I have heard it is very beautiful in County Durham, so I will definitely be taking some time to explore.

Are you looking forward to exploring what the Rockliffe Estate has to offer?

I have seen some photos of the estate and it does look great. The grounds look fantastic too and I am interested to see what trees are growing there as it may be a good sign of a wide variety of edible mushrooms as well. You can probably tell I prefer the outside world rather than indoors, but I have also seen images of the interiors of Rockliffe Hall and they look amazing too. I can’t wait.

How important is it for you to talk to people about foraging?

Foraging is a great conversation and an education for all of us in this day and age. There is a massive supermarket culture that desensitises us from where our food comes from, the impact that can be seen now with food miles on the environment, and a generally accepted culture of wasting food. Foraging allows us to recognise what is growing around us in our natural spaces and for those who love walking this makes the whole experience so much more interesting.

Wild food is also already organic, it has no processing and you can see exactly where it comes from. Through my teaching I always explain there is an etiquette when foraging – you should only take as much as you need or as much as the foraged item can give you without being damaged. I teach lots of children too and this is a great tool to connect them back to their environment and hopefully instil a duty of care for natural spaces. A huge focus is to highlight the health benefits which are wide ranging and always a great eye opener for many groups I teach.

Why should everyone have a go at foraging?

Foraging can be a dangerous game for those rushing in to pick whatever they think is edible. We have lots of plants in the UK that are poisonous, especially in the mushroom world.

Anyone wanting to begin exploring foraging should definitely start simple with easily recognisable items.

Buy books, do your research, and see if there are any expert foragers in your area running trips as this is a great hands-on way to become familiar with all that is growing around you.

  • Richard Allen, executive chef of Rockliffe Hall’s 4 AA rosette Orangery will welcome Kazz and chef Mark Jordan, both from Jersey for a special dinner on Wednesday, February 6. The evening will begin with a welcome cocktail and a talk from Kazz about some of the unusual ingredients he has foraged both from the Rockliffe estate and Jersey.
  • Guests will then enjoy a six-course menu created by Richard and Mark, using some of the ingredients Kazz has foraged.
  • Head sommelier Daniel Jonberger will also match four wines to the menu and there will be a raffle to raise funds for Hospitality Action charity.
  • To book, call 01325-729999.