John Wright waxing poetic about one of the 60+ mushroom varieties we found.

Last Friday, I went on a mushroom foray in the New Forest with John Wright from River Cottage. This was a day to experience and appreciate the incredible diversity of this marvellous country. The edible-ness of each variety was a mere side note, for every fungi had a story, as well as beautiful (and sometimes rude!) Latin name. Here are a few choice captures from the day.

My “desert island mushroom”. Hygrocybe conica, Blackening Waxcap. Just beautiful.

Forager’s nip: Épine, a boozy infusion made with blackthorn leaves.

John was with us in photographing the moment. Even for a seasoned forager, the exciting finds never cease.

Best part of the mushroom foray: the stories! And John Wright is an exceptional storyteller.

Edible species: only 4 of the 60+ mushrooms we found were edible. Enough for a fry up at the end of the foray.

Our foraging spirit guide? “Myc” the gnome. He’s a fun guy.

Recommended reading

• Flickr Gallery of my mushroom foray photos
• John Wright’s Website including foray dates
• How to make épine our “forager’s nip”
• The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names, John’s latest book