64 Colour Directions SS 2023 - Humanist Beauty
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UK £100 / EUR €109 / USA $125
JUNE 2021
Colour Directions SS 2023
64 Colour Now SS 2022
Sleep & Fury Awkward & Wasteland
Enhanced Geographic Focus Focus on food & drink
128 COLOUR NOW / FOCUS SS 2022
Wedgwood the Restaurant
Hunting & gathering
Morphing from quirky
F
oraging lies at the centre And it’s not just social media that has
of an untidy Venn diagram become a forum for foragers; books
self-sufficiency to of different macro drivers on the subject are a nicely profitable
environmentally currently at play in the food industry;
a year of closed restaurants, an
little corner of publishing. Recent
titles include The Forager’s Calendar
friendly aspirational increased focus on sustainable by John Wright, Wild Mushrooms by
eating, foraged practices, the search for new yet
local and authentic ingredients, fear
Kristen and Trent Blizzard, Where
the Wild Things Grow by David
ingredients are of food shortages, increased time Hamilton, among others. “There is
attracting both chefs spent with nature. All these influences
have collided to drive interest in
lots of literature available these days,
making foraging less scary than it
and consumers foraging’s direction; in 2021 there has been in the past, as now you can
seeking to add was an 89 per cent increase in social
media coverage on the subject.*1
cross reference until your heart’s
content,” says Wross Lawrence,
authenticity to their Much of this impetus is consumer author of Urban Forager (Hoxton
tables. Report by driven: “There are a lot of social
media groups that promote foraging
Mini Press).
Tamsin Kingswell. in both the countryside and urban But foraging is more than just a
areas. This gives people that are new hobby; high end dining is also on
to foraging a sense of community. board, a reflection of the ubiquity and
Foraging has also had a lot of press limited range of farmed ingredients
during lockdown as it is a valid to entice jaded palettes. In sharp
excuse to go out, identify and pick contrast, the lure and rarity of
wild foods during daily exercise,” foraged ingredients adds a pleasing
says Paul Wedgwood, forager and gloss of luxury as well as a polished
Chef Patron of Wedgwood the environmental halo effect. No wonder
Restaurant in Edinburgh. then that the Michelin Guide recently
introduced a green star, rewarding infusion and freezing. “Nowadays, first experiences in nature with
chefs who ‘forage in hedgerows and the origin of food is of increasing me have grown up to found
woodlands,’ among other qualities. importance, people want to know environmental organisations, and
“Wild food has always been popular where their food comes from, this is others lead eco-tourism expeditions
with chefs but I have noticed that a kind of responsible consumption,” around the world.”
it has increased greatly. I believe he adds.
this is due to the fact that wild food With restaurants closed for much of
is unique, beautiful, delicious and For Tsutsunen, there’s an undeniable last year, foraging courses became an
nutritious. It also offers the chefs clean eating aspect to foraging that unexpected and much appreciated
flavour profiles that just aren’t capitalises on people’s anxiety about revenue stream. Wedgwood, who has
grown in agriculture, and the look GMO and plants stripped of vitamins run foraging sessions since 2016, was
of the plants can be surprising to the and minerals: “I believe that people flooded with requests. “This year will
customer too,” explains Lawrence. are becoming more interested in be my busiest year yet for bespoke
nature. The food that can be found foraging experiences. Over lockdown
This seasonality and originality is there and the health benefits are I had hundreds of enquiries and once
also key to foraging’s huge popularity contributing factors,” he says. restrictions lift my diary is nearly
in Finland. Wild food chef Jyrki full for the year. It is really great to
Tsutsunen explains that in Finland, And then of course there is the see, I am delighted that people are
freedom to roam gives everyone environmental agenda. ‘Wildman’ learning about and reconnecting
the right to forage berries and Steve Brill, who has been hosting with nature,” he says. Wedgwood
mushrooms as well as some wild foraging tours of New York’s notes that people are keen to learn
plants. “The flavours that can be Central Park and environmental about how to cook with wild food as
found in the forest are unique and campaigning says: “You’re eating an investment as they can apply the
at the same time, the plants have local, renewable foods without the knowledge to their everyday lives.
a distinctive texture,” he explains, cost of transport, and many of the “I often get approached by people
adding that the challenge in Finland best species are invasive. People while I am out foraging, they’re
is that the wild plants can only be who forage become more interested curious and interested in what I
foraged for a relatively short period. in learning about the environment am harvesting, I would always give
129 COLOUR NOW / FOCUS SS 2022
This has led to a parallel growth and protecting our non-renewable them a bit of an overview and let
in fermentation, pickling, drying, resources. Kids who had their them try it if they can,” he says.
Jyrki Tsutsunen | Photo Kimmo Brandt Wedgwood the Restaurant
Wedgwood the Restaurant Jyrki Tsutsunen | Photo Kimmo Brandt
Humanist Beauty Wross Lawrence | Photo Marco Kessler Wedgwood the Restaurant
However, as foraging grows in Foraged ingredients are even As Lawrence explains: “For me it is
popularity there are concerns: “If creeping into beauty products. In a the connection it gives you to nature,
foraging becomes the next biggest report on trends to watch in 2021, being able to witness up close the
130 COLOUR NOW / FOCUS SS 2022
craze this will have a detrimental Wunderman Thompson*2 notes that changing of the seasons and what
impact on the environment as it will foraged ingredients could well be the that brings, the spark of the hunter
deplete the plants and shorten their next big thing in beauty, citing brands gatherer that lays dormant in us
cycles,” says Wedgwood. Lawrence including Wild Beauty, Furtuna all being ignited, the unbelievable
agrees: “Damaging an area in any Skin and Alpyn Beauty. Wildling nutritional benefits of eating wild
way can have an enormous effect Co-founder Jill Munson tries to use food and knowing exactly where the
on climates, habitats and animals, foraged ingredients in the brand’s thing that you are putting inside your
changing the symbiotic relationship beauty products whenever possible. body has come from.” Foraging’s
that has taken them years to develop. “Plants that grow in their natural migration to the mainstream may just
Foragers should only be taking as habitat and in rhythm with nature be a momentary pause, reflecting the
much as they need and leaving the are stronger, more vibrant and potent extraordinary circumstances of last
area as they found it.” in their constituents. As the clean year. But some habits will stick, and
beauty movement grows, many are foraging might just be one of them.
Moving from micro to macro, foraging looking deeper into the ingredients
is also exerting influence outside they are putting on their skin. It’s not
its direct sphere. In Finland, trips just about being ‘clean’ but where the *1 Waitrose & Partners Food & Drink
Report 2021
to the forest are becoming more ingredients come from, how they are
immersive experiences. Tsutsunen’s grown,” she explains. *2 The Future 100 Report by Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence
‘Bones, wood and spoons’ event set
out to question the traditional food Jennifer Norman, Founder, Humanist
experience in a restaurant. There Beauty, agrees: “Foraged ingredients,
were no tables and the food wasn’t such as wild flowers, berries and
served on plates. “We might cover herbs are considered very respectful
one sense and at the same time of nature. They are grown
strengthen another. The guests were indigenously without pesticides or humanistbeauty.com
asked to leave their mobile phones soil treatment, and they are harvested jyrkitsutsunen.com
at the reception; the events are very carefully when the timing and season waitrose.com
meditative. I’m personally interested is right for sustainable regrowth. wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk
in how our other senses impact the Because there are limited locations wildling.com
culinary experience,” says Tsutsunen. from which ingredients can be wildmanstevebrill.com
The success of ‘Bones’ has inspired foraged, yields tend to be precious, @wrosstheforager
him to collaborate with artists and serving the needs of smaller artisanal wundermanthompson.com
musicians from different industries, brands more ideally. While desire for
aiming to create a unique ambience. wild-crafted ingredients is growing,
“People eat with all their senses. If I continued respect for the land
can satisfy people’s senses, hearing, must be upheld to prevent habitat
sight and taste, at the same time, I exploitation and depletion.”
don’t think that they can necessarily
break down what was good; what Certainly foraging attracts an almost
they saw, heard or tasted.” religious fervour from its advocates.
131 COLOUR NOW / FOCUS SS 2022
Photo David Bokuchava
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