As a farming family, food is very important to us. We’re very connected to the land around us and understand the hardworking efforts that go into the production of every mouthful.
This connection to food was stitched in as a young child and connecting food back to the farm is something I have always seen as a given, and naively thought this was true for everyone else too. As I’ve grown older, and welcomed friends and strangers alike to our farm, it’s given me great perspective that this is something I took for granted and which is not the case for the majority of people I know. The connection to the farm and farmer has been long lost in a cold, sterile supermarket shelf with food covered in plastic. No sign of the muddy fields, live animals or weather worn faces to be seen here.
This is where I believe we need to rewild our food philosophy.
At The Rewilding, we run a series of immersive dining experiences, where we come together to ‘Feast Over Fire’, celebrate food, farming, foraged and British ingredients. The menus are all about connecting you back to your food and incorporate elements of game preparation, foraging, bushcraft and cooking with the elements.
We use only fresh, seasonal, wild food that has been foraged or locally sourced from farmers and suppliers who are local or we know personally.
We invite local chefs to bring their culinary imagination to life to highlight the food story behind the produce, and create a welcome space to gather, share and feast with others.
We invite people to come and be curious, ask questions to the producers and chefs, and share their own experiences with food, with an aim to open the gateway for further exploration.
This is the food culture I have grown up with and this is what I believe is one of the ways we can begin to mend our relationship with our food system and ultimately the land and hands by which it’s grown. All the while, celebrating local food, because I promise you, it goes much further than fish & chips, and bangers & mash.
Food is more than filling an empty space, it’s about the nourishment it gives our bodies in order to thrive and be healthy, the connection it brings when we come together and the enjoyment of the flavours, textures and creativity in experimenting with ingredients.
Let’s start giving food and farmers the respect they deserve, and have some fun in doing so. Come and join us for a one of a kind farm to table dining experience at The Rewilding in Cockerham hosted at Patty’s Barn.
Learn more about our upcoming food experiences here
