Biography
I've spent the last 16 years in Scotland and the most recent 10 in Fife, my Māori roots shape how I see this land and approach foraging. In Māori belief, it's something we're connected to and responsible for, not just something we take from. I think this is probably true of all traditional societies, and so it sparks something innate in us when we start to relate in this way. I draw on Kaitiakitanga, the Māori idea of guardianship, and bring it into everyday life here in Scotland.
I've also spent years working in kitchens and in horticulture, so I'm always thinking about what wild food can actually become on the plate. I love the art of the find, turning what you gather into a proper meal wherever you happen to be. Scotland is full of delicious edible species that have been forgotten and overlooked, and although the tide is starting to turn, I'm glad I get to play a part in people learning to harvest from and get to know their local edible landscapes respectfully and responsibly.
I'd say my natural habitat is anywhere there's seaweed (so I guess that means the coast). In Scotland I've done a real deep dive into the East Coast waters. I now have more than ten years here under my belt, learning the tides and what this special shoreline has to offer.
I love bringing people together, and this often takes shape as workshops that help folk reconnect with where they live and the food growing right around them. I get people of all backgrounds and levels of experience, as well as real newcomers, and I aim to keep my sessions relaxed and bring out something new for everyone by coming at the subject from a curious forager's perspective.
I've also been a professional chef, and I love to bring a spot of fine dining onto our sandy, rocky shores. I often help commercial businesses understand how they can incorporate wild food onto their plates, and I run preparation and cooking courses in all sorts of venues from time to time. I also do a lot of work with schools and young people, where the enthusiasm for seaweed leaves me with a lot of hope for the future!
My sessions are primarily about building a relationship with the land. We'll do plenty of hands-on gathering, observation and species identification, but I also want to slow things down and really notice what's around us.
You'll come away with a bellyful and a heartful, and hopefully also a change in how you see things. There's a lot growing under our feet, and in our waters that most of us walk straight past. Expect stories, sitting round the fire, ecology, sandy strolls, good company, delicious and surprising food, hands-on learning, and a feel for the rhythm of the coast.
Respect and curiosity are at the heart of it. I'd love to see that spread through our local culture in ways that are useful and good fun.
