Courses: woodcraft, weaving & wild cooking

We have designed three fabulously creative, comprehensive courses for woodcraft & weaving…..

Level 1 and Level 2 woodcraft courses will have distinctive content that will equip you to deliver woodcraft activities to all ages and all abilities of children and young people.

Drinks & snacks provided, bring any additional food as desired.

Level 1…ideal for nursery & all primary age school children…..£125

This is a three hour course to help you understand the best wood and tool for the job.

• We will explore different types of wood, their uses, strengths & weakness.
• Look at different tools and their purpose and appropriate use.
• We will explore the use of dowelling rather than the use of nails for joining.
• We will make several items to demonstrate understanding and safe use, including whittling to make a decorated marshmallow stick, making a mallet, a peg, a spiky hedgehog and a whistle.
• Each attendee will leave having written up their risk assessment for using tools in school.

At the end of the course you should be able to identify some common wood, use the listed tools safely appropriately and with competency and know how to make the four listed items. You should have an understanding of risk and benefits of using tools with children including skill and age appropriateness.

Level 2…ideal for children and young people in KS1, KS2, 3 & 4…..£190

This is a five hour course to help you understand the best wood and tool for the job. To prepare a piece of wood for carving a spoon. To expand that understanding into the use of carving equipment and the safe use of an axe.

• We will explore different types of wood, their uses, strengths & weakness.
• Look at different tools and their purpose and appropriate use and care of them.
• We will explore the use of dowelling rather than the use of nails for joining.
• We will make several items to demonstrate understanding and safe use, including whitling to make a decorated marshmallow stick, making a mallet, a peg, a spiky hedgehog, a peg loom, a whistle and learn some basic carving which may lead to carving a spoon.
• Some basic weaving skills…we will make one item on our wooden weaving stand using willow.
• Each attendee will leave having written up their risk assessment for using tools in school.

Our weaving courses will look at the use of various willows, their qualities and the way in which they can be used.

We will make at least three items during this four hour course…..£90

There is so much more to cooking outdoors……… Exploring & feasting beyond bread and marshmallows!

Your day begins at our forest school basecamp. As you gather around the campfire we will provide you with a fresh cuppa in hand, and introduce you to the art of outdoor cookery, sharing how fire has always brought people together, not just for warmth and cooking, but also for community and celebration.

This will be an exciting opportunity to explore the structure of the cooking fire itself as you prepare and cook a wide variety of produce from tried & tested recipes to experimental ones. You will have the opportunity to learn how to use the flint & steel to start your own fire. You’ll learn that the flame is your friend and explore how to manage the four key areas of the fire; essential knowledge for successful campfire cooking. You’ll discover how each part of the fire plays a role in different methods of food preparation, from fast frying to slow roasting.

We’ll get hands-on with a range of traditional cooking techniques, making & using equipment for cooking over & in an open wood fire, a pizza oven & BBQ. You’ll create in a cast iron Dutch oven using a wide range of fabulous quality, seasonal ingredients, including that which we may have forraged, depending on the season. We will explore the use of a reflector oven for cooking with radiant heat, and prepare a variety of dishes using tried-and-tested campfire methods. Throughout the day, you’ll be nibbling on tasters and samples of your creations, experiencing the flavours as they evolve over the fire.

This is a very ‘hands-on’ experience and is suitable for complete beginners and those with more experience. A great gift for singles, couples & families.

Get the whole family involved.

We run family friendly sessions , mixed sessions and those for adults only. We can do bespoke sessions for your group too.

The menu listed below is an example of the food cooked on a full day courses.

If you work with children or adults in any outdoor setting or if you just want to create a feast on your home fire pit, pizza oven or BBQ, then this creative cooking course is for you.

A course creating confidence in outdoor feasting. Bring the kids too and explore their cooking skills…..7’s & over welcome! When kids get cooking they also get eating! Children must be accompanied by an adult & expect to participate in this creative experience, max number of children per adult is 4.

Some of the areas we may include on this informative course, age, ability of attendees & time dependent:

• Lighting and building a suitable fire for the job
• Managing heat
• Constructing a tripod to hang a variety of items from
• Fire pits & grills
• Use and care of cast iron pots, including the Dutch oven
• Essential, but simple, natural items that are useful when cooking over a fire
• Creating a vegetable hot pot in the Dutch oven…..adding variations such as flavour & tofu
• Drop scones /Welsh cakes
• Willow
• Gutting and ponassing fish.
• Basket for grilling fish
• Creating brunch in an edible pot
• Making flat bread/ash bread
• Chicken/Tofu & Vegetable Kebabs
• Char-grilled vegetables…….eg leeks, asparagus, peppers
• Stuffed garlic mushrooms
• Onion Bhajia in the cast iron wok
• Exploring the use of a pizza oven
• Calzone pizza over a regular fire
• making burger for the BBQ
• Chocolate cake/brownie in the Dutch oven & in orange skins
• Popcorn in a sieve
• Sweet treats…..creating a selection of sweet treat for all occasions from chocolate bananas to chocolate cake in an orange skin
• Marshmallows

Food & drinks for the day provided…..if you cook them well enough!! So by the end of the day, you’ll leave with a full stomach, a head & folder full of recipes & ideas, & most importantly the confidence to take your campfire cookery to the next level. Whether you’re a keen on the home bbq, an outdoor enthusiast, a teacher or scout leader or someone who simply loves good food, this course offers an inspiring, flavour-filled day celebrating the art of outdoor cooking.

All recipes will be sent after the course as well as a certificate of achievement.

Why not explore this option as a team building event for your workplace.

Prices from £30

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