Coastal Forage Experience with Veld & Sea - 6 March

We have been delivering coastal foraging workshops and classes for over 10 years, teaching everyone from complete beginners to Michelin star chefs, students, foodies, locals and holiday makers. Our courses take place on carefully selected stretches of the Atlantic coast. Our aim is to equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to safely, ethically and sustainably find wild food on our abundant coastlines. This experience follows the tide. Dates are set around the summer's spring low tides which fall twice a month, when we have access to maximum time in the intertidal rockpools. Booking early for these public events is advised as our low-tide mornings are limited.

WHO THIS IS FOR:

Aimed at adults but children are welcome to join their parents. This experience is for anyone curious about wild food, foraging, self-sufficiency or what it might mean to eat in closer relationship with the coastline you live near or love. Chefs wanting to experience new ingredients or foodies wanting to learn about Cape Town's local shellfish and edible seaweeds and how to unlock their unique umami flavours. People interested in ecology, healthy living, coastal cuisine or those that just want to have a delicious experience in the beautiful outdoors.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

We will start off the day meeting at the beach, where our team of foragers and marine educators will expertly introduce you to responsible, regenerative and local foraging practice and species ID on the rocks and make our way around the tidal pools where forage for edible seaweeds and mussels. This beautiful coastline is abundant with food, but as we always forage mindfully we will be focusing only on the seaweed species that are growing prolifically in the area and the invasive mussel species, stressing how to treat the wildlife and space with respect, and learning the ecological stories surrounding the intertidal ingredients.

After our morning on the rocks, we will head to the Veld and Sea HQ in Cape Point (just a 5km drive from the beach) with our foraged food to learn how to prepare, preserve and cook the wild harvest, watch chef demo cooking over fire and listen to interesting seaweed talks. Enjoy a delicious and nutritious seasonal inspired lunch meal and dessert in the Glasshouse accompanied by interactive Botanical Drinks created with wild rainbow syrups, fynbos tinctures, smoked seaweeds and flower ice.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• A full morning of guided intertidal foraging, with identification and ecological context throughout
• Wild food snacks and herbal tea on arrival at Veld and Sea and a seasonal inspired lunch and dessert, cooked together from the morning's harvest
• Follow up mailer with resource notes covering identification, recipes, tide charts and more

WHAT TO BRING:

• Your mollusc permit (you can purchase these at your local post office or online via https://www.fishing.dffe.gov.za)
• Clothes you don't mind getting a bit wet or salty, slip-slops or booties (or barefeet!) for the rocks, your mollusc permit (a legal requirement, available online via the DFFE website), a water bottle, hat and a jacket in case of wind or rain. You are welcome to bring your own additional drink of choice to enjoy at lunch.

BONUS:

• Take your own foraged seaweed home to experiment in your kitchen, if you wish to take mussels home, please bring a cooler box!
• We have a lovely selection of coastal, food and nature books to browse though in our little wild library in between the cooking and learning.
• A beautiful selection of curated goods will be available for sale, including items like seaweed soaps, handmade ceramic cups, herbal tinctures, wild flavour pantry preserves, V&S T shirts and the much anticipated book Wildly Delicious - Foraged Flavour and Cooking in South Africa.

COST:

R1600 per person

Children under 17: R650

Children under 2: Free

2 x WOC scholarship tickets are available for this event, please email [email protected] for details.

WHEN: Saturday 6 March 2027

Meeting at Scarborough Beach at 8am for a 8:15am start

VENUE: Scarborough beach, followed by the Veld and Sea HQ, Plateau Rd, Cape Point

FAQ:

• Is this suitable for vegetarians? Yes, there are a variety of dishes served at this experience and vegetarians will not go hungry! Please let us know well in advance if you have any food allergies so we can cater accordingly.
• Duration: 5 hours
• Refund policy: 50% cancellation fee. Non-refundable within 72 hours of event. Tickets are non-transferable to other event dates.
• Can I bring my dog? Unfortunately not.