

These mushroom breaks are aimed at the beginner with an interest in edible fungi. By day you stroll through spectacular Mid-Wales scenery, looking for delicious species while shuddering at those to avoid. At night, guests enjoy wine, a tasting session and a fungal feast. Groups are limited to 10 and we are based in the friendly three-star Horseshoes guesthouse in the little market town of Rhayader.
Mushrooms are a wild harvest, so we cannot guarantee results, but we would usually expect to find around two dozen edible varieties, including porcini; bay-, orange birch-, larch- and pine boletes; shaggy ink caps; parasols; chanterelles; blewits; fairy ring champignons; amethyst and common deceivers; field-, oyster- and hedgehog mushrooms; puffballs, cauliflower- and beefsteak fungus. Along the way we would also see a range of poisonous species, ranging from the unpleasant (e.g. sickeners) to the deadly (e.g. destroying angel).
Every two-day break includes all hotel accommodation; meals; guidebook; hand-made basket; collecting knife and local transport.
Mid-week breaks cost £295 per person (£145 deposit), while weekend breaks cost £325 (£165). Single bookings are subject to a £30 supplement. Discounts for children and group bookings are available - and private parties are also welcome. For further details and bookings call 01597 811168.
Since our first break in 1997, demand has grown steadily. This year we have six breaks spread across the height of the mushroom season. The crop will depend entirely on the weather conditions in late summer and early autumn, but even in a dry year we would normally expect to find at least a dozen edible species, while in a good year this could easily top 30.
Elan Valley Hotel
6 – 8 October 20 – 22 October
The Horseshoes Guest House
29 Sep – 1 October 15 – 17 October
24 – 26 October 29 – 31 October
To book please go to our booking page
Click here to download our booking slip.
Following last year’s great success, once again I have a slightly different package for more independent groups. These will be based in self-catering accommodation, but include all the main elements of my normal package, with lunches and evening meals prepared by a local chef. The cost is £250 per person, based on bookings from two groups of four - six. For further details and possible dates, phone 01597 811168 .
Mushroom Newsletter (23 January 2010)
The recent snow may not have been conducive to mushroom hunting, but spring is on its way and the arrival of my new mushroom cards and an invitation to hunt morels in Turkey have lifted my spirits . . .
Brown Hare
‘Mad as a March hare’ is a familiar expression, but one which means little to many young people. Few people fortunate enough to have seen a group of these surprisingly large creatures bouncing like boxing kangaroos across the frost-dusted grass will forget it however . . .
Hops (March 2010)
These are one of the earliest green shoots to emerge each year, snaking up through the hedgerows, curling around sturdier, now dormant, shrubs at a phenomenol pace . . .
Morel Stroganoff (March 2010)
Morels are the first seriously delicious mushrooms of the year to emerge. This delicious recipe merges their superb flavour (surely these must be in anyone’s top half-dozen wild mushrooms?) with yoghurt to create a light, creamy, dish with a hint of sour . . .
German mushroom knife
These specially imported knives have a hawk's bill stainless steel blade, lanyard hook and measuring scale. The blade's serrated back and inbuilt natural bristle brush allow collectors to clean their finds in the field.