fumble . find . forage

Foraging @ novanta


Totally wild

After many years of aimlessly wandering our mountain, books in hand, we are finally on track to discovering what wonderful bounties our valley is hiding. For five days we will share with you every lesson and every secret we have been lucky enough to uncover in this bountiful valley. We will explore the joys of foraging in such a beautiful and wild environment. Expect to forage for an element of every meal you enjoy during your stay before using wild ingredients in a multitude of practices, from; fermenting wild food, brewing with wild ingredients, infusing foraged flavours, hunting for wild truffles, cooking in a pit, open fire grilling and wood oven roasting. 

This is a foraging and cooking course on steroids – we will eat sleep and breathe the hillside and become addicted to finding the treasures hidden inside! We will be out foraging and cooking every day, hand harvesting and processing wild ingredients and learning many techniques to aid the storage of our wild ingredients.

A small intimate group of passionate foodies will join us on a mountain discovery week, running simultaneously with our “A Tavola” programme, so we will eat like kings even if we don’t find golden truffles! 

Be ready to experience amazing lunches and long dinners. Think Field and Forest to table, every step, explained and shared by ourselves and the locals. It’s going to be wild! 

about the teachers

James Wood, (what a cracking name!) owner and founder of Totally Wild, has been in love with the wild world since childhood, and spent many years developing his skills and knowledge of all things “wild” from mushroom paper to elder berry salt. James is now seen as one of the UK’s top foraging and wild food experts, he’s on a mission to share this knowledge and show people that wild food is something we can all forage, prepare and enjoy.


prices

€1250,-

Per person for a semi-private bedroom in a shared suite with ensuite bathroom.

€1450,-

Per person for a private single studio bedroom with private ensuite bathroom                     


dates 2024

17 Apr

22 apr

23 OCT 

28 OCT 


What's included

  • 5 nights accommodation
  • Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Wild Wines served
  • Transport to and from Arezzo
  • All classes and workshops with ourselves + locals
  • Authentic Foraged & Tuscan recipes from ourselves, locals and their Nonas
  • A foraging knowledge that will open your eyes to what is growing right under your feet

a typical day

We adjust our program to each season and course, but here is a bit of an idea to get your wild cooking juices flowing …

  • Hunting for black truffles with Nicola
  • Fresh pasta making with our favorite chef
  • Prepping and starting our wild ferments
  • Infusing and brewing some wild beers & wines
  • Wild flavoured Sausage making at Fabrizio’s
  • Creating luscious wild preserves and syrups
  • Foraging wild herbs & mushrooms in Gello
  • Cooking with all our local friends

location

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Gello valley, you will find Novanta. Surrounded by more than 350 hectares of private forest, field, river + pasture, you could walk for hours without seeing another soul or crossing your path. Hundreds of years ago more than 300 people lived in our glorious village, using the land for everything they needed. Our mission is to take a few steps back towards living from our land once more.