Foraging Frome with a Flavour of Spring
- Daisy Steel
- 57 minutes ago
- 3 min read
There’s something magical about this time of year. The light shifts, the air softens, and if you know where to look, the ground begins to hum with life again.
On a bright March morning, Sonia set out with local author Eleanor Hayes to one of Frome’s best-kept seasonal secrets…wild garlic.
Tucked away in Spring Gardens, just on the edge of town, the woodland floor is transformed into a sea of green. “About a month ago it started peeping through,” Eleanor explains, “and now it’s quite abundant.” The season is short, running from March through to May, but that’s part of the joy. Seasonal cooking is about embracing something fully, just for a moment, before it fades and makes way for what’s next.
And right now, it’s wild garlic’s time to shine.
A local obsession in the best way
Eleanor laughs as she describes her long-running project. What began as a simple idea has turned into something extraordinary.
“I’ve been working on this book for five years,” she says. “I told myself it had to be 100% fun. I’m not doing it for money or fame, just because I have this weird obsession with wild garlic.”
It’s an obsession that’s clearly resonated. Her book, Wild Garlic Recipes, now contains more than 100 recipes, all tested, photographed and lovingly compiled by hand. What started as a scribbled notebook of ideas has become a fully designed cookbook, complete with chapters, an index and beautiful photography.
“It was all very analogue at the beginning,” she says, smiling. “A spiral-bound notebook, lots of crossings out…and then I had to type the whole thing up because my handwriting was so bad, even text recognition couldn’t read it.”
There’s something wonderfully Frome about it all. Creative, resourceful, a little bit stubborn, and driven by passion rather than profit.
Where to find it and how to pick it
Wild garlic isn’t hard to find once you know what you’re looking for. From Welshmill Woods to country lanes like Cuckoo Lane, it pops up all over the area.
But for Eleanor, foraging is as much about respect as it is about discovery.
“I only take what I need,” she explains. “Maybe two or three leaves from a plant, then move on. And I always go for the more mature leaves so the smaller ones have a chance to grow.”
There are a few golden rules too.
“Just avoid anything right next to the path, especially where a dog might have been. That’s a flavour profile you don’t want in your cooking.”
It’s practical, down-to-earth advice, and a reminder that foraging isn’t about taking as much as you can. It’s about working with nature, not against it.
From woodland to kitchen
Back in the kitchen, the morning’s foraging turns into something deliciously simple: wild garlic and cheese scones.
There’s a tactile joy to it. Flour sifted, butter rubbed in by hand, handfuls of freshly chopped leaves folded through the mixture. The smell alone is enough to make you hungry, sharp and green and unmistakably spring-like.
“It’s a great recipe to do with kids,” Eleanor says. “They love getting their hands in there.”
The key is balance. Not too dry, not too sticky. Just enough milk to bring the dough together. A generous handful of mature cheddar. And, of course, the star ingredient, picked just hours earlier.
Within minutes, trays of scones are heading into the oven.
More than just a recipe
What becomes clear, spending time with Eleanor, is that this isn’t just about food. It’s about connection. To place, to season, to small moments of creativity.
Her cookbook reflects that too. Some recipes are inspired by others, adapted and improved. Some are entirely her own. Others come from conversations, communities, even online food groups sharing ideas and enthusiasm.
There’s something deeply satisfying about the journey from woodland floor to finished dish.
As Sonia puts it, standing among the green leaves, “I’m totally blown away by how much we’re surrounded by.”
It’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. But once you see it, it’s everywhere.
A taste of spring on your doorstep
As the scones emerge from the oven, golden and fragrant, it feels like the perfect ending to a simple, joyful day.
A walk, a chat, a handful of leaves, and something homemade to share at the end of it.
Wild garlic season doesn’t last long. But perhaps that’s the point. It invites us to slow down, step outside, and notice what’s growing quietly around us.
Because sometimes, the best ingredients aren’t in a shop or a recipe book.
They’re right there, under your feet.
Written by Daisy Steel.
Journalist, columnist and podcaster
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