Chef Network Skill Social Series presents: Summer Wild Food Forage & Picnic with Barry Ralph
Tuesday, 19th May
Time: 10.30am-2pm (approx),
Location: Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Hosted by chef Barry Ralph of House of Plates restaurant, Castlebar, this interactive and hands-on foraging walk will introduce you to the breadth of wild foods available in Irish hedgerows in May and inspire you with ways to preserve foraged foods in season and incorporate them year round on your menus. Barry is a talented chef and experienced forager - check out his brilliant ‘Wild Food Wednesday’ series on his instagram.
An approx two-hour foraging walk, guided by Barry, along the Mayo greenway from Castlebar will be followed by an informal picnic of local produce from House of Plates (feel free to bring something along too).
Barry will take you through how to recognise and collect available wild plants, talk through how he cooks with and preserves them, and provide you with a booklet guide to take home. In late May, we can expect to find things like nettles, elderflowers, and the last of the wild garlic.
Learn how to:
Enjoy a social picnic and chance to chat with other chefs and share ideas.
Forage, including light picnic lunch, €25 per person
Max 20 places available.
Meet location is just outside Castlebar town - to be advised after booking. Plenty of parking available.
Cancellation terms: Tickets are non-refundable after Thursday the 14th of May if for any reason you cannot attend please let us know and we will attempt to resell your spot in which case we will refund the full amount.
Meet your Tutor:
Barry Ralph is a chef with 25 years’ experience who was inspired, perhaps even compelled, to open his own restaurant after attending the first edition of Food on the Edge in 2015. Now in business ten years, House of Plates in Castlebar celebrates the local and seasonal produce of Mayo and is recognised amongst the best restaurants in the country. Barry has a huge passion for foraging and wild food as well as growing his own, and his passion in contagious. Check out House of Plates on instagram and especially Barry’s regular Wild Food Wednesday videos for inspiration.
Skill Social Series:
2026 marks 10 years since the launch of Chef Network and we are going back to basics, with a series of events to build the chef community on the ground and contribute to learning and skills development for chefs. In line with our original aims, and with what members have told us they want, we are creating a series of regional events that bring small numbers of chefs together to network and at the same time learn a skill or gain new knowledge – so a skill element and a social element: Skill Socials! Across the Spring and Autumn, you can expect a number of small-scale events like bread workshops, foraging trips, and farm visits.
Want to host an event or have an idea for something you would like to learn? We would love to hear from you. Drop us an email at info@chefnetwork.
Please sign in to your account if your a chef network member to access the event below or alternatively sign up to be a member HERE.
Tuesday, 19th May
Time: 10.30am-2pm (approx),
Location: Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Hosted by chef Barry Ralph of House of Plates restaurant, Castlebar, this interactive and hands-on foraging walk will introduce you to the breadth of wild foods available in Irish hedgerows in May and inspire you with ways to preserve foraged foods in season and incorporate them year round on your menus. Barry is a talented chef and experienced forager - check out his brilliant ‘Wild Food Wednesday’ series on his instagram.
An approx two-hour foraging walk, guided by Barry, along the Mayo greenway from Castlebar will be followed by an informal picnic of local produce from House of Plates (feel free to bring something along too).
Barry will take you through how to recognise and collect available wild plants, talk through how he cooks with and preserves them, and provide you with a booklet guide to take home. In late May, we can expect to find things like nettles, elderflowers, and the last of the wild garlic.
Learn how to:
- Recognise common wild foods
- Harvest responsibly
- Preserve them for year round use
- Inspiration for incorporating on menus
Enjoy a social picnic and chance to chat with other chefs and share ideas.
Forage, including light picnic lunch, €25 per person
Max 20 places available.
Meet location is just outside Castlebar town - to be advised after booking. Plenty of parking available.
Cancellation terms: Tickets are non-refundable after Thursday the 14th of May if for any reason you cannot attend please let us know and we will attempt to resell your spot in which case we will refund the full amount.
Meet your Tutor:
Barry Ralph is a chef with 25 years’ experience who was inspired, perhaps even compelled, to open his own restaurant after attending the first edition of Food on the Edge in 2015. Now in business ten years, House of Plates in Castlebar celebrates the local and seasonal produce of Mayo and is recognised amongst the best restaurants in the country. Barry has a huge passion for foraging and wild food as well as growing his own, and his passion in contagious. Check out House of Plates on instagram and especially Barry’s regular Wild Food Wednesday videos for inspiration.
Skill Social Series:
2026 marks 10 years since the launch of Chef Network and we are going back to basics, with a series of events to build the chef community on the ground and contribute to learning and skills development for chefs. In line with our original aims, and with what members have told us they want, we are creating a series of regional events that bring small numbers of chefs together to network and at the same time learn a skill or gain new knowledge – so a skill element and a social element: Skill Socials! Across the Spring and Autumn, you can expect a number of small-scale events like bread workshops, foraging trips, and farm visits.
Want to host an event or have an idea for something you would like to learn? We would love to hear from you. Drop us an email at info@chefnetwork.
Please sign in to your account if your a chef network member to access the event below or alternatively sign up to be a member HERE.
