One of my favourite arrivals every year is the glimmer of gorgeous juicy blackberries as they appear on bushes along practically every walkway and greenspace right now.  

Most of us will have memories of the magic of blackberry picking as a child.  Munching on them on the roadsides, purple stained fingers, and the pin prick of thorns as you feverishly forage for the juiciest berries.  It’s moments like this that formed my foundation for being a forager – that feeling of excitement at what you might find has never left me. 

Blackberry picking is a joy that I believe all children should experience.  Teaching kids to connect with nature and to begin to understand where their food comes from is a great way to introduce fruit and vegetables to even the fussiest child.  If they grow it, they will at least try to eat it out of pure pride.  Foraged berries and fruit rarely make it home, as they are gobbled before they even hit the basket. And the fact that they are sweet really makes the difference to children in the flavour stakes.

More than just a pretty face, the power of the Blackberry doesn’t just lay in the fruit.  Although adding blackberries to your daily meals can boost your health with a punch of Vitamin C & K, enhance your daily intake of fibre, and boost your brain health, the leaves have their own special skills that are often forgotten about.

Blackberry leaf makes a fantastic tea that aids sore throats, sore gums and even mouth ulcers.  The leaves contain a high level of Vitamin C, flavonoids and astringent tannins, which tone mucosa – in other words, mucus of the nose, mouth, lungs and stomach.  Blackberry Leaf tea therefore is also a fantastic herbal helper for those who suffer with gastrointestinal inflammation and diarrhorea.