It’s now getting into that season where berries are ripe and ready and free for the taking! My sister and I headed over to Hampstead Heath and found a ton of blackberries, I filled our big glass mixing bowl! There are others picking them also but there are so many bushes that there is plenty to go around, and there are heaps of other blackberry patches around too – Epping Forest is another wonderful spot if you want a day out around London.

Some berry picking tips if you’re heading out…

1. Ripe berries look black, and the ripest will just fall into your hand when you go to pluck it. You shouldn’t really have to tug on the berry.
2. Bring a bucket. Plastic bags will do, but they can rip if you catch it on a thorn and will tend to start leaking berry juice by the end.
3. Wear jeans because the thorns are sharp and you need to protect your legs if you want to be able to reach the juiciest berries.
4. Wear old dark clothes because you’ll get purple over everything!
5. Cover up with a long sleeve top. Stinging nettle tends to live alongside the berry bushes and you can’t always avoid brushing against it.
6. Avoid the low-hanging fruit or anything in a dog’s range! Likewise, it’s best to avoid patches that around roadways… stick to the forest patches if you can get to them.