I am a country man at heart  even though I have spent the last 25 odd (very odd at times) years working in cafes and restaurants in Dublin city, part of me always yearns for the wilderness and the wildness of the countryside.

takingaleaf has grown out of this love and a desire to remain connected to green space even in the very heart of the urban landscape. Taking time out to connect and to learn the plants that live down the lane, or by the river, or on an abandoned site. The more we know the more we are connected and so we are never too far from the earth. 

I want to share this connection through the experience of eating together at a big table and incorporating local wild plants into the dishes.

Guided walks and introductions to the abundant wild plants sometimes literally on our doorsteps. Many plants are both edable and medicinal and you may be surprised to hear what they have been used for in the past and stories and legends associated with them.

Workshops on making, teas, tinctures and decoctions from wild sourced plants and herbs.