Volf Wild Foods
In conversation with Luke and Nikki Jefford, the visionary founders of Volf Wild Foods, who are dedicated to the art of crafting delectable dishes infused with wild ingredients.
Hi Luke and Nikki! Can you give us an introduction to Volf Wild Foods?
We launched Volf as a concept during the first Covid lockdown. With many of the ingredients we typically cook with unavailable at the time, we recognised how fragile the supply chain really was. This led us to turn to the land and forage for our ingredients. We were able to source approximately 60% of our diet from our local terroir, which brought us great joy, especially during a time of travel restrictions. Our foraging adventures not only enhanced our mental well-being by allowing us to connect with nature, but they also improved our physical health. We launched Volf initially as a resource to inspire and motivate people to get out and reap the rewards of a wild diet.
We’d love to know your story. What are your backgrounds that led you up to this point?
Nikki's story is a far more romantic one than Luke's. Her childhood was spent foraging for mushrooms and berries with her grandfather in the forests of the Czech Republic, often getting lost for hours while searching for wild edibles. These memories are incredibly dear to her heart. The name 'Volf' pays tribute to Nikki's grandfather, a partisan during WW2, who played a crucial role in relocating people to the safety of the forests. However, after the war, when the communist party assumed power, Nikki's family was compelled to adopt a new surname that was more in line with the government's ideology. Given this history, the name 'Volf' serves as a gesture of remembrance.
Luke’s first entry into the world of cheffing started when he was tasked to forage for Rose Hips in the New Forest with little more than the memory of the plants thorns from his childhood garden. Fortunately, his first forage was successful and ignited a passion for foraging and cooking. Luke has gone on to become an award-winning head chef, with 4 years in the Michelin Guide. Most recently coming top 3 in the UK at a sustainable cooking competition alongside Michelin starred chefs. As Luke’s career has progressed, he’s become more focused on sustainable practices and genuine British produce. Foraging being a key practice that has ticked all of these boxes!
Luke and Nikki spend most of their time (when not in the kitchen) as students of nature. Reading up about all things edible and the not so edible! Hopeful to inspire and educate others about what surrounds them in a safe and sustainable way.
What have you guys got instore for us this year?
Whilst continuing on with our wild food inspired website, we are now launching an events side of our enterprise. Hopeful to bring a cheffy aspect to what truly can be done with all things wild. We’re running pop up restaurants based around foraged, sustainable and hyper local produce. As well as foraging classes and workshops, helping you to learn how to preserve all of those wonderful wild things well beyond their seasons.
Any tips for aspiring foragers?
Taking a relaxed approach, give yourself one plant, tree, fungi, seaweed, whatever it might be, to learn each week. Study that thing, what does it look like? What does it smell like? What environment was it growing in? What season is it in? Take photos from every conceivable angle. Go home and study that plant either via books or through the internet. There are many great forums on Facebook for identification. A good field guide is worth their weight in gold. Once you’ve identified that, you can go on to research whether it's edible or not. Within one year (hopefully) you’ll know 52 new things! That’s a lot!
Becoming a forager naturally aligns you with sustainability and being ‘at one’ with nature. Nikki and Luke travel to many sites to make sure they are not going to harm local populations of wild produce. A pick one, leave one, policy is an absolute must. If you're unsure of whether something is protected or threatened, it is best to go home and research it before removing it from its environment. There are many invasive non-native species that one would be doing the ecosystem a benefit by eating!
Website → volf.co.uk
Instagram → @volfwildfoods
