Spring Foraging in Oxfordshire: Cleavers & Wild Garlic at The Jericho Kitchen

As the hedgerows of Oxfordshire begin to wake, spring offers some of the most generous and nourishing wild ingredients of the year. At The Jericho Kitchen at The Cart Shed in South Oxfordshire, we love celebrating seasonal food that grows just beyond our doorstep.

Two of our favourite early spring plants are cleavers (Galium aparine) and wild garlic (Allium ursinum).

Cleavers — often known as goosegrass or sticky willy — grows abundantly in UK hedgerows. Though commonly overlooked, it has long been used in traditional herbal practice to gently support the lymphatic system and encourage seasonal renewal. Brewed as a simple infusion, it produces a fresh, grassy, mineral-rich tea that feels perfectly aligned with early spring. For a cold infusion, simply add cold water to cleaned cleavers and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. I drink 2–3 cups a day in spring as part of a gentle seasonal reset.

Wild garlic appears soon after, carpeting woodland floors with vibrant green leaves and delicate white flowers. Its unmistakable aroma signals the shift in season. At The Jericho Kitchen, we always encourage sustainable foraging in Oxfordshire — harvesting only leaves, never bulbs, and taking no more than a third from any patch.

This week, while walking through the park, I was kindly offered rescued wild garlic plants that were being cleared and discarded. They are now planted in our front garden and, in time, will be divided and gifted forward — our small way of strengthening local food resilience.

Our cookery classes and seasonal workshops in South Oxfordshire regularly explore how to cook and brew with wild ingredients, reconnecting people with food beyond the supermarket shelf.

Spring reminds us that nourishment does not have to be complicated. Sometimes it begins in the hedgerow.

Happy week ahead,
Em & her amazing team x