Ballymaloe trained chef, Erin Bunting, and organic gardener, Jo Facer, founded The Edible Flower in 2016, having run a successful supper club in their East London home, the Leytonstone Brewhouse & Kitchen.
They moved to a seven-acre farm in Northern Ireland to find a “permanent base closer to nature”, where they established the Edible Flower, a farm-to-fork supper club, organic small-holding and fledgling cooking and growing school based in Saintfield, County Down.
As well as supper clubs, they run a CSA (community-supported agriculture) scheme, cooking, brewing, and growing workshops, classes, and demos.
Their mission is “to enrich” their lives and those of their customers through the joy of “delicious, inspiring, surprising and sustainable” food.
The Edible Flower
On March 9th, 2023, Jo and Erin will publish their first cookbook, The Edible Flower, which invites foodies and cooking enthusiasts to learn how to grow and cook edible flowers just in time for spring.
Their recipes are inspired by the seasonal produce that they grow in their kitchen garden and wild food they forage from their local shores from hedgerows.
A spokesperson for the publishing company, Laurence King Publishing, said:
“The versatile recipes are easy to follow, and many of the foraged flowers can also be found in urban spaces, allowing city dwellers to discover and make the most out of the green spaces by foraging magnolia flowers and more.”
“From Primrose, Honey and Parsnip cakes to Courgette flower tacos, Dill Flower Aquavit, Pickled Magnolia Katsu Curry and more, The Edible Flower invites us to feast, celebrate and bring people together with over 50 recipes for small plates, mains, desserts, snacks and drinks, at once fresh and flavourful and stunning to serve.”
From gardening tips to helpful how-to guides, the Edible Flower is all about “making this largely untapped culinary delight more accessible”, according to the spokesperson for Laurence King Publishing.
Illustrated with over 200 commissioned photographs, the book features more than 50 recipes for small plates, mains, desserts, baking, snacks, and drinks, from courgette flower tacos to lilac panna cotta, proving that edible flowers are not just a garnish, but an “incredibly versatile” ingredient.
In the spokesperson’s words, “The Edible Flower is not just a cookbook but a guide to connecting to the earth, the seasons and a more sustainable way of living”.
