Eight Catering and Hospitality students from Coleg Ceredigion left the classroom behind this week to join renowned forager Craig Evans and his loyal golden retriever, Llew, on the Pembrokeshire coast.

They were guided by lecturers Sam Everton - 2025 National Chef of Wales and 2024 Young Chef of Wales - Huw Morgan, formerly of the Urdd in Llangrannog, and lead technician Lona Winney.

Craig is one of the UK’s most recognisable foragers, having appeared on BBC One’s Wynne & Joanna: All at Sea, Channel 4’s Best of Britain by the Sea, BBC Two’s Love to Cook with Mary Berry and Great Coastal Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo. He has also cooked live at the BBC Good Food Show alongside Gennaro Contaldo and long-standing Food Editor Barney Desmazery.

At low tide near Tenby, students uncovered cockles, razor clams, mussels, velvet swimming crabs, sea squirts, sea potatoes and edible seaweeds like laver and pepper dulse. Craig explained how tides, water quality and weather shape safe foraging, while stressing sustainability - only taking what’s plentiful and leaving enough for nature.

As the tide turned, Craig lit a ‘Solva stove’ - a Swedish-style log fire - to cook the haul. Prawns sizzled in local salted butter with wild garlic and samphire, followed by steamed shellfish and seaweed.

Sam Everton said: “Today has helped the students learn and experience what’s available on the coastline of Wales, highlighting Welsh produce they can use if they want to be able to cook something from their country or tell a story behind a dish, and will help them move forward in their careers.”

Craig’s Classic (£90) and Extreme Low Tide (£130) courses can be booked at www.coastalforaging.co.uk .