Herbal Remedy Workshops in Cumbria
Make your own herbal tea blend, syrup, balm or tincture in a small, hands-on workshop, and take it home the same day.
Lots of people think making herbal remedies is specialist knowledge, something you’d need years of training for. But does it have to be that way? I don’t think so. A tea blend, a syrup, a balm or a tincture comes down to a handful of traditional techniques, and they’re easy to learn with someone beside you showing you how.
That’s what these workshops are: practical, beginner-friendly herbalism workshops where you learn one technique properly. I demonstrate, you make your own with my help, and you take it home with a recipe card so you can make it again. No experience needed, and everything is provided.
Choose your workshop
Tea blending (Tea & Talk)
The gentlest place to start. Taste seasonal herbal infusions, learn the difference between an infusion and a decoction, and how to build a balanced blend. Then create your own to take home.
Syrup making
Syrups are one of the oldest ways of keeping herbs, and they’ve traditionally been made in autumn and winter. Learn the ratios that help a syrup keep and how honey helps preserve it, then make a bottle of your own to take home.
Balm making
Learn to infuse herbs into oil, slowly without heat or gently with it, then set it with beeswax to the right consistency. You’ll take home a tin of herbal balm you made yourself.
Tincture making
Learn the folk method and weight-to-volume ratios, which plants suit a tincture, and when to use fresh or dried plants. You’ll make a tincture to take home and leave to mature. Tinctures are made with alcohol and typically keep for three to five years.
What you’ll learn in every workshop
- How to identify the plants we’re using, and how to source them ethically
- What each plant has traditionally been used for, and why it suits that preparation
- How much to use, how to label and store what you make, and how long it keeps
- Which herbs to avoid and when, including in pregnancy, alongside medication or with allergies
What’s included
- All plants, equipment and containers
- Whatever you make, to take home
- A recipe card and instruction sheet
- Answers by email afterwards, if a question comes up once you’re home
Why learn with me
I’m Bex Northman, a Member of the Association of Foragers. I teach foraging and herbal remedy making across Cumbria, Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. I started foraging because I wanted better food for my family. Picked from the right places, wild plants haven’t been sprayed, and they give you a far wider range of plants and flavours than the same few crops that fill the supermarket shelves.
I’m not a medical herbalist, and I won’t pretend to be. What I teach is practical: the plants, the traditional methods, and the confidence to make it again at home.
Practical details
- How long: 2 to 3 hours, indoors, so workshops run all year whatever the weather.
- Where: each date below lists its venue.
- Group size: small, so everyone gets hands-on help.
- What to bring: just yourself. A notebook if you’d like one.
- Allergies: tell me when you book. We work with plants, oils, beeswax and honey, and I’ll let you know if a workshop suits you.
- Under-18s: welcome with a participating adult, unless a date says otherwise.
- Prices and spaces: shown on each date below. Concessionary places are available on selected dates.
Next workshop dates
Educational only, not medical advice. Please read the note at the foot of this page before you book.
Prices and spaces are shown on each date.
No dates showing? New workshops go up through the year. Join the newsletter to hear when the next one opens.
Where next
Go deeper
Masterclasses
A full day on one subject, such as hedgerow herbs or wild mushrooms. For when a two-hour workshop has you hooked.
Make it an occasion
Foraging Experiences
Foraging plus something indulgent, like Fungi & Fire, with Bex’s famously mouth-watering cooking.
More questions? Read the FAQs →
Please read before booking. These workshops are for educational purposes only, based on traditional herbal knowledge. Wild & Weeds does not provide medical advice. Bex Northman is not a medical herbalist, doctor or qualified healthcare professional. Always consult a healthcare professional before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a health condition. Herbal remedies can interact with medications and may not suit everyone. Any remedy you make is your own responsibility, and Wild & Weeds accepts no liability for any adverse effects from its use. Read the full Herbal Remedy Disclaimer →