Forest to Plate: Wild Herbalism in the Heart of Europe
A week long Immersive Herbalism Course in Brussels
Europe is not only a place of cities, institutions, and history - it is also a living landscape of wild plants, edible weeds, medicinal trees, and forgotten food traditions. Hidden in plain sight, between cobblestones, parks, forests, and fields, grows a quiet pharmacy that has nourished people for thousands of years.
This course invites you to learn European herbal medicine through its plants: by tasting them, touching them, understanding their chemistry, their ecology, and their role in human health.
Rooted in European herbal traditions and informed by modern plant science, this course bridges wild food and herbal medicine. We approach plants first as nourishment - as part of daily life, culture, and seasonal rhythm - and only second as remedies. Through guided foraging walks, hands-on medicine making, sensory tasting, and ecological observation, you will learn to read the landscape as a living apothecary.
Designed specifically for an international audience, the course offers a place - based yet inclusive approach to herbalism. Local Belgian and European plants are explored alongside the cultural plant knowledge participants bring with them from around the world. In doing so, the course becomes not only an education, but a shared exploration of belonging, resilience, and care.
Held in and around Brussels - the political and cultural heart of Europe - this program brings students into forests, parks, and urban wild spaces, while grounding learning in practical skills that translate into everyday life. By the end of the course, you will have built a personal relationship with European medicinal plants, developed a daily herbal practice, and gained the confidence to continue learning wherever life takes you.
Forest to Plate is not about extracting knowledge from nature.
It is about learning to live with it.
What does the herbalism training involve?
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Theorethical knowledge
Basic knowledge of herbalism: an overview of medicinal herbs, their actions, and applications.
Properties of herbs: chemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and essential oils.
History and traditions: how herbs have been used throughout the centuries in different cultures.
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Practical skills
Identifying herbs in the wild: nature excursions to recognize and identify plants and herbs.
Growing and harvesting herbs: learning how to establish and maintain an herb garden.
Preparing herbal remedies: making infusions (teas), tinctures (alcoholic extracts), salves and creams, hydrosols, and essential oils.
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Applications
Medicinal use: herbal applications for personal use.
Culinary use: using herbs in the kitchen for flavor and health.
Cosmetics: making natural personal care products such as scrubs, shampoos, and soap.
Included is a herbal package and our fysical course
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Physical and online course
The course involves both a physical and online course so you can check in from wherever you are.
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Herbal package
Description goes here
Included are excursions with following people
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Ben Brumagne
WILD FOOD SPECIALIST - FOREST TO PLATE FOUNDER
Excursions on edible and medicinal wild plants, focusing on identification and practical use.
After cycling from Belgium to India in search of wild edible plants, Ben has spent the past decade teaching thousands of people and reconnecting them with nature. His expertise lies in the culinary use of plants, traditional knowledge, and folklore.During two guided field days in diverse natural landscapes, you’ll learn how to identify, harvest, and use wild plants in a safe and practical way. Each excursion is followed by a hands-on culinary or herbal workshop, where the gathered plants are cooked, processed, and tasted.
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Martine Van Huffel
MASTER HERBALIST
Basic Plants, Active Compounds & the Use of Medicinal Plants
Led by a seasoned herbalist with a deep passion for medicinal plants. Martine has trained hundreds of people as herbalists across Flanders and is the author of several books, including The Herbal Apothecary.
In this course, Martine teaches you about the active compounds and practical use of medicinal plants for everyday life.
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Dr. Ruth Beretta
DOCTER
Course days on physiology and anatomy
Alongside her career as an emergency physician, Ruth fully immersed herself in herbal medicine. She studied pharmacognosy and phytotherapy at the VUB university in Brussels. Her passion is contagious. Ruth teaches you about human anatomy and physiology, and how herbs can influence these systems. -
Lily Joan Roberts
MEDICINAL FOOD & CHEF
Nutrition and Culinary HerbsLily Joan Roberts soon realized that she prefers to communicate through food rather than words. Her knowledge of herbs and the culinary arts introduces us to a new form of healing - through delicious food. Lily Joan teaches both the theoretical and practical aspects of nourishing, healing cuisine.
Where does the training take place?
The training takes place in and around Brussels. While sharing a broad range of theory, we take our time outdoors to learn directly from the plants.
Locations include:
Royal Botanical garden
Oppem, Meise
Sonienforest
Classroom in Brussels
Join our waiting list for 2027
Dates Monday-saturday
classes start at 9AM and finish at 6PM.
Subscribe for our next training in 2027
Please note that our courses fill up quickly, so early registration is recommended.
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€1250
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€950
10 Lessen verspreid over 10 dagen
2 kookworkshops
ga naar huis met zelfgemaakte producten
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50+ planten, video’s, fiches en gerechten, 350+ pdf pagina’srechtstreekste communicatie met ons tijdens opleiding
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