Taste the New Forest in October

October is full of foodie fun in the New Forest! As Harvest Season continues into early October, and the end of the month being Halloween, when there is always lots of spooktacular things to do and tasty treats to eat, October is great for foodies and is a fantastic time to visit the New Forest. 

Starting in September and ending in November, pannage continues throughout the whole month of October - so make sure you watch out for those pigs when you are out and about in the New Forest. Pannage is a traditional practice in the New Forest, where pigs are released out on to the forest floors to eat up acorns, and other nuts, that are poisonous to the ponies and cattle roaming free. The New Forest is now one of the only areas in the UK that still practice pannage. You can try Pannage Pork later in the winter, buy purchasing from local butchers or farm shops, or trying it in delicious dishes at local pubs and restaurants. 

Did you know that there are approximately 2,700 different species of mushroom and fungi that can be found in the New Forest? It’s during the autumn months, October in particular, that you can spot the mushrooms and fungi emerging across the forest floor and on fallen trees, and they’re not all in the form of your regular mushrooms, some are very strange shapes and colours! Although most should not be consumed, so please do not pick or eat any mushrooms or fungi you find in the New Forest, just look! You could book onto a fungi guided tour with the experts in the New Forest to learn more. 

October is the ideal time to head out on a long walk, exploring the nature and wildlife in the New Forest and coming across lots of stunning sights, then heading to a local cafe or tea room nearby after your adventure for a cup of tea and a slice of cake, or a filling up on a full-english breakfast or doorstop sandwich! There are loads of fantastic cafes and tearooms dotted around the New Forest, so wherever you choose to go walking, there’s sure to be one just around the corner!

October Half Term is between 22 October and 1 November in 2021, and is a brilliant time to come and enjoy everything the New Forest has to offer. From walks beneath the bright orange and red trees, to family trips to local attractions, our traditional country pubs are also great places to settle for the afternoon and enjoy delicious food, refreshing drinks, fantastic forest atmosphere and beautiful auburn views out the windows. Or you could wrap up warm and pack up a picnic, full of delicious local produce, and head out into the forest for a peaceful autumn picnic - make sure you don’t forget a flask of tea or hot chocolate, to keep you extra toasty! 

Halloween means ghoulishy fun in the New Forest, with lots of fab-boo-lous events on the day and in the lead up to Halloween, with half term being at the perfect time to celebrate Halloween to the maximum in 2021! Our visitor attractions always put on terrifyingly brilliant events and activities around Halloween, including pumpkin carving, spooky trails, nighttime river tours and loads more. Make sure to plan a trip to the historic village of Burley around Halloween, well known for it’s witchcraft! Burley village is usually full of Halloween festivities, where you can enjoy fun activities and lots of tasty Halloween themed treats!

Pumpkins are one of the main local crops that grow across our farms in October, and most invite you to come and enjoy pumpkin picking, so you can choose the biggest and best pumpkin in the New Forest for you to carve and make pumpkin soup from! At Sunnyfields Farm there is a huge pumpkin festival that takes place each year, where you can go and pick your own pumpkin and enjoy lots of other Halloween fun and local produce while you’re there.  

With pumpkins being a main local produce in October, our Local Produce Personality of the Month in October is Ian from Sunnyfields Farm. 

Our Hospitality Personality of the Month for October is Matthew Whitfield from The Montagu Arms Hotel. 

Take a look below to find out more about pannage, October Half Term fun, Halloween, mushrooms, pumpkins, Ian from Sunnyfields Farm and Matthew from The Montagu Arms Hotel, plus loads more foodie ideas and events taking place in October in the New Forest.