If you’ve always fancied mushroom hunting but haven’t a clue how or where to start, a new book by Southwold-based mushroom expert Peter Jordan is definitely one to get your hands on…

Popping down to the supermarket to buy a punnet of commercially-farmed, pre-cleaned button mushrooms in no way compares to foraging for wild varieties in a beautiful Suffolk forest, but you’d be unwise to think that mushroom hunting is the sort of hobby you can partake in without doing a fair amount of reading up on the subject beforehand.

With so many poisonous - even potentially deadly - mushrooms pushing their way up through the forest floors it is imperative that you approach mushroom hunting safely - but do some serious research, find a reliable guide and you could be embarking on a fulfilling new pastime sooner than you think.

Fortunately for fungi enthusiasts based in Suffolk - and folk planning a visit - we have of plenty of picturesque woodland areas in the county, coupled with the fact that one of the UK’s foremost mushroom experts happens to be based here.

The man in question is Peter Jordan, a Southwold resident and former bank manager who for 10 years ran the popular Lord Nelson pub in Burnham Market with his wife Valerie (during which time the couple earned a far-reaching reputation for their exotic wild mushroom dishes.)

These days Peter is indulging his passion for mushrooms full time as the owner of The Tasty Mushroom Partnership in Southwold - a role that enables him to organise mushroom forays throughout the UK and write extensively on the subject.

Peter’s impressive knowledge of all things mushroom related has seen him appear on television with top chefs including Gary Rhodes, Brian Turner and Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall, become a regular presenter on local radio, pen various books on the subject and even make a video - The Collectors’ Guide to Wild Mushrooms.

It all amounts to a glowing CV for the man who first became interested in mushroom hunting at the tender age of four - under the guidance of his grandfather in North Norfolk.

Peter’s most recent book on the subject - Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of Britain and Europe - was launched at Southwold’s Swan Hotel in early September 2006 and offers an authoritative, enthusiastic and user-friendly guide to picking edible mushrooms.

The book’s introductory chapters provide important advice on where, when and how to collect mushrooms, along with a look at their use throughout history. The main section meanwhile is a beautifully illustrated guide to the very best edible species of fungi to be found in Britain and Europe, providing profiles of any potential poisonous look-alikes, to ensure accurate identification.

And those all-important post-picking subject areas are addressed in the final sections of Peter’s Guide - namely how to store your prized finds and cook them to perfection!