The winter land has its own bounty, ripe for foragers who know where to look. On Norfolk’s cliffs the silver blue Sea Buckthorn blazes with glowing orange berries from early autumn. The Greek name is ‘hippophae rhamnoides’ meaning ‘shining horse’ because of the glossy sheen the fruit gave stallions’ coats.

These tough native shrubs spread networks of suckers, holding the sand together, stabilising coastal erosion. Sea Buckthorn thrives in the Himalayas where the juice is a popular restorative and was used in the 13th century as a tonic for Genghis Khan’s armies. It’s a survivor, dominating more fragile species, so forage with a clear conscience – but beware the stiletto sharp thorns! Wear long sleeves, good thick gloves and bring a container for the thin-skinned berries which burst as you pick them. A trick is to take secateurs, snip off whole branches and freeze the lot before snapping the berries off the stem.

Sea Buckthorn are dioecious, meaning the plants are either male (pollen and flowers) or female (abundant fruit). Tart and tangy with a bitter note, Sea Buckthorn is a Vitamin C rich superfood, ideal for making syrups, curds and jellies with plenty of recipes online. Here’s one of our favourites – Sea Buckthorn Gin. What a gorgeous sustainable homemade Christmas present!

Sea Buckthorn Gin

600g Sea buckthorn berries

300g sugar

1 litre Gin

• Put the gin, sugar & berries into large sterilised jars
• Shake it up
• Wait 4-6 weeks, shaking occasionally
• Strain through cheesecloth into bottles
• Drink – cheers!