No-one is more fond of fungi than Brigitte Tee. Her foraging career, which began in 1974, has resulted in her becoming an internationally recognised authority on wild mushrooms. She has been supplying wild and cultivated exotic mushrooms to many of the UK's finest restaurants and hotels for the past 25 years and she has been granted a unique licence to pick and sell fungi for life in the New Forest.

Her obsession in observing fungi in its natural habitat has meant that she can successfully forecast potential harvests enabling her to help chefs plan their seasonal menus.

Recently widowed, Mrs Tee is a truly charismatic, entertaining and delightful lady who's late husband John Hillman managed Jimi Hendrix. She is passionate about educating people about fresh and naturally grown food and gives hugely popular mushroom seminars. She has several claims to fame, including having owned the largest Great Dane on record. Alongside her Wild Mushroom business she runs a Bed and Breakfast from her home in the New Forest.

• Why do you do what you do?
  I simply love foraging. It is a passion which started in 1974 but only between September and December. My second husband came along and turned it into a year long business in 1992. Until recently, I was the hands-on person and my husband was the sale person but now I am both.


• What achievement are you most proud of?
  I am proud of perservering with my legal wranglings with DEFRA, which resulted in me becoming the only licence holder entitled to pick and sell the many diverse wild mushrooms that grow in the New Forest where I am based.


• What is your most memorable moment?
  The Chef from Buckingham Palace has visited me here twice and on his most recent visit I made him some mushroom and potato pancakes. He was delighted with them and took the recipe because during the Queen's sojourn in Balmoral he is constantly faced with the challenge of what to do with the copious amounts of field mushrooms that are grown there.


• If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you do to encourage more people to eat British Food?
  I would improve educational resources so that children and adults can be taught more about British food and learn how accessible it is. The lack of food education in this country is what has inspired me to teach mushroom seminars. Unless it is pre-packaged and from a supermarket people are often suspicious about fresh food and that is desperately sad.


• Favourite food and why?
  Truffles if I am ever feeling flush and venison


• What are your predictions for the future of British food?
  This recent recession is hopefully going to encourage people to grow their own food, keep chickens and learn about the fresh and wild food that grows around them. Back to Nature.


• If you were an advertising executive what slogan would you use to promote British food?
  Look Around You. Buy British.


• Credit crunch tip?
  Buy fresh and freeze it. When you buy pre-frozen food from a supermarket it is highly likely that it will have been injected with up to 10% preservatives which is why there is so much water when you de-frost it. Far better to buy or pick surplus fresh British food and then freeze it immediately.


• What’s on the menu this evening?
  Pan Fried Young Yellow Hen with Gingered Wild Mushrooms & Soy Caramel Jus. The recipe is on our website wildmushrooms.co.uk


• How can people get hold of your produce?
  We do overnight delivery, which you can arrange through our website wildmushrooms.co.uk. Mrs Tee’s Wild Mushrooms, Gorsemeadow, Sway Road, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 8LR. Tel: 01590 673 354 Fax: 01590 673 336 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it