Wild seasonal cheer is on the cards says Sarah Watson

As the nights get decidedly chilly, warming seasonal refreshment brings festive cheer, such as the rose hip vodka liqueur I started infusing a few months ago – it's sweet and deliciously fruity with butterscotch notes. Rose hips are a bit of a superfruit, rich in vitamins, minerals, lycopene and antioxidants. They're said to boost the immune system and ease stomach irritations. They're also anti-inflammatory, having been shown to reduce joint pain and the risks of heart disease.

Can foraging itself cheer us up? My boyfriend (and chief taster of foraged creations) tells me, 'you're much more relaxed after getting out in the countryside'...I'm an anxious person at the best of times, but he's right; I feel so much better after getting outside and taking some exercise in a quiet green space away from traffic noise and hustle and bustle. Ignoring modern technological distractions while engrossed in stretching to select the plumpest sloes, or carefully avoiding thorns to reach the ripest rose hips. It's calming, replenishing and good for our wellbeing - it seems to put things in perspective. It's a quiet pastime that allows you to notice things: the antics of insects, flapping of wings, bird calls and the intriguing rustling of unseen creatures in the undergrowth.

Have a very happy new year, and if you can get out for a festive forage for nutritious winter greens or antioxidant-rich hedgerow fruits, it might just be an antidote to the excesses and stresses of the season.

Get wild food tips and details of my foraging and cookery courses on www.facebook.com/wildfeast or contact sarah@wildfeast.co.uk