Laurence King scoops guide to growing, cooking and eating edible flowers

Laurence King has snapped up the first cookery book by Erin Bunting and Jo Facer, founders of Northern Ireland’s farm-to-fork supper club and organic smallholding The Edible Flower.  

Katherine Pitt, senior editor, acquired world rights to The Edible Flower: A Modern Guide to Growing, Cooking & Eating Edible Flowers from Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedmann for publication in spring 2023.

The publisher’s synopsis says: “In The Edible Flower, readers will learn how to grow, cook and eat edible flowers. From gardening tips to helpful how-to guides, The Edible Flower is all about making this largely untapped culinary delight more accessible.

“Illustrated with over 200 commissioned photographs, it features more than 50 recipes for small plates, mains, desserts, baking, snacks and drinks, proving that edible flowers are not just a garnish, but an incredibly versatile ingredient. The Edible Flower is not just a cookbook but a guide to connecting to the earth, the seasons and a more sustainable way of living.”

Chef Erin Bunting and organic gardener Jo Facer founded The Edible Flower—a supper club and organic smallholding based at their farm in Saintfield, County Down—in 2016. As well as supper clubs, they run a community supported agriculture scheme, cooking, brewing and growing workshops, classes and demos. 

Pitt said: “Erin and Jo have been a joy to work with because they are both so passionate about edible flowers and care deeply about communicating their rich gardening and cooking knowledge to readers. The Edible Flower is more than a cookery book; it’s a snapshot of a way of life to which we’ll all aspire.”

The pair also commented: “For us, growing and cooking with edible flowers is about so much more than making beautiful food, though that is a delightful benefit. Edible flowers bring beauty and colour into your garden, provide a habitat for pollinating insects and add unique and surprising flavours to your plate.

“Through The Edible Flower you can join us on a journey to live within the rhythm of the seasons, to create a gorgeous, sustainable and edible garden, and to make floral dishes that are both delicious and beautiful.”