Few things say British seaside like a bucket of cockles. Mussels and cockles are abundant on the right shores and wonderful to cook — but because filter-feeding shellfish concentrate whatever is in the water, this is the one corner of foraging where the safety rules are simply non-negotiable.
Where to find them
Mussels cluster on rocks, groynes and old pilings on clean shores; cockles sit just under the surface of sheltered, sandy flats at low tide, given away by little dimples — rake gently with your fingers to find them.
The water-quality rule — read this first
Only ever gather shellfish from clean water, well away from sewage outfalls, harbours, marinas and river mouths. Avoid gathering after heavy rain, which washes runoff into the sea, and during algal blooms or ‘red tides’. Check local shellfish-water classifications — and if there is any doubt, do not gather.
Pick the right ones
Take only tightly closed, live shellfish, or ones that close up when you tap them. Throw back anything that stays open, feels light, or has a cracked shell, and leave the small ones to grow on.
Purge, scrub and cook thoroughly
Rinse and purge your haul in clean, salted water for a few hours, scrub mussels and pull away their beards, and cook thoroughly — discarding any that refuse to open. Our recipes have a lovely mussels dish to point you at.
Take little, leave plenty
Gather a meal, never a haul, and never strip a bed bare. Follow your local IFCA byelaws and any size limits — they exist so there are cockles and mussels here next year too.