It’s blackberry season. That glorious few weeks when hedgerows across Britain drip with free pudding. And unless you want your kids to remember you as the man who only ever microwaved nuggets, this is your chance to level up.

Sure, you could make jam, cordial, or some Pinterest-friendly tart, but a pie is the ultimate dad move. Big, rustic, messy, and impossible to screw up so badly it’s inedible. Which is lucky, because this was the first pie I’ve ever made at 41 years old.

The real win though? Getting your kids out into the brambles with you, scratching for treasure like foragers from another age.

I took my two into the hedgerows this week. Within minutes they were purple-fingered berry bandits, moving through the brambles like fox cubs on a midnight raid. By the time we staggered home, scratched but triumphant, the tub was full and the kitchen was braced for chaos…