Seasonal Eating

Michaelmas and the Goose That Was Christmas

Before the turkey, goose ruled the British feast table. We trace its story from...

Herring Season: When the Silver Darlings Return

British herring peaks from summer into autumn. Here's what that means for fresh fish...

Hand-Dived Scallops: Why the Label Matters

Hand-dived scallops are better for the seabed, better in the pan, and worth the premium...

Why British Mussels Peak in the Cold Months

The old 'months with an R' rule still holds: British mussels are at their sweetest and...

When British Crab Is at Its Best

Brown crab season runs roughly April to November in British waters. Here's what that...

Britain's Wild Mushroom Season, Done Safely

The UK wild mushroom season runs late August to November. Here's what makes it special...

Nettles: Britain's First Green of Spring

Nettle season runs from March to May in the UK. Here's what makes this ancient wild green...

Sweet Chestnuts: Season, Safety and Where to Find Them

Sweet chestnuts are ready to forage in October and November – but telling them apart from...

Rosehips: Britain's Hedgerow Harvest

Rosehips ripen across British hedgerows from September to November. Here's what makes...

Mulberries: The Fruit You'll Never Find in a Shop

Mulberry season in the UK runs from August into September. Here's why this ink-dark...

Why Parsnips Taste Better After a Frost

Parsnip season runs October to March in the UK, but the roots genuinely sweeten after...

Leeks: Britain's Quiet Winter Vegetable

Leeks are in season from September to April in the UK – here's what makes them special...

Why British Peas Are Worth the Wait

Fresh podding peas have a brutally short British season. Here's why that window matters...

British Pears: A Season Built on Patience

British pear season runs from autumn into winter, but eating one well means understanding...

Pershore and the Plums of the Vale of Evesham

Pershore in Worcestershire is the heart of England's plum country. Here's what makes the...

Simnel Cake and the Eleven Apostles

Simnel cake is Britain's Easter fruitcake, baked with marzipan through the middle and...

The Hot Cross Bun: Its Marks and Meanings

What does the cross on a hot cross bun actually mean? We explore the symbolism, folklore...

Why Britain Eats Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday

The reason Britain eats pancakes on Shrove Tuesday goes back to Lent, fasting, and the...

Lamb, Hogget and Mutton: Know the Difference

Lamb, hogget and mutton are the same animal at different ages — and the differences in...

Mackerel and the Short Season Worth Chasing

British mackerel season runs roughly May to September. Here's why freshness defines this...

The Medlar: Britain's Fruit You Eat Half-Rotten

The medlar is Britain's most overlooked orchard fruit — picked hard, left to rot...

The Brussels Sprout Gets Its Season Back

Brussels sprouts are in season October to February in the UK. Here's why the vegetable's...

Blackcurrants: Making the Most of July's Sharpest Crop

Blackcurrants ripen fast and vanish faster. Here's why Britain grows so many yet sells so...

Why Scottish Raspberries Taste Different

Scotland's long summer days, cool nights and rich Tayside soils build raspberry flavour...

The Victoria Plum's Late-Summer Fortnight

The Victoria plum season lasts just weeks in late August and September. Here's why that...

Kent Cherries and the Short British Cherry Season

The British cherry season runs roughly late June to early August, peaking in July. Here's...

Wassailing: Waking the Orchard in January

Wassailing is an ancient January ritual of singing to apple trees to rouse them for the...

Why British Tomatoes Peak in Late Summer

British tomato season runs roughly July to September. Here's why a sun-warmed August...

Britain's Brief, Brilliant Nut Season

Kentish cobnuts and wet walnuts are two of Britain's most fleeting autumn pleasures...

Samphire Season on the Salt Marsh

Marsh samphire grows on tidal mudflats from June to August. Here's what makes it special...

Watercress Season: Making the Most of a British Native

Watercress grows in chalk-stream beds across Hampshire and Dorset from spring through...

Purple Sprouting Broccoli's Brief, Brilliant Season

Purple sprouting broccoli peaks from February to April, filling the hungry gap with...

Pumpkins and Squash Worth Eating This Autumn

Britain's squash season runs deep into winter if you know which varieties to seek out...

Quince: Britain's Forgotten Autumn Fruit

Quince ripens in October and November, transforming from a hard, astringent fruit into...

Gooseberries: Britain's First Fruit of Summer

Gooseberry season runs June to July in the UK. Here's what to know about cooking versus...

How Christmas Dinner Is Built Across a Whole Year

The Christmas table looks effortless. Behind it lies months of preparation — some of it...

The Hungry Gap: Britain's Leanest Months

The hungry gap runs roughly March to May, when winter stores are spent and new season...

Seville Oranges: Six Weeks to Make the Year

Bitter Seville oranges arrive from Spain for just a few weeks each January. Here's why...

Blackberrying: Britain's Free Hedgerow Harvest

Blackberry season runs from late August into September. Here's what to know about...

Making the Most of English Strawberry Season

English strawberries ripen from May to September, with June and July at their peak...

Native Oysters and the Months with an R

Why the old R-month rule still matters for British native oysters, and how it differs...

UK Game Season: What's in and When

From the Glorious Twelfth to the last pheasant of February, here's how the British game...

Damsons: Britain's Fiercest Little Plum

Damson season runs late August into September. Here's why this intensely tart British...

When to Pick Sloes (and When to Leave Them)

Sloe picking has its own quiet calendar. Here's what to look for in the hedgerow and why...

Elderflower Season: Britain's Briefest Harvest

Elderflower blooms for just a few weeks each year. Here's what shapes the season, why...

Wild Garlic Season: Making the Most of It

Wild garlic fills British woodland from roughly March to May. Here's what to look for...

Forced Rhubarb and the Season Worth Waiting For

Forced rhubarb arrives in the depths of winter, grown in dark Yorkshire sheds by...

Britain's Apple Season, Explained

From Cox to Russet, Britain's apple harvest runs September into October. Here's what to...

The Short, Glorious British Asparagus Season

From St George's Day to Midsummer, Britain's asparagus season lasts just eight weeks...

What to Eat and Drink in December

From frost-sweetened parsnips to native oysters and peak-season Stilton, here's what...

What to Eat in Britain in November

From frost-sweetened sprouts to the last quinces of autumn, here's what British fields...

What's in Season in October in the UK

From pheasant to quince and the first sloes, October is one of Britain's most rewarding...

What to Eat in September in the UK

September is one of Britain's richest months for seasonal produce. Here's what's at its...

What to Eat in August in Britain

From the first grouse to hedgerow blackberries, August is one of the most rewarding...

What to Eat in Britain This July

From peak cherries and currants to coastal samphire and the first honey of the season...

What to Eat in June: British Seasonal Produce

From elderflower to the first cherries, June is one of Britain's most rewarding months...

What's Actually in Season in the UK in May

May marks the end of the hungry gap and the arrival of asparagus, Jersey Royals...

What to Eat in April: Britain's Spring Larder

British asparagus, wild garlic, Jersey Royals and spring lamb — April is one of the most...

What to Eat in March in Britain

March is a month of transition on the British table. Here's what's genuinely good right...

What to Eat in February in Britain

Forced rhubarb, purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and the last Seville oranges: here's...

What's Actually Good to Eat in January

From forced rhubarb to Seville oranges and brassicas at their peak, here's what British...