Seasonality 1

Why do people not know about seasonality? Modern technology means we can buy products such as strawberries in supermarkets all year round, but that’s because they are either being grown in greenhouses, or flown in from warmer countries where they are picked before they are ripe and can fully develop their flavours.

How do I know which food is in season? Seasonality How do I know which food is in season? The easiest way is to get a reliable seasonal chart that shows you which foods are at their best during which months.

Seasonality Fruit seasons chart

Vegetable seasons chart Seasonality Vegetable seasons chart

Vegetable seasons chart continued … Seasonality Vegetable seasons chart continued …

Meat and game seasons chart Seasonality Meat and game seasons chart

Fish and seafood seasons chart Seasonality Fish and seafood seasons chart

Why eat the seasons? Seasonality There are a number of good reasons to eat more local, seasonal food: to reduce the energy (and associated CO2 emissions) needed to grow and transport the food we eat to avoid paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has travelled a long way to support the local economy to reconnect with nature's cycles and the passing of time. The most important reason to eat seasonal food is because it is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious. The food has had time to grow and develop all of its nutrients and flavours.

Why eat the seasons? Seasonality Eating with the seasons means you can look forward to having things at their best. This gives you a bit of variety because you won’t be eating the same ingredients all year round. If you’re shopping at a local or farmers’ market you’ll be able to ask them exactly where they get their produce from. This is also known as provenance.

Where/how can I buy seasonal food? Seasonality Where/how can I buy seasonal food? Farmers’ markets and local food markets near you are usually the best places to start. Many supermarkets stock in-season British produce from British farms.

Eat seasonably Seasonality EatSeasonably.co.uk is a good website to find out about when fruit and vegetables are in-season. Eat Seasonably celebrates eating the right things at the right time: a crisp salad when it’s hot and sunny, a wholesome stew when it’s cold, strawberries in June, Brussels sprouts in December. Eating seasonably means: Better taste: top chefs agree that fresh seasonal produce is best. Better value: our research has shown that a basket of fruit and veg bought in the summer can be as much as a third cheaper than the same basket bought out of season. Better for the planet: growing in season requires lower levels of artificial inputs than at other times of the year.