Food Tourism Scotland; Scotland ’s Seasonal Food Diary

Scotland ’s Seasonal Food Diary – a guide to what’s in season when

Most foods are now available all year round in Scotland’s supermarkets. We can buy American strawberries in January, Kenyan green beans in February or Peruvian asparagus in October and because of this, many of us no longer know what foods actually are in season – or indeed, what is grown and raised – here in Scotland.

It is no longer practical for most of us to live only by the seasons, storing food for the winter months and desperately waiting for early summer when fresh produce will be ready. Our forebears used to refer to the period between March and June as the “hungry gap”, when stores were depleted and new crops had yet to mature. Our present-day knowledge of freezing, canning and vacuum packing has, for some foods, replaced the old drying, salting and pickling preservation methods of yesteryear and this allows us to eat spring lamb, new potatoes and peas in the depths of winter.

Month	Meat, Game, Poultry	Fish	Vegetables	Fruit
Jan	Partridge, Pheasant, Small game birds, Rabbit and Hare	Scallops, Oysters, Mussels	Carrots, Turnips, Leeks, Squash, Shallots, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Red & White Cabbage, Celeriac, Celery, Parsnip, Potato	Apples (stored), Pears, Forced Rhubarb
Feb	Guinea fowl, Rabbit and Hare	Halibut, Mussels, Wild Salmon	Chicory, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Leeks	Apples (stored), Forced Rhubarb
March	Rabbit	Sardines, Wild Salmon, Mussels	Beetroot, Radishes, Parsley, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Leeks	Forced Rhubarb
April	Wood Pigeon	Wild Salmon, Cockles	Spinach, Wild Garlic, Rhubarb, Kale, Watercress, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Cabbage, Leeks	Rhubarb
May	Lamb, Duck	Sardines, Sea Trout, Lemon Sole, Wild Salmon	Asparagus, Cauliflower, New Potatoes, Parsley, Carrots, Watercress	Rhubarb
June	Lamb	Salmon, Grey Mullet, Wild Salmon, Crab	Asparagus, Courgettes, Broad Beans, Peppers, Broccoli, Runner Beans, Carrots, Watercress	Tayberries, Gooseberries, Cherries, Redcurrants, Raspberries
July	Lamb	Pike, Trout, Wild Salmon, Clams	Courgettes, Broad Beans, Peppers, Fennel, Tomatoes, Sage, Runner Beans, Broccoli, French Beans, Carrots, Onions, Watercress, Cauliflower	Gooseberries, Redcurrants, Cherries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Loganberries, Raspberries
August	Lamb, Grouse, other Game Birds	Crayfish, Wild Salmon, John Dory	Courgettes, Peppers, Peas, Runner Beans, Basil, Lettuce, Broccoli, French Beans, Aubergines, Runner Beans, Carrots, Onions, Watercress	Gooseberries, Cherries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries
Sept	Grouse, other Game Birds, Duck, Hill Lamb, Goose	Wild Salmon, Brown Trout, Sea Bass, Mussels, Oysters	Onions, Broccoli, French Beans, Runner Beans, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Leeks, Parsnips, Watercress	Plums, Damsons, Apples, Blackberries, Blueberries
Oct	Grouse, Red Deer stags (until 20 th), Hill Lamb, Goose, Partridge, Pheasant	Oysters, Mussels	Mushrooms, Kale, Broccoli, Runner Beans, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Parsnips, Onions, Watercress	Apples, Elderberries
Nov	Grouse, Goose, Hill Lamb, Partridge, Pheasant	Oysters	Chestnuts, Cabbage, Potatoes, Leeks, Pumpkins, Broccoli, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Parsnips	Quinces, Pears, Apples
Dec	Wild Duck, Hill Lamb, Grouse (to Dec 10 th), Partridge, Goose, Pheasant	Sea Bass, Oysters	Red & White Cabbage, Turnip, Sprouts, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Leeks, Parsnips	Pears, Apples

However useful preserved foods or foods from elsewhere may be for supplementing our diet, nothing can beat fresh local produce for flavour, nutrition and quality. Much vitamin and mineral content in food is lost in transit and additives and processes are used to extend storage time.

By taking advantage of our superb local larder as each “product” comes into its natural season, food-serving businesses in Scotland can delight their guests with menus based on the freshest and tastiest of quality ingredients.

The above table is a guide only, as produce may be ready at different times in different parts of the country.

Produce which is available all year round, or which has no particular seasonality, is not listed. That includes chicken, wild roe deer, beef, pork, farmed salmon, cod and trout, eggs, some fish and cheeses. Cultivated cauliflower, herbs and mushrooms are also available all year.