Published: 08 January 2025

With climate change becoming an ever-more pressing problem, seasonal eating is an easy way for us all to make a difference. It can also be a lot more cost-effective and better for you, because the fresher food is, the more vitamins it contains. Vitamin C and folate are particularly known for fading as fresh food is stored. Buying, knowing what to eat and when can be more of a problem. So, what seasonal food should you be buying as we move through the rest of winter?

Seasonal Foods to See You Through the Rest of Winter

January

January in the UK isn’t known for its growing credentials. But despite the cold weather, there are still plenty of root vegetables and brassicas around. Making this the perfect time for hearty soups and stews and maybe even a roast.

The best vegetables to eat in January

  • Brussels sprouts
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Parsnips
  • Savoy cabbage
  • Swedes

If you have an allotment, you may be able to add to this by forcing some rhubarb. If you don’t then there’s no better time to try your hand at growing microgreens. Packed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, microgreens are a windowsill superfood. They’re extremely easy to grow, take up little space, and can be a welcome burst of freshness in the winter months.

February

By February, most of us have had enough of winter, including the food. But if you know what to look for, you can still eat seasonally. There’s not a huge change between January and February, food wise. But if you want to find the freshest produce, you can look mainly for leafy veg.

The best vegetables to eat in February

  •  Brussel sprouts
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  •  Leeks
  • Parsnips
  • Purple sprouting broccoli
  • Savoy cabbage
  • Forced rhubarb is also more widely available now

March

March may not technically be winter, but it’s still not a month of abundance. So, while you’re readying your garden or allotment for the growing season ahead, it’s still worth researching which foods are in season and in the shops. And again, it’s the brassicas leading the charge.

Best vegetables to eat in March

  • Cauliflower
  • Forced rhubarb
  • Kale
  • Leeks
  • Purple sprouting broccoli
  • Savoy cabbage

Seasonal eating may seem like a small step to take. But in the UK, the average distance travelled by out-of-season food is 1,837 miles. And according to government data, transporting food within and around the country produces 109 million tonnes of CO2e annually. That’s 26 per cent of our total greenhouse gas emissions. While we can’t live on seasonal food alone in the UK, taking steps to reduce our food miles could benefit us all. And eating what seasonal food we can is a great place to start.

Holker Hall reopens to visitors on Friday March 21st, when you can enjoy some fresh, locally sourced food in our fabulous café. We hope to see you then!