British seasonal food in December – what to eat now
There’s plenty of delicious British seasonal food to try in December, and as the year draws to a close there are many traditional dishes to enjoy. It’s time for a feast.
Star ingredients include Brussels sprouts and parsnips on the festive table, apples for baking in crumbles and pies, and imported treats such as dates and clementines.
There’s also plenty of British turkey and game, some of the best fish and shellfish, and Stilton for your cheeseboard.
British fruit in season in December
Nuts and imported seasonal fruits are the main stars here:
British-grown fruit in December
Apples (including Bramley cooking apples)
Cranberries (a few, homegrown)
Medlars
Pears (from store)
Quinces
Imported seasonal fruit: December
Clementines
Cranberries
Dates
Passion fruit
Pineapples (Caribbean)
Pomegranates
‘Easy peelers’ (satsumas, tangerines etc)
Nuts in season in December
- Almonds (imported)
- Hazelnuts (from store)
- Sweet chestnuts (imported or from store)
- Walnuts (from store)
Vegetables in season in December
In-season British vegetables are mainly hearty roots and greens in December. Traditional Christmas dinner tables include Brussels sprouts, parsnips and red cabbage.
British seasonal veg: December
Beetroot (stored)
Brussels sprouts and sprout tops
Cabbage (Savoy, winter)
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery (white fenland types)
Chard (grown under cover)
Chicory
Endive
Jerusalem artichokes
Kale
Leeks
Pak choi (grown under cover)
Parsnips
Pumpkin and winter squash (from store)
Salsify
Scorzonera
Swedes
Turnips
Winter cabbage (Savoy, red, white)
Winter radish (stored)
Winter salad leaves (grown under cover)
Available most months in good condition: button mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, maincrop potatoes, onions, rocket.
Recommended veg cookbooks
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UK fruit and veg calendar
Herbs in season in December
- Thyme
- Winter savory
Always available:
- Chives, coriander, parsley grown under cover.
- Older leaves of hardy perennials like bay, rosemary, sage, thyme.
Wild / foraged food in season in December
The colder it gets, the harder it is to find foraged food, but you might still be lucky with these two ingredients:
UK Foraged foods: December
Sloes (last few, if weather is mild)
Wild mushrooms (winter chanterelles, truffle)
[Take great care when foraging as it’s very easy to confuse edible and poisonous ingredients.]
Recommended foraged & wild food books
Fish in season in December
December’s star ingredients are lobster and scallops, found nearer the coast. Although most fish will be in good condition at this time of year, the fishing boats are less likely to bring in as much catch due to cold weather, rough seas and shorter days.
Seasonal fish varies greatly around the UK, and from year to year, but here’s a rough guide to what’s on sale now and considered to be more sustainable:
Sustainable British fish: December
Brill
Clams
Cockles
Coley / saithe
Crab (spider)
Dab
Flounder
Gurnard (grey & red)
Haddock
Hake
Halibut (farmed)
Herring
Lobster (native, pot-caught)
Mackerel
Monkfish
Mussels
Oysters
Pike
Plaice
Pollock
Pouting / bib
Prawns
Scallops (King, hand dived only)
Sole (Dover / common, lemon, Torbay / witch)
Sprat / whitebait
Trout
Wild turbot
[To the best of my knowledge, the list above excludes critically endangered fish. Visit The Good Fish Guide from the Marine Conservation Society for the latest lists which change regularly.]
Less sustainable December fish
You should still be able to find these if you use a responsible fishmonger:
Less sustainable UK fish: December
Cod (line caught)
Cuttlefish
Langoustine / scampi
Seabass (wild)
Seabream
Whelks
Whiting
In good condition almost all year: herring, farmed sea bream and turbot, megrim sole, sustainably-fished monkfish, rope-grown mussels and prawns.
Recommended seasonal fish & shellfish books
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UK fruit and veg calendar
Meat, poultry and game in season in December
December is the month where the best quality breeds of turkey become available. For an alternative, try farmed goose, or guinea fowl.
Much of the official game season is about to draw to a close, but there is plenty of venison available.
UK meat, poultry & game: December
Capercaillie
Goose (farmed)
Guinea fowl
Hare
Mallard
Partridge
Pheasant
Snipe
Teal
Turkey (best quality breeds)
Venison (red deer, fallow deer, sika deer, roe does)
Widgeon
Wild duck
Woodcock
Wood pigeon
Always available in good condition: beef, chicken, pork, farmed venison, rabbit, pigeon.
Recommended meat, game & poultry books
Cheese in season in December
Yes, many cheeses are seasonal. It depends on the animals being milked, their grazing and reproductive cycles, the way specific cheeses are made, and the time needed to mature them.
At this point in the year, there are plenty of mature hard cheeses coming onto the market, originally created to store well and get you through the winter. It’s also a good time to enjoy long-matured blue cheeses (6+ months), especially Stilton which is at its best for the festive season.
A traditional Christmas cheese board usually includes some strong Cheddar (available most months), a Stilton or other quality blue cheese, and something softer or more squidgy for contrast.
Best British cheeses: December
Baron Bigod (a UK brie-style cheese, autumn milk version)
Extra mature farmhouse cheddars
Stilton
Other long-matured blue cheeses (Blue Wensleydale, Stichelton etc)
Wensleydale
Best imported cheeses: December
Extra mature Comté
Epoisses (from regrown autumn grass)
Gouda, extra mature
Gruyère, extra mature
Mont d’Or Vacherin
Many people like to buy some ripe French Camembert around this time of year too, to add to their cheese board (it goes well with cranberry sauce too). Technically the cows will have been brought indoors and won’t be eating fresh grass, but there’s plenty of availability and it should still have a good flavour.
Many quality mature cheeses are available year-round, particularly hard cheeses.
Recommended cheese books
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We love seasonal UK food in December!
What are we going to be eating at Golightly Gardens? Well, ’tis the season for treats and feasts, and all the party snacks.
I do also like the occasional quiet night in with a good book and a satsuma or two to snack on, or something healthy-ish like a winter vegetable gratin or some simple grilled fish.
We also like a celery, blue cheese, apple and walnut salad on nights when nobody feels like cooking, or a coleslaw with extra pomegrante. Winter salads are so crunchy and fresh, plus it’s a nice change from all the mince pies, crisps and chocolates.
We’ll be cracking out the sprouts, roast parsnips, spiced red cabbage and cranberry sauce on Christmas Day too. For dessert, I’ve decided to make a strawberry, chocolate and vanilla trifle, using homegrown macerated strawberries in the base, and creme de cacao liqueur in the custard.
When there’s a quiteter moment, I’m looking forward to a very leisurely cheese board. All the crackers, all the cheeses, and a nice glass of fizz to wash it all down. Any leftover camembert will end up in a puff pastry tart, with mushrooms, fresh thyme, and a bit of veggie bacon so everyone can have a slice.
My mouth is watering just thinking about it…
Recommended seasonal inspiration (GREAT FOR GIFTS!)
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What will you be cooking and eating this December?
Any seasonal food favourites you can’t miss? Let us know in the comments below.
