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What is in season in the UK in July? Eating local, seasonal produce all year
One of the easiest ways to reduce your impact on the planet is to eat seasonal, local produce as much as you can. Our guide to what is in season in the UK in July will help you create dishes that are fresh, full of flavour and kinder to the planet.
July is a fabulous month for UK-grown produce. You can easily fill your shopping bag and your meals with an array of brightly-coloured delights. This has the added bonus of generally being cheaper, fresher and tastier than imported produce because of the lack of food miles between field and plate.
3 minutes to read
What is in season in the UK in July – fruit
The long, sunny-ish days of July in the UK help some of the most bright and beautiful summer fruits to flourish. So which fruits can we expect when we’re looking at what’s in season in the UK in July?
Most supermarkets will label their UK-grown produce with a Union Flag or other symbol to make it easy to find. Alternatively, you could speak to your local greengrocer about where they source their produce. A lot of them will buy from growers as close to them as possible for maximum freshness, taste and eco-friendliness. A bonus of a lot of greengrocers is that they generally use less (or no) plastic compared with supermarkets. This is a lot more planet-friendly, which is always a plus point.
A list of some of the commercially-grown fruits that are in season in the UK in July:
- Blackberries (start of season)
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Gooseberries
- Peaches (start of season)
- Raspberries
- Rhubarb
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
A lot of these were also in season in June, but there is no shortage of amazing recipe creations for all this delicious fruit.
What better way to cool down on a summer afternoon than with some refreshing sorbet? This 3 ingredient raspberry sorbet is super easy to make and is the perfect dairy-free treat.
As we mentioned in previous months, most of these fruits will freeze well for use in cooking as well as in juices and smoothies. So if you stock up on in-season fruits in July, you could be sipping the sweet taste of summer long into the cold winter nights.
What is in season in the UK in July – vegetables.
Much like June, July is a month that offers us a huge variety when it comes to in-season vegetables. So what’s in season in July when it comes to British veg?
- Aubergines (season starts end of July)
- Beetroot
- Broad beans
- Broccoli (season starts end of July)
- Carrots
- Courgettes
- Cucumber (start of season)
- Fennel
- French and runner beans
- Globe artichokes
- Herbs
- Lettuce
- New potatoes/maincrop potatoes are just coming into season now too
- Onions
- Peas
- Peppers (Hothouse grown)
- Potatoes
- Red cabbage
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Spring onions
- Summer squash
- Watercress
So, we’re not short of choices when it comes to July’s seasonal vegetables.
One tasty recipe idea is this incredible grilled aubergine salad, which is a great BBQ accompaniment. Or, for ultimate simplicity, just roast whole baby new potatoes. One of the most delicious things ever, in my opinion!
What’s in season in the UK in July – meat, fish & seafood.
The majority of British meats and fish are farmed year-round, but you’ll find better prices and quality by sticking to what’s in season.
Be careful to make sure that what you buy is sustainably-sourced as well as locally-produced, especially when fish is concerned. A good place to start is the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide. It’s also good to double-check what’s available as close to you as possible. This is because fish and seafood seasons can vary slightly depending on where in the UK you live.
Here’s what’s in season in the UK in July when it comes to meat, fish and seafood:
Meat
- Lamb
- Rabbit
Fish & seafood
- Bream
- Crab
- Haddock
- Mackerel
- Monkfish
- Lobster
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Scallops
- Silver mullet
- Turbot
It’s still summer, so we’re still sticking with the “BBQ is best” approach. Wrap your fish loosely in foil, add oil and herbs and pop on the grill. Delicious!
Or, for something a bit more adventurous, try this Valencian paella, which traditionally includes rabbit
UK seasonal food challenge for July
We’d love for you to use this list of what’s in season in the UK in July and join the Ailuna seasonal meal planning challenge.
How to take part: Write a meal plan for every week in July, and include at least one seasonal item in each meal.
Meal planning also has the added bonus of making sure you only shop for what you need, reducing food waste and further reducing your footprint on the planet.
Please share your meal plan with us using #ailunacommunity on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We always share content we love with our followers.
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