British seasonal food in May – what to eat now
Welcome to the comprehensive guide to the best British seasonal food in May. It includes UK fruit, vegetables, foraged foods, herbs, fish, meat, game and cheeses, plus a few imported ingredients.
Food production is often just getting started this month as the weather starts to warm up a little more. Many overwintered crops are finishing around now, but those much-awaited new roots, shoots and fruits are starting to come though too.
Looking for a seasonal treat? The first few UK strawberries are ready to pick, especially if they’ve been grown in greenhouses in the southern counties, and there are some tasty baby vegetables to cook up. Look out for delicious Jersey Royal new potatoes too.
Here’s what’s at its absolute best over the next few weeks. Enjoy.
Fruit in season in May
There’s a relatively small selection, but it’s all delicious:
Home grown British fruit
- strawberries (first few)
- rhubarb
Best imported seasonal fruit
- Alphonso mangoes
- pineapples
Recommended seasonal fruit books
Vegetables in season in May
There’s plenty for you to choose from in May:
- asparagus
- baby broad beans
- baby carrots
- broccoli (calabrese)
- garlic (new season, wet)
- globe artichokes
- Jersey Royal potatoes
- lettuce and other salad
- new potatoes
- radishes
- seakale
- spinach
- spring greens and spring cabbage
- spring onions
- baby turnips
- watercress
You may also be able to find some very early season peas from plants that have been started off under cover.
[Available most months in good condition: broccoli, button mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, maincrop potatoes, onions, rocket.]
Recommended seasonal veg books & box delivery
Herbs in season in May
- basil
- chervil
- chives
- coriander
- lovage
- mint
- oregano
- parsley
- rosemary
- sage
- sorrel
- summer savory
- tarragon
- thyme
[Always available: chives, coriander, parsley grown under cover; older leaves of hardy perennials like bay, rosemary, sage, thyme.]
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Wild / foraged food in May
- elderflowers
- morel mushrooms
- St. George’s mushrooms
- samphire (rock)
- wild garlic
[Take great care when foraging as it’s very easy to confuse edible and poisonous ingredients.]
Recommended foraging & wild food books
Fish in season in May
Seasonal fish varies greatly around the UK, and weather fluctuations are also likely to affect spawning and peak seasons, but here’s a rough guide to what’s at its best and on sale now.
British Fish in May, sustainable
- coley / saithe
- crab (brown / edible)
- flounder
- herring / sild
- lobster (European)
- plaice
- pollock
- pouting / bib
- prawns (Northern)
- rainbow trout
[To the best of my knowledge, the list above excludes critically endangered fish. Visit The Good Fish Guide from the Marine Conservation Society for latest lists.]
Fish in season in May, less sustainable
You may also be able to find the following fish and seafood from responsible fishmongers:
- brown shrimp
- langoustine / scampi / Dublin Bay prawn
- wild salmon
[In good condition almost all year: farmed clams, farmed halibut, herring, farmed sea bream and turbot, megrim sole, sustainably-fished monkfish, rope-grown mussels, prawns.]
Recommended fish & shellfish books
Meat, poultry and game in season in May
- new season lamb
- poussin / spring chicken
[Always available in good condition: beef, chicken, pork, rabbit, farmed venison, wood pigeon.]
Recommended meat, poultry & game books
Cheese in season in May
This month, more soft and squidgy quality cheeses start to arrive in the shops. Make the most of it if you’re a seasonal cheese fan.
British-made cheese
- English soft cheeses
- ewe’s milk cheeses
- fresh goat cheeses
- Stinking Bishop
Imported cheese in May
- Camembert
- Coulommiers
[Many quality mature cheeses are available year-round, especially hard cheeses.]
Recommended cheese & wine books & subscription
Enjoyed reading this? You may also like:
- British seasonal food in April
- British seasonal food in June
- Reasons to make a weekly meal plan
- Grow your own fruit & veg on a budget
- What to sow & do in a May kitchen garden
What we’re eating at Golightly Gardens
As we start to move out of the ‘hungry gap’ there’s more to choose from, and I think I might treat us to some early Kentish strawberries if I can find any. Also, a bundle of British asparagus for a treat, maybe with crispy garlic breadcrumbs on top as a starter, or I could make more of a midweek dinner of it with fried eggs on top and buttered new potatoes on the side.
We didn’t get out to the cheesemonger last month, but it’s probably time to pick up a tub of fresh goat cheese, a small camembert and a wedge of Stinking Bishop for cheeseboard heaven. If there are any leftovers, a goat cheese salad with lettuce and peas, and a big spring vegetable gratin are next on the menu.
Delicious seasonal ingredients I’ve already eaten include mangoes, homegrown rhubarb, spinach, lettuce and potted shrimp, and I’m looking forward to a few radishes and fresh herbs from our kitchen garden too.
What are you looking forward to cooking up this month?
Do you have any favourite recipes for these seasonal ingredients?
Recommended general seasonal books for inspiration
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