Eat the seasons: Winter

Slowly simmered stews, rich hot pots, warming crumbles… on cold winter days, comfort comes from the food we eat. Winter seasonal eating is all about celebrating what nature has to offer, making the most of hardy vegetables, rich meats, and fresh fish.

The coldest season calls for hearty, warming dishes, and that’s where winter meats come in.

If you’re a fan of game, winter offers options like goose, guinea fowl, venison, pheasant, and rabbit, perfect for roasting or slow-cooking in hearty stews. Classic meats such as beef, pork, and chicken are also staples for winter roasts that fill the home with comforting aromas after a brisk walk outside.

Enjoy slow-cooked venison stew or roasted guinea fowl with seasonal root veggies, and don’t forget haggis is also a seasonal option, especially for Burns Night.

Ribeye Steak

Meat

Order a Butcher’s Box from Bere Mill Farm for a selection of excellent meat that changes each month. Bere Mill beef comes from the Belted Galloway cattle bred on the grassland farm for succulent, well-marbled meat that is bursting with flavour.

Every year between September and November, pigs are allowed to roam free in the New Forest, snuffling up the fallen acorns, beech mast and chestnuts. Their nutty diet creates pannage pork, which has a distinctive and sought-after earthy flavour.

The butchers at Stansted Farm Shop take orders for pannage pork from the end of November, and also specialise in healthy, lean and tasty game with wild venison from Stansted Park or Uppark estates.

Fish

In winter, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight fishmongers have an array of fresh fish that’s perfect for warming seasonal dishes. Locally caught cod and haddock are winter staples and are particularly tasty paired with seasonal root vegetables for a winter twist.

Mackerel is plentiful in the colder months and is especially delicious grilled or smoked with sharp accompaniments like horseradish, beetroot or mustard.

Winter is also prime time for shellfish, with Isle of Wight oysters at their best now. Scallops can be pan-seared for a luxurious winter starter, perhaps paired with a celeriac purée for a true taste of the season.

Check the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Food Guide and buy seafood from an independent fishmonger such as Hampshire Fare members Anyfish, Bishop’s Waltham, CE Evans & Sons, Alresford, JS Fresh Fish Shop & Deli, in Bassett, Thyme and Tides Deli, Stockbridge, and Premier Fish, Salisbury. Stansted Park Farm Shop has a fish counter on Fridays.

WInter vegetables

Veg

The short winter days may be miserable and grey, but seasonal vegetables bring all the colours of the rainbow to the table and are true powerhouses, packed with nutrients like Vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants.

Keep an eye out for Brussels sprouts, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, swede, kale, butternut squash, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and leeks.

If you’re doing Veganuary, this is a great time to incorporate these fresh winter vegetables into your meals – think creamy cauliflower soups, roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic drizzle, or vibrant stir-fries with kale and broccoli.

And don’t forget to pep up a tray of delicious winter veg with some sweet roasted garlic from the Isle of Wight’s Garlic Farm.

Fruit

Although fresh fruit is scarcer in winter, apples and pears are still going strong and are perfect for baked desserts and warming crumbles. They also work well with savoury pairings like cheese and nuts. Stock up on seasonal favourites like Cox, Bramley, Egremont Russet, Conference, Comice and more from the orchards at Blackmoor Estate in Liss.

Colourful displays of fresh local fruit and vegetables can be found at farmers’ markets, greengrocer’s like Village Veg in Brockenhurst, and farm shops like Crow Farm Shop, Durleighmarsh Farm Shop, Heckfield Farm Shop, Sky Park Farm, Southbourne Farm Shop, Sunnyfields, Wellington Farm Shop, Westlea Farm Shop and Westlands Farm Shop. For veggie deliveries, box schemes include AG Axton & Sons, Bitterne Box Co, Hampshire Market Garden and Worthy Earth.

A large crate of apples

Our members

Bere Mill Farm and Butchery

Bere Mill is an 18th century water mill surrounded by contemporary gardens, water meadows and a farm.

Stansted Park Farm Shop

Fred and Sam opened Stanstead Park Farm Shop in March 2012 to provide as much locally sourced fresh produce as possible.

Atkinson Fresh Fish & Smoked Foods (Anyfish)

Traditional fishmongers, responsibly sourced seafood from Shetland to Cornwall. Local Smokehouse producing naturally smoked fish, game meat and poultry.

C E Evans & Son

CE Evans and Sons is a well-known and respected family Butcher situated in the town of Alresford in Hampshire.

JS Fish Shop & Deli

John and Sylvia have established a company that supports local fishermen and supplies quality fish and shellfish to the Hampshire public and trade.

Thyme & Tides

A deli, bistro and fishmongers in Stockbridge, with a selection of cheeses, breads, charcuteries and soups.

Premier Fish

Celebrating over 20 years of trading, Premier Fish is a well trusted and renowned fishmongers and seafood supplier.

The Garlic Farm

Visit The Garlic Farm shop for traditional, innovative and some downright offbeat garlic inspired products or pop into the café.

Blackmoor Estate

Blackmoor Estate is a family-run farm situated near Selborne in Hampshire and is best known for its long experience of growing both traditional and new varieties of English apples and pears.

Village Veg

Set in the heart of Brockenhurst, Village Veg brings to you fresh vegetables and fruit, local cheeses and ambient produce.

Crow Farm Shop and cafe

A family-run business in Ringwood, Crow Farm Shop supplies all kinds of high-quality produce across the New Forest and Hampshire.

Durleighmarsh Farm Shop

Set in beautiful countryside on the Hampshire/Sussex border, Durleighmarsh Farm is a family-run Farm Shop and Pick-Your-Own.

Heckfield Home Farm

Biodynamic market garden and organic farm situated on an estate in Heckfield, holding regular sales of fresh produce, including cut flowers and dairy products.

Sky Park Farm

Sky Park Farm specialises in local premium produce. Quality, provenance and sustainability is at the heart of what they do.

Southbourne Farm Shop

Family run farm shop selling fresh local produce, in-house artisan bakery and general provisions.

Sunnyfields

Sunnyfields grows and sells a wide range of fruits, vegetables and herbs, and has an onsite butchery.

Westlands Farm Shop & Tea Room

Farm shop near Wickham, Southampton, with Butchery counter. Producers of premium Strawberries and Raspberries.

West Lea Farm Shop

An award winning , well stocked farm shop located amongst its own watercress beds, selling fresh produce from Hampshire and other small producers.

Wellington Farm Shop

An award winning farm shop selling meats, cheeses, seasonal fruit and vegetables and breads.

A.G. Axtons & Sons

Supplying the South of England with first class fresh fruit, salad, vegetables & dairy products sourced whenever possible.

Bitterne Box Co / Bitterne Stores

Bitterne Box delivers fresh fruits, vegetables and local produce across Southampton straight to your door.

Hampshire Market Garden

We are an organic market garden producing organic vegetables that are both delicious and nutritious to Hampshire as wholesale or veg boxes delivered to your door.

Worthy Earth

Worthy Earth is a small market garden, producing chemical-free vegetables using a regenerative no-dig method.

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