What’s in season in January

Read Tom Kerridge’s guide to the best winter produce landing in our Foodhalls in December, plus lots of seasonal recipe ideas that put it to delicious use.

M&S Chef Ambassador

Tom Kerridge

Best in season: January

Even in the depths of winter, there are still some real treats to enjoy when it comes to seasonal produce. Tender baby rainbow carrots bring a welcome burst of brightness at this time of year, as well as the amazing seasonal citrus coming from Sicily – think juicy blood oranges and clementines. The British veg that’s around right now is crying out for simple, hearty dishes you’ll be in the mood for this month – I’m talking swede, celeriac, cauliflower and leeks, which all lend themselves brilliantly to pies, slow-cooked dishes, soups and stews. Keep reading for some of my favourite, pick-of-the-crop winter produce in the M&S Foodhall this month, plus delicious ideas for what to cook with it.

Seasonal recipe ideas

Rainbow Carrots

Not only to these carrots look lovely, with their purple, yellow and orange shades, they have a wonderful natural sweetness and tender texture, since they’re freshly harvested at a younger age. M&S British Baby Rainbow Carrots are harvested by Steven Jack, who farms in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, and only chooses the very best baby carrots for M&S. Try them roasted and served with burrata in this beautiful made-for-sharing recipe, or shredded into a vibrant slaw and served with tikka-marinated halloumi.

Recipe ideas

Cauliflower

The humble cauliflower is a British veggie worth celebrating at this time of year. M&S only source theirs from trusted growers, who harvest for maximum freshness and ensure they only get the pick of the crop. There’s so much you can do with them – I love them roasted to bring out some of their sweet, smoky flavours. Don’t discard the stems – roast for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time along with the florets, then use to add extra texture, as in this velvety, curry-spiced soup. They also work brilliantly in veggie curries, since their flavour just soaks up all those lovely, frangrant spices. Or shred and pan-fry to make golden fritters with a garlicky yogurt dip.

Cook with cauliflower

Blood oranges

Sicilian winter citrus is a real treat at this time of year, and slicing into a vivid, bright-fleshed blood orange can’t fail to cheer you up when it’s cold, dark and grey outside. With their amazing juicy, sweet flavour and distinctive dark red colour (it’s down to something called anthocyanins, the pigments that give them their hue) blood oranges are a true seasonal ingredient that won’t be around for long, so enjoy them this month while you can. They’re good for you, too – the vitamin C found in citrus fruits like blood oranges can help increase iron absorption. Make them the stars of a gorgeous grain salad, pile on top of toast with creamy whipped ricotta, or blitz into a zesty frozen yogurt and crown with crushed pistachios.

See the recipes

Swede

Don’t wait to Burns Night later this month to tuck into some swede. This versatile root veggie is great mashed, roasted or simmered into soups and stews. M&S source their swede from trusted British growers, who make sure the pick of the crop gets to their Foodhalls. Try it in traditional slow-cooked dishes, like this hearty Welsh lamb cawl, a spiced up version of shepherd’s pie or a herby, savoury take on crumble that celebrates beautiful British root veg.

Best swede recipes

Leeks

Buttery, sweet leeks will add a proper depth of flavour to your winter pastas, stews and braises. M&S leeks are sourced from trusted British M&S select farms, and harvested at their peak to ensure you only get the freshest and best tasting. I love to give them the time they deserve by slow cooking in lots of butter until they go really sticky and caramelised – this plus grated cheese and a dollop of crème fraiche would make an amazing sauce for pasta. Leek and potato soup is a classic, and this version is elevated with a crispy potato skin topping and jammy soft-boiled eggs. Or load them up onto a cheesy, deep-filled pizza for everyone to dig into.

Lovely leek recipes

Celeriac

Celeriac is a bit underrated – with its knobbly skin, it’s not much of a looker, but this versatile British root veggie more than makes up for that in the flavour stakes. The start of the year is the best time to get your hands on some, since all M&S celeriac will be British right now and sourced from trusted growers. Try it in my hearty winter veg and pesto minestrone, which proves that eating well doesn’t have to mean compromising on deliciousness. It’s packed with the good stuff. Or make it the main event and roast whole with a sticky maple butter. Celeriac also makes great wedges, especially when tossed in hot honey. Or elevate it with truffle and hazelnut in this creamy, luxurious celeriac soup recipe.

More recipe ideas

Published 1.1.2025