Seasonal guide · UK, then France, Spain and Italy
What's in season in November
November is roots, leeks and dark greens, with British apples and pears at their best. Here is what we are actually putting in London Veg Boxes this month, who grew it, and what is coming from Europe while ours isn't ready.
Updated 9 November 2026, from what our growers are sending this month.
In this week's box.
Your free taster is two peak-season items from our growers. Put your postcode in to check we deliver to you.
At their peak in November.
These went into our boxes this month. Each one names who grew it.
-
Leeks
Seddon and Sons, Holmeswood, Lancashire
At their best as the weather turns. Melt them slowly in butter for soup or a pie.
Cook it: Cavolo Nero and Leek Ribollita · Roast Crown Prince Squash with Gochujang Brown Butter and Caramelised Leeks
-
Cavolo nero
J. Holland and Son, Watkinson's Farm, Lathom, Lancashire
Strip the leaves and wilt them into ribollita, or fry with garlic and chilli.
Cook it: Cavolo Nero and Leek Ribollita · Whole Roast Cauliflower with Its Leaves, Chilli Crisp and Cavolo Nero
-
Green cauliflower
P.R. Bonds and Sons, Buddles Farm, Isle of Thanet, Kent
Roast the florets hard, or bake them into a cheese gratin.
Cook it: Green Cauliflower Cheese with Mustard and Crisp Crumbs · Whole Roast Cauliflower with Its Leaves, Chilli Crisp and Cavolo Nero
-
Scottish swede
Stewarts of Tayside, Glencarse, Perth
Mash it with plenty of butter and black pepper beside a beef stew.
-
Red Désirée potatoes
Garden of Elveden, Norfolk
Crush them with butter and mustard, or roast them in their skins.
Cook it: Crushed Red Désirée Potatoes with Mustard Butter and Sausages · King Edward Roast Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
-
Bunched carrots
Tim Paget and Sons, Wiltshire
Roast them whole with cumin and honey, or grate them raw into a slaw.
Cook it: Cavolo Nero and Leek Ribollita · Roast Carrots and Chicken Thighs with Cumin, Honey and Minted Yoghurt
-
Banana shallots
A.F. Parish, Bedfordshire
Roast them whole beside a joint until soft and sweet.
-
Comice pears
J.G. Piper, Herts Farm, Maidstone, Kent
Soft and buttery when ripe. Slice over a salad with blue cheese and walnuts.
-
Braeburn apples
Noke Street Farm, Wainscott, Kent
Crisp with a sharp edge. Eat them with mature cheddar.
Cook it: Spiced Parsnip, Cox's Apple and Cheddar Upside-Down Tart
Just starting.
-
Purple sprouting broccoli
Bedlam Farms, Cambridgeshire
An early start to the season. Steam it and serve with a poached egg.
Cook it: Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Spring Greens with Garlic, Chilli and Lemon
-
Sprout tops
James Heyes and Sons, Mossborough Hall Farm, Rainford, Merseyside
The leafy crowns of the sprout plant. Shred and stir fry with bacon and chestnuts.
Cook it: Air Fryer Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes and Sprouts with Hazelnut Gremolata
Grown in London.
Every London Veg Box has something grown in London.
Crate to Plate, London
Seurat lettuce
Grown here in London. Toss the leaves with sliced apple, blue cheese and walnuts.
Also in season in November.
- Parsnips
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Celeriac
- Squash (Crown Prince, Black Kat, Harlequin, spaghetti)
- January King cabbage
- Savoy cabbage
- Kalettes
- Brussels sprouts
- Romanesco
- Rainbow chard
- Beetroot
- Chantenay carrots
- Cox apples
- Bramley apples
- Egremont Russet apples
- Conference pears
- Quince
- Shiitake and other mushrooms
These were in our boxes last November, or are on New Covent Garden Market's November list. Growers vary week to week.
At the market this month.
We buy at New Covent Garden Market every Monday night. This is what traders there are calling out for November:
- Brussels sprouts and sprout tops, which New Covent Garden Market says will improve as the temperatures drop.
- Forced rhubarb, Dutch for now, with Yorkshire's yet to start.
- Wild mushrooms: ceps, trompette and chanterelle.
- Chestnuts and walnuts for the festive run-up.
Get November's best, named and delivered.
Pick your box size and how often. Your free taster comes first: two peak-season items from our growers, on us. Then your box comes weekly or fortnightly until you stop it. No minimum term. Skip, pause or cancel by 10pm Monday.
Claim my free tasterWe deliver across west, south west and parts of south east London. Put your postcode in on the taster page to check, or see our delivery areas.
In season in France, Spain and Italy.
We buy from the nearest growers who have it at its best: London first, then British farms. Europe comes in only when ours isn't ready, and nothing is ever air freighted. This is what is at its best across the Channel in November.
France
Squash and pumpkins (potiron, potimarron), cabbages, turnips, leeks, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, apples, pears and clementines, plus wild mushrooms such as pied de mouton and trompette de la mort.
In our box: heritage tomatoes from Prince de Bretagne growers in Brittany, a last call for the season in early November.
Source: French government Manger Bouger calendar, as reported by The Connexion
Spain
Citrus comes into its own: mandarins, oranges, lemons and grapefruit. Also persimmon, pomegranate, cherimoya in the south and kiwi in the north west, with artichokes and cardoons along the Mediterranean. Salad supply moves from northern Europe to Spain this month.
Source: Jardinería On, November guide for Spain; New Covent Garden Market
Italy
The bitter leaves arrive: Castelfranco, Tardivo and pink radicchio, cime di rapa and puntarelle. Also cardoons, Jerusalem artichokes (topinambur), persimmon (cachi), pomegranate, quince and chestnuts.
What's in season in November: your questions.
What vegetables are in season in November in the UK?
Leeks, cavolo nero, cauliflower, swede, carrots, potatoes, shallots, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, celeriac, squash, January King and Savoy cabbage, kalettes, Brussels sprouts and sprout tops. Purple sprouting broccoli is just starting.
What fruit is in season in November in the UK?
British apples and pears: Comice and Conference pears, and Braeburn, Cox, Bramley and russet apples. Quince is around too. Citrus is at its best in Europe this month.
Is anything grown in London in November?
Yes. Every London Veg Box has something grown in London. In early November it was Seurat lettuce from Crate to Plate, who grow here in London.
Are Brussels sprouts in season in November?
Yes. Sprouts and sprout tops are in season in November, and they get better as the weather gets colder.
Why does some produce come from Europe in November?
We buy from the nearest growers who have it at its best. When a British crop isn't ready, we buy from Europe, and we never air freight. Every grower is named.
What comes into season in December?
Last December our boxes had purple sprouting broccoli, leeks, heritage carrots, Comice pears, rainbow chard, sprout tops, parsnips, Egremont Russet apples, January King cabbage and Crown Prince squash. Our December guide goes up later this month.
More from the kitchen.
Every week we add recipes for what is in the box. Find a recipe for what you have.
Next month: December. Our guide goes up in the last ten days of November. See every month.
Sources: