June is one of the best months of the year in the shop. It is the point in the calendar where the UK growing season really catches up with you. The shelves are full of British produce that is genuinely worth getting excited about. Here is what to pick up this month.
English Strawberries: Peak Season Starts Now
If there is one thing that signals summer more clearly than anything else, it is a punnet of British strawberries. June is when the UK season hits its stride. The fruit is smaller and more intensely flavoured than the imported punnets that fill supermarket shelves from March onwards. Sweeter, sharper and nothing like as watery. There is nothing wrong with the Spanish fruit, but the British ones are worth the wait. The season is short and this is roughly the middle of it.
We stock them as fresh punnets while the season runs. They do not last long, a day or two in the fridge at most, so buy them with the intention of eating them. A bowl with cream is all you need, but they also work well in a summer trifle, folded into a pavlova, or just eaten on the way home. Browse our fresh fruit section while the season holds.
Jersey Royal Potatoes: Catch Them Before They Are Gone
Jersey Royals have a short season running roughly from April through to the end of June. By July they are done, replaced by maincrop varieties that are decent but unremarkable by comparison. If you have not had them yet this year, now is the moment.
They need almost nothing done to them. Boil them whole, unpeeled, with a sprig of mint. Eat them warm with butter and a little sea salt. They are one of those vegetables that genuinely tastes different from everything else in the category: nutty, firm, slightly waxy, with a flavour that has nothing to do with the potatoes that sit in a supermarket bag for three weeks. If you want to go further, let them cool and make a quick salad: toss with a little French dressing and some chopped spring onions while they are still warm. They hold their shape and do not go stodgy. Look for them in our fresh vegetable section.
Asparagus: The Last Few Weeks of the Season
English asparagus runs from late April to the summer solstice in late June. Once the 21st passes, growers let the ferns grow back to rebuild energy in the root for next year, and the season is over until May 2027. If you still have not had asparagus this year, this is your final window.
The spears should be firm and straight with tight tips. They are best with the minimum of interference: steamed or cooked on a griddle pan, with butter or a soft-boiled egg for dipping. The whole point is that they taste of themselves. Find them in the fresh vegetables section while they last.
Salad Leaves and Fresh Herbs: Summer on a Plate
June is the point where British salad growing really comes into its own. Longer days and warmer temperatures mean leaves grow fast and well. The range we stock through the summer includes mixed leaves, spinach, rocket and ready-washed packs that are genuinely useful when it is too warm to think about cooking.
Fresh herbs are at their best right now too. Basil in particular needs warm weather to taste right, and June delivers it. Mint, coriander, flat-leaf parsley and chives are all in season and far more fragrant than they will be in November. Buy a bunch and keep it in a glass of water on the windowsill rather than in a plastic bag in the fridge. It will last longer and taste better. For the full range of leaves and pre-washed packs, head to the salad section.
A June Lunch Built from the Farm Shop
The produce in season right now practically arranges itself into a summer lunch. Boil a handful of Jersey Royals. Grill some asparagus spears with a little olive oil. Tear up some basil and mixed leaves. Slice a few strawberries over the top with a drizzle of balsamic. You can add cheese from the chiller or cold cuts from the cooked meats section, or keep it plant-based and it is still a very good plate of food.
Everything above is in the shop now, while the season holds. We are on Southend Road in Billericay, open Monday to Saturday 6am to 5:30pm and Sunday 6am to 5pm. If you cannot make it in, we deliver across Essex. Check whether we cover your postcode and we can bring the season to you.
Next up: July. As the strawberry season winds down and asparagus is done for the year, the shop moves into full summer mode — courgettes, salad cucumbers, British tomatoes and plenty of fresh basil. We have put together a summer salad bowl guide for July showing what is coming and how to make the most of it.
Come in and buy something at its best. That is what June is for.