2026 is whizzing by. The summer heat waves are fully behind us now as we enter October. Or as Scottish Craft Butchers and National Craft Butchers call it: Porktober. #Porktober
Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, and in Porktober butchers highlight its versatility and affordability.
October is also the spooky season, so let’s see if we have managed a suitably spooky ‘Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables for October’.
Foodie dates
Thursday, 1 October is World Vegetarian Day. It is a great opportunity for chefs to showcase delicious vegetarian foods made from Four Seasons Fruiterers’ produce, with or without meat alternatives. #WorldVegetarianDay
Saturday, 3 October is Buy British Day, which traces its roots back to the I’m Backing Britain or Rwy’n Bacio Cymru campaign started in 1967 by five women working at Colt Ventilation and Heating Ltd in Surbiton. Buy British Day gives you the perfect excuse to have a full English breakfast, or celebrate a day late with a Sunday roast with local pork and vegetables. #BuyBritishDay
Founded by Dr Drew Ramsey, MD and Chef Jennifer Iserloh, Wednesday, 7 October is National Kale Day. Kale is a member of the Brassica family – the cabbage and mustard family – and includes bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens and choy sum. #NationalKaleDay
In 1945, World Food Day was established by a specialised agency of the United Nations(UN): the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). 34 years later, it was recognised as a world holiday at the 20th FAO conference in November 1979. Following official recognition by the UN, World Food Day is celebrated worldwide on 16 October and promotes awareness of hunger and action for the future of food, people and the planet. The theme for 2026 is Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow. You can find a list of planned events taking place for #WorldFoodDay on the FAO website.
Worldchefs, the World Association of Chef Societies, honours the culinary profession each year on 20 October with International Chefs Day. This year, the Food Explorers campaign returns, encouraging people of all ages to explore what goes into their food. #ICDFoodExplorers #InternationalChefsDay #ThisIsWorldchefs
Halloween
Wednesday, 21 October is National Apple Day. You can find out about apples in Four Seasons Fruiterers’ Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables for September, which dedicates the entire fruit section to the apple. #NationalAppleDay is a recognition of cultural and genetic diversity in food and of conservation.
Nothing symbolises October more than the pumpkin, and Monday, 26 October is National Pumpkin Day. Celebrate by carving a jack-o’-lantern whilst drinking a pumpkin spice latte, then bake a pumpkin pie. #NationalPumpkinDay
And pumpkins nicely lead us on to Halloween on Saturday, 31 October. Allhallowtide encompasses Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve), All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ Day) and All Souls’ Day and is a time to remember the dead. It is traditionally marked with vegetarian food like apples, chocolates and sweets, pumpkins, Barmbrack (bread with added sultanas and raisins), sweetcorn and soul cake, a small round cake with sweet spices.
And Finally
Don’t forget the clocks change on Sunday, 25 October, when they go back one hour at 2am to Greenwich Mean Time.
Update your menus
During October, you can expect to see these seasonal fruits and vegetables, which take on a distinctively Christmassy feel, on many menus:
- Apple
- Aubergine
- Beetroot
- Blackberry
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Celeriac
- Chestnut
- Cranberry
- Elderberry
- Fig
- Garlic
- Kale
- Leek
- Parsnip
- Pear
- Plum
- Pumpkin
- Quince
- Salsify
- Sweet potato
- Tomato
- Turnip
Seasonal Fruits for October
Chestnut
Chestnuts are the fruit of the chestnut tree and are in season in Autumn and Winter. Although they can be eaten raw when peeled, we recommend against it, as high levels of tannin can cause stomach irritation, liver damage, or kidney damage. Chestnuts are traditionally roasted but can be dried and milled into flour, candied and iced, deep fried or puréed.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are the oldest known domesticated plants, with fragments dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC found in Mexico. Pumpkins are fruit and, more specifically, a berry known as a pepo, like a cucumber and watermelon. Jack-o’-lanterns carved from pumpkins are thought to scare away evil spirits.
Seasonal Vegetables for October
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are actually native to the Mediterranean and became popular in Belgium in the 16th century. When it comes to Brussels sprouts, there is much debate as to whether they are loved or hated, whether you call them Brussels or sprouts, and whether you cut a cross in the base before cooking or not. In medieval times, it was thought that cutting the cross in the base would drive away evil spirits that lived between the leaves of Brussels Sprouts.
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is not closely related to the common potato. It is, however, related to water spinach or kangkung, as they both come from the morning glory species of plants. In Catalonia, it is traditional to serve roasted sweet potato and chestnuts during Allhallowtide for La Castanyada, the chestnut party to remember deceased family and friends.
Easily order online from our broad yet expertly curated product range, featuring meats and dairy, baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and chilled and frozen items.