Where food comes from: source and seasonality

Strawberries in December have often travelled a long way. Knowing where food comes from helps you choose well.

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Grown, reared and caught

Food is grown (crops such as wheat, potatoes and apples), reared (animals such as cattle, sheep and chickens) or caught (such as wild fish).
Primary processing turns raw food into something that can be eaten or used to make other foods: milling wheat into flour, or pasteurising milk.
Secondary processing turns primary-processed food into other products: flour into bread, pasta or cakes; milk into cheese or yoghurt.

Seasonality

Seasonal food is food eaten at the time of year when it is naturally ready to harvest where you live.
Some UK examples:
Seasons vary a little from year to year and around the country.
SeasonExamples of UK produce
SpringAsparagus (from late April), rhubarb
SummerStrawberries, raspberries, peas
AutumnApples, pumpkins, blackberries
WinterBrussels sprouts, parsnips, leeks

Choosing food

Benefits of seasonal, local food: it is often fresher, can taste better, can be cheaper when plentiful, and usually needs less transport.
Food miles are the distance food travels from where it is produced to where it is eaten.
Some logos help shoppers: the Red Tractor logo shows food meets British farm standards and can be traced back to the farm; the Fairtrade mark shows farmers in developing countries were paid a fair price.
Worked example

A school canteen wants to serve a fruit crumble in October using local fruit. Suggest a fruit and explain why it is a good choice.

  1. October is autumn.
  2. Apples are harvested in the UK in autumn, so they are in season.
  3. In-season local apples are fresh, plentiful and usually cheaper, with fewer food miles.

Answer: Apple: it is in season in the UK in autumn, so it is fresh, local and good value.

Key idea

Food is grown, reared or caught. Primary processing (wheat to flour) prepares raw food; secondary processing (flour to bread) makes new products. Seasonal food is at its best at harvest time. Food miles measure how far food travels.

Key words
Primary processing
Turning raw food into something that can be eaten or used to make other foods, such as milling wheat into flour.
Secondary processing
Turning primary-processed food into other products, such as flour into bread.
Seasonal food
Food eaten at the time of year when it is naturally harvested where you live.
Food miles
The distance food travels from where it is produced to where it is eaten.
Fish
Eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, one of them oily.

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  1. Which one of these options is primary processing?

    1. Making yoghurt from milk
    2. Making cheese
    3. Pasteurising milk
    4. Making a milkshake
    Show the answer

    Answer: Pasteurising milk

    Pasteurising is the first stage.

  2. Making pasta from flour is an example of...

    1. Secondary processing
    2. Primary processing
    3. Rearing
    4. Harvesting
    Show the answer

    Answer: Secondary processing

    It uses a primary-processed ingredient.

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Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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