May recipes & inspiration

Enjoy a month of delicious cooking in May with our best seasonal ideas, from picnic inspiration to easy dinners that let spring’s star produce shine. Make the most of asparagus, fresh peas, broad beans and more with our simple recipes – and look forward to two long bank holiday weekends of leisurely feasting. We’ve got mouthwatering barbecue dishes and exciting baking projects (hello, toffee popcorn fudge cake) to get stuck into, plus brunch ideas and meals for a crowd if you’re entertaining. Happy eating!

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Prawn saganaki

Celebration cakes

Toffee popcorn fudge cake

Summer salads and sides

Grilled goat's cheese salad with honey dressing

Easy orzo

Pea green orzotto

Teatime traybakes

Iced bakewell tart traybake

Bank holiday cooking

We’re blessed with two bank holidays in May – and we have plenty of ideas for making the most of those precious long weekends. Pull out the grill and make these succulent chicken skewers or a barbecue brownie, rustle up an epic pancake stack for a relaxed brunch or have a go at these sensational french toast cinnamon buns.

All the greens potato salad

Everyone loves potato salad! This verdant makeover of the classic throws a whole bunch of springtime goodness into the bowl....

Gluten-free Vegetarian

Watermelon, berry and white chocolate pavlova

You need look no further for the ultimate summer showstopping dessert. We’ve adorned a white chocolate meringue base with creamy...

Four next-level barbecue sides you need in your life

We love a good barbecue but we have to admit: these make-ahead accompaniments are so good you might decide the...

Make-ahead

Bloody mary cured salmon brunch

This gorgeous brunch spread is inspired by the classic brunch cocktail, the bloody mary. Here’s why we love this spectacular...

How to make paella on the barbecue

Learn how to cook Catalan-style meat and seafood paella on the barbecue using Jen Bedloe’s easy step-by-step guide.

Eggs florentine

Don’t leave this beautiful brunch to the professionals. Eggs florentine is the ultimate weekend indulgence and a great showcase for...

Vegetarian

Reuben steak skewers with sauerkraut

Inspired by the magnificent reuben sandwich, these spiced beef skewers are served on a bed of sauerkraut with pickles, russian...

Dairy-free

Toffee popcorn fudge cake

This showstopper toffee popcorn fudge cake is a celebration of the classic flavours of sweet and chewy popcorn. Here’s why...

Vegetarian

Brunch

Whatever days of the week you work, a morning off means waking up too late for breakfast and too early...

252 Recipes

Bank holiday recipes

Making the most of long spring and summer weekends with these delicious bank holiday recipes, from picnic feasts and barbecues...

111 Recipes

Weekend baking

The weekend is the perfect time for a project, from iced buns to layer cakes, milk bread to babka, the...

99 Recipes

Bank holiday inspiration

It's picnic time!

Pack your hamper with easy-to-share focaccia, pasta salads, homemade lemonade and scotch eggs – along with deliciously British bakes such as Tottenham cake, iced bakewell slices and classic pasties. Don’t miss our ultimate sausage rolls recipe, too – it’s filled with tips.

How to make homemade lemonade – and exciting new flavours to try

Fancy making homemade lemonade from scratch? There’s good reason to try mixing up your own, from total control over the...

Camembert and roasted grape picnic loaf

Hollow out a round sourdough to make this easy but impressive picnic loaf. Fill with gooey camembert, ham, roasted grapes,...

Ultimate sausage rolls

A sausage roll of any kind is good in our book, but every element in this recipe by food producer...

15 best savoury bake recipes for picnics

Fill your picnic basket with delicious homemade goodies. These are the 15 best savoury bake recipes for picnics and summer...

Iced bakewell tart traybake

Take the classic bakewell tart recipe and make it into a tray bake in this recipe. A golden layer of...

Freezable

Classic egg mayo

Get ready to taste the best egg mayo of your life with this classic recipe. Our unapologetically eggy egg mayo...

Vegetarian

Ginger drizzle traybake with cream cheese icing

Rich, moist and sticky, this easy ginger traybake cake is topped with cream cheese icing and slices easily into shareable...

Pickled walnut scotch eggs

Few things can improve a picnic more than a homemade scotch egg – and they’re easier to make than you...

Dairy-free

The ultimate cheese scones

These light and fluffy cheese scones are easy to make and topped with a toasted cheese crust. They make a...

Vegetarian

Puttanesca focaccia

Ligurian focaccia collides head-on with Neapolitan puttanesca in this incredible loaf. Our light and pillowy focaccia – glistening with olive...

Dairy-free Freezable

Popcorn cookies

These fun popcorn cookies combine two classic snacks in one delicious treat. Here’s why you should bake a batch for...

Freezable Vegetarian

Fresh pea and lemon couscous

Our easy pea and lemon couscous is ideal for picnics and lunches. It’s packed with big flavours: herbs, preserved lemons...

Picnic

Put down a blanket and enjoy the outdoors with our best picnic recipes, including summer salads, sausage rolls, sandwiches and...

161 Recipes

Savoury bakes

Tarts, quiches, pies, galettes... We have a wide array of savoury bakes for when then baking bug hits, but you...

52 Recipes

Teatime traybakes

Teatime? School bake sale? Traybake time! Our traybake recipes, including lime and coconut slice, sultana traybake and chocolate brownie squares,...

54 Recipes

100+ picnic ideas

Majestic jersey royals

Celebrate peak season for the king of new potatoes with our ultimate butter-and-herb-dressed recipe – or make jersey royal tortilla, tartiflette or crab salad your new go-to. These little gems are so versatile – grab them while you can…

Salt and vinegar jersey royal focaccia

Pillowy focaccia is taken up a notch by with the addition of mashed jersey royals, making it soft and rich....

Dairy-free Vegan

10 of the best jersey royal potato recipes

Make the most of jersey royal season with 10 delicious recipe ideas. Seeing these small, firm spuds in the shops sparks...

Jersey royal and brown crab salad

Jersey royals and crab are in season at the same time – and they’re the perfect pairing. Often overlooked in...

Gluten-free

Jersey royal tortilla with aioli and padrón peppers

This isn’t a classic Spanish tortilla, but it’s weeknight-speedy and using jersey royals gives it an edge. Smashing the potatoes...

Dairy-free Gluten-free Vegetarian

Jersey royal, onion, sherry and tarragon bake

This glorious one-pot recipe showcases the wonderful jersey royal potato, accompanied by sweet onion and a hint of tarragon. You...

Sherry braised Jersey royals with broad beans and serrano ham

Rich, complex and nutty, most sherry vinegar is made from dry sherry and has firm acidity and subtle oak notes...

Jersey royals

Discover new ways to use these fabulous seasonal new potatoes with our very best jersey royal recipes. Jersey royal potatoes...

31 Recipes

Dozens of ideas for Jersey royals

Fresh spring dinner ideas

Let May’s abundance of seasonal produce inspire your evening meals, from juicy peas and broad beans to succulent spring lamb and sublime British asparagus. We love this easy asparagus carbonara, crispy chicken salad and pork tacos with smashed broad beans. Take your pick of fresh and easy ideas, perfect for the light-filled evenings of late spring. Eating al fresco optional but highly encouraged.

Greens and goat’s cheese ‘everything’ crinkle pie

Greens and goat’s cheese filo crinkle pie

This easy greens pie is packed with leafy veg folded into creamy goat’s cheese. Top with golden filo pastry and seeds...

Freezable Vegetarian

Pea green orzotto

This beautiful, bright green orzotto has the fresh flavours of sweet peas, fragrant basil and a wonderful oozy texture thanks...

Vegetarian

Spring vegetable, feta and miso-sesame galette

Miso, tahini and feta bring a depth of flavour to this spring vegetable tart, made with a simple pastry rich...

Freezable Vegetarian

18 of the best one-pots for spring and summer

Because nobody wants to wash up when it’s sunny outside! We’ve brought together our very best summer casseroles, tray roast...

Grilled goat’s cheese salad with honey dressing

This super speedy and easy grilled goat’s cheese salad is inspired by the classic. The warm honey dressing brings sweetness,...

Creamy bucatini with chorizo and mushrooms

Spanish chorizo gate-crashes an otherwise distinctly Italian party in this indulgent dish, imbuing the cream with its punchy, paprika-coloured oils....