British Goose Producers (BGP) is urging consumers to order their Christmas goose now to avoid disappointment as demand grows for the seasonal bird.

“There’s been a small increase in the number of geese coming on to the market in recent years — but it’s not a bird you can mass produce,” said BGP chairman Eddie Hegarty. “Geese are truly seasonal poultry reared in small flocks through the summer and autumn. Our largest members rear only a few thousand a year, so it’s small scale by modern poultry standards. But the good news is that the wet year has ensured plenty of lush grazing — geese love the wet.”