28/08/2026
🦪🇬🇧 UK COCKLE SEASON — A LITTLE SHELLFISH WITH A BIG STORY
The humble British cockle deserves a bit more love! ❤️
Found in estuaries and coastal sands around the UK, cockles have been part of our seaside food culture for generations — and today they remain an important source of income for fishing communities around places such as The Wash, Morecambe Bay, the Dee Estuary, the Thames Estuary and North and South Wales.
🎣 A living industry
Cockling isn't simply about collecting shellfish from the shore. It is a carefully managed industry involving fishermen, processors, purification facilities, transporters, markets and retailers.
And the season isn't the same everywhere.
For example, the 2026 Wash cockle fishery opened on 15 June, with a total allowable catch of 4,992 tonnes and a range of measures designed to protect juvenile stocks and sensitive areas. Meanwhile, the North West cockle beds are currently closed, subject to adaptive management.
That's why it's important to check the local fishery rules rather than assuming there's one nationwide "cockle season".
💪 Small shellfish, serious nutrition
Cockles are naturally high in protein and particularly rich in several micronutrients.
Our nutritional guides show that 100g of boiled cockles provides significant amounts of:
🔹 Vitamin B12
🔹 Iron
🔹 Iodine
🔹 Selenium
🔹 Phosphorus
🔹 Copper
🔹 Protein
They're also relatively low in calories, with around 53 kcal per 100g of boiled cockles.
🛒 Where can you buy them?
Look for cockles at:
🐟 Local fishmongers
🌊 Coastal fish markets
🧺 Farmers' and local food markets
🏪 Specialist seafood retailers
🥫 Supermarkets and specialist shops for pickled cockles
Fresh cockles should be alive when purchased. Give open shells a tap — if they don't close, discard them. They should smell fresh and of the sea, not unpleasant or strongly "fishy".
🍋 And how do you cook them?
Keep it simple!
Classic steamed cockles:
Rinse thoroughly to remove sand and grit, then steam with a splash of white wine or lemon juice for a few minutes until the shells open. Discard any that remain closed after cooking.
Or try:
🍷 Cockles with white wine, shallots, pancetta & basil
🍋 Cockles with lemon, olive oil & fresh herbs
🥬 Cockles with samphire
🥖 Pickled cockles with good malt vinegar
🥘 Cockles incorporated into a seafood pasta
🇬🇧 Welsh cockles with laverbread
There are plenty of ways to take this traditional British shellfish from seaside snack to restaurant-quality dish.
So next time you see British cockles on a fishmonger's counter, don't overlook them.
They're a taste of our coastline, a traditional food, a source of livelihoods for coastal communities — and a seriously nutritious little shellfish. 🇬🇧🌊🦪
Have you eaten British cockles? What's your favourite way to cook them?
