Let's start this month with a fun photo from Buyer's Walk. This is Will Patrick who works with wholesaler Bruce White. That's a huge squash, imported by the team at European Speciality Foods. You will find a dazzling variety of squashes on the Market plus pumpkins in readiness for Halloween. 

October marks the start of the European citrus season: the first batches of clementines but also speciality lines such as bergamot, yuzu and cedro. 

The English apple and pear season is fully underway. This is the Gala variety.

Some other varieties at time of writing are shown below. That's Cox in the background with a Pink Lady and Egremont Russet. 

Below are early English Conference pears. Comice will be along later in the season. 

Bursa black figs (pictured below) are a highlight in October. French Sollies figs will also be available for the first week or two of the month.

Kaki fruit (a.k.a. persimmons) are an interesting option in October. Quince is in season from France and Turkey. It's a good time for European grapes such as Muscat and the quirky Strawberry grape from Italy. Exotics at this time of year include rambutans, mango, lychees, pandan leaf and many more ... 

Chestnuts are a wonderful sight in their spiky shells. It's not been a great year for cobnuts - volumes are down - but what's here are now dry. 

Wet walnuts from Italy and France are available by the sack. 

For UK veg, you will find all the roots such as beetroot, turnips and bunched carrots. Also UK brassicas such as kales, cauliflower, Romanesco, purple sprouting and Brussel sprouts and tops. 

Leeks are good this month - they improve with the start of cold weather. 

It used to be French growers that sent the speciality purple and yellow cauliflowers but this is a quality UK crop.

Below are French Jerusalem artichokes but the UK crop will be harvested once the weather dries up.   

The season for summer tomatoes has drawn to an end but the winter varieties such as Marinda and Camone are now starting. Below is an unusual one - Piennolo hanging tomatoes from Italy. 

UK salads are at an end although watercress is almost year-round. From Italy, it is the start of the season for bitter leaves such as the radicchios, puntarelle and cime di rapa.

Autumn is a good season for wild mushrooms such as Trompette, Pied de Mouton, Chanterelle and Ceps. Below is a photo of the cultivated grey Oyster. 

It really is a wonderful Autumn on the Market. See you in a month for the November report.