Could Brussels sprouts be off the menu this Christmas?

Love them or hate them you will probably find some sprouts on your plate for Christmas. Whether you choose to eat them however is up to you.

But one organic farmer in Oxfordshire has said the intense heat has created perfect conditions for a 'plague' of flea beetles that, unlike some, love to feast on the brassica.

George Bennet said his sprouts are "touch and go" after a year that has, "really pushed us to the limits". But fear not, there may still be hope for any Brussels buffs out there.

"We will still have Brussels sprouts but they are likely to be quite small, not the big ones that are much easier to peel on your Christmas dinner."

The flea beetle is much smaller than a ladybird - about the size of a pinhead

It attacks leafy plants in the brassica family including cabbage, Brussels sprouts and rapeseed

It lays eggs underneath plants in the soil, not on the leaves

Affected plants are peppered with holes and look like they have been "hit by a shotgun"

Bennet worked in IT before he decided to take over from his dad at Sandy Lane Farm in Tiddington, near Thame.

He grows a diverse range of vegetables using an organic system which he said provides better resilience to extreme weather conditions and chooses to sell his produce direct to avoid market pressure.

But, he said the pressure this year has been from flea beetles which have been "really pervasive".

"Typically they are with us after spring and when it just gets into summer. So we have about three or four weeks.

"The flea beetle now has been with us for about 12 weeks."

Flea beetles will eat away at the leaves of brassicas like sprouts.

The extent of their munching on Bennet's crop has seen some of the leaves eaten by as much as 70 percent, which reduces their ability to photosynthesise and give the plant energy it needs to grow.

He said that a lack of water is one of the reasons the beetle likes to eat away at his crops in search of food and moisture.

But other crops like potatoes and squash have done really well, which is why he advocates for a mixed system.

"We farm for all weathers and whatever is thrown at us we can capitalise on it."

"Having eggs not in one basket is definitely the way forward."

Mike Hirons, CEO of Oxfordshire wholesaler, Produce Warriors, said it is too early to say whether we're likely to see an impact on sprout supply.

But he said poor yields had caused prices of other Christmas vegetables like potatoes and broccoli to increase already.

"What we can know is that if our prices have been high through the summer then it would not surprise me if they continue through the winter."

Despite feeling positive about the future in the system he manages, Bennet said support is "absolutely necessary" to help farmers cope with change.

"Our general climate is moving from very variable weather where we didn't need irrigation... to now we actually need irrigation. And that's expensive.

"That's where government support and funding can really help farmers to start putting into place infrastructure so that we can store over-winter rains and use it in the summer."

Last month the government announced funding of up to £15m to build on-farm reservoirs which it said would help farmers become more resilient to future droughts.

It comes after a spring and summer of persistent heat with five widespread heatwaves and 40 days of temperatures above 30C.

The Met Office said on Tuesday that summer 2026 was the hottest on record where drought was declared in all of Wales and more than two-thirds

As for the sprouts, there are no warnings yet to suggest we're likely to see a shortage but according to Bennet they could be smaller - which may not be a bad thing for some this Christmas.

What's pushing up the cost of Christmas dinner this year?