“Sales are already ticking along nicely and so far we’ve sold more than this time last autumn,” said Mr Franklin, who retails geese through his farm shop near Sandy, Bedfordshire. He said that similar reports of strong sales had been received from other BGP members across the UK.

“The economy is edging in the right direction and now that the clocks have changed people are thinking of Christmas and planning for the festive season.

"If you’re thinking of having goose for Christmas, I’d advise you to order soon to make sure of getting the size of bird and quality you want.”

He says that a typical 5 kg (11 lb) goose will serve eight people, with a 6 kg (13.2 lb) catering for 12.

Mr Franklin suggested demand could benefit from the storyline about geese introduced into the popular BBC Radio 4 serial The Archers.

He added that the wet, cool summer and recent mild weather has enhanced the nutrient quality of grass and extended good grazing for geese well into the autumn.