The UK asparagus season has yet to reach full swing, according to the Asparagus Grower's Association. Warm spring days have been counteracted by frosty nights which means that the bulk of the UK crop is expected to appear at the beginning of May.
However the timing of the first cut does vary from region to region, Ronda Morritt who has an asparagus farm in Yorkshire anticipates that her first crop will start on April 24.
Morritt explained: 'With an asparagus crop there's nothing to see until the shoots actually appear out of the soil. It is completely different to a strawberry crop where you can see the berries and can anticipate when they'll ripen.' And at the other end of the country Andy Allen, a Norfolk-based asparagus grower and vice chairman of the Asparagus Grower's Association expects a traditional start to the season. 'Every year the crop appears on May 1 and I don't expect this year to be any different,' he said.
Victor Aveling, chairman of the Asparagus Growers Association concluded: 'There's no doubt that in the case of asparagus, UK really is best. With the market for imported vegetables booming, UK consumers have forgotten that there are key times for buying UK produce. Although there is talk of extending the season using new technology, the main UK asparagus season still starts on May 1 and lasts for eight to 10 weeks. Asparagus is one of our finest crops and we are a nation of asparagus lovers, so much so that we don't export any of it - we save it all for ourselves.' See next week's Journal for more details.
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