A recent cold snap at the end of April put the brakes on the UK asparagus season, following a warm spring and a buoyant start bringing initial crops forward by around two weeks.
With some growing areas recording temperatures of -2 degrees during the night, and bearing in mind asparagus ceases to grow around the 10 degree mark, there was understandably cause for concern among growers.
But this week’s return to warmer temperatures should ensure the season is not dramatically affected, and strong marketing from wholesalers, chefs and an industry campaign look set to propel sales forward, if the volumes are there.
“Sales have been very good. The start of the season was good timing, because it coincided with chefs writing spring menus, so they’re featuring asparagus in dishes alongside English wild garlic, and the start of Spanish peas and Italian broad beans,” says Vernon Mascarenhas, sales director at wholesaler First Choice Produce.
A warm April had other effects on crops aside from an early start – Morrisons recently announced it would add asparagus into its wonky veg range to utilise the high volumes of misshapen spears caused by tracking low-lying spring sun. Unpredictable temperatures have also led to varying lengths, the retailer said.
William Hebditch, of New Cross Fruit Farm in Somerset, says: “The season has started well for us in Somerset, first we had some early spears from the polytunnels, but now the open field has kicked in and we are picking it every day.”
Danny Grover, business unit director at Barfoots, says the company also begins with tunnel-covered crops around the beginning of April. “This year’s English asparagus season has started around a week earlier than last year thanks to a fairly mild Spring,” he explains. “We hope to harvest more asparagus this year, however this will be heavily dependent on the weather.”
Short-term growing conditions aside, asparagus is still a profitable crop for growers, according to Mascarenhas, who estimates that UK production has been increasing by eight to 10 per cent year on year over the last 10 years. “I think there’s been a change of mindset for the farmers,” he says. “They’re more likely to see the value in setting aside one whole field for asparagus. A farmer can go from traditional cereals to asparagus, which requires less labour, but roughly get the same money per annum.”
Growing techniques are also changing, says Global Plant Genetics director Jamie Petchell, who points out that there is an increased interest in the use of module, or plug, plants for establishing the crop. “In the 1980-90s, practically all asparagus planted in the UK was from this method,” he says. “This was replaced in the 2000s and to date by crown material. These still dominate but some growers are moving back to modules as they have seen certain advantages in terms of crop longevity.”
Before the cold set in, crops were benefiting from good temperatures and light levels during last summer, coupled with a cold winter that held the crowns back, Petchell continues. Warmer soil temperatures have also led to sweeter-tasting spears, adds Mascarenhas.
The beginning of the asparagus season is always supported by a wealth of marketing activity, and this year was no different. A recent campaign by P&I Side Salads at New Covent Garden promoted Norfolk grower Andy Allen’s produce, under the Portwood brand, with a chef demo and colourful display to keep the seasonal favourite front of mind to passing buyers. Outside of the markets, industry campaign Enjoy Asparagus, co-ordinated by PamLloyd PR, secured the backing of Olympic track cyclist Becky James to promote asparagus year-round via her social media. Foodservice has been another area of focus and a spokesperson says restaurant chain Bill’s is set to introduce two seasonal asparagus dishes on menus across the country.
Strong consumer and chef interest are helping to steady the asparagus sector – but the category faces similar worries over a sufficient future labour supply, as well as a reduction in the amount of available chemicals.
In the short-term, however, most growers would settle for a higher mercury reading to see out the rest of the season.
A real variety
“For the UK specifically, there is a particular focus on the breeding programme managed by Fox Seeds in Canada,” says Jamie Petchell of Global Plant Genetics. “We are acting as seed supplier and that affords the UK asparagus grower to purchase the plant material from their preferred nursery. The key attributes of each can be seen below.”
• Guelph Evolution: early, high yielding, medium spear diameter
• Guelph Eclipse: early, very high yields, larger spear diameter that is being tested in white production as well as green
• Guelph Equinox: newest to market, early harvest season with very high yields of medium thickness spears
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